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Protecting workers from the hazards of trenches has lately been front and center in OSHA’s outreach to employers. One critical step in ensuring that you are meeting your obligations to protect employees who dig and work in trenches is to have a solid knowledge of how to classify soils. The Agency has produced an 11-minute […]
In response to a spike in worker fatalities and injuries, OSHA has updated its National Emphasis Program (NEP) on Trenching and Excavation. The updated NEP supersedes a special emphasis instruction on trenching and excavation OSHA issued in 1985 (CPL 02-00-069). NEPs are mainly directed at states with approved state plans and OSHA regional and area […]
In a recent news release, OSHA announced the development of a series of compliance assistance resources to help keep workers safe from trenching and excavation hazards. OSHA’s goal is to increase awareness of trenching hazards in construction, educate job creators and workers on safe cave-in prevention solutions, and decrease the number of trench collapses. These […]
On Monday, three news releases from OSHA covered recent enforcement actions. Two of them were taken against construction companies that failed to protect employees from trenching hazards, and one of the enforcement actions was unfortunately taken only after two employees were killed.
OSHA and several safety stakeholder organizations recently signed an alliance with North Dakota employers and employees to reduce exposure to trenching and excavation-related hazards.
OSHA has cited All Power Construction Corp. and staffing agency Labor Finders of Tennessee Inc. after a temporary employee installing sewer lines at an Alabama work site suffered a fatal injury in a trench collapse. All Power Construction Corp. faces $139,684 in proposed penalties and Labor Finders of Tennessee Inc. faces the maximum allowed $12,934 […]
Excavating and trenching are some of the most hazardous operations in construction, and OSHA is keeping an eye on employers. Today we’re taking look at some recent enforcement actions surrounding trench collapse hazards along with a guidance document from OSHA.
OSHA recently cited an Ohio company after a 33-year-old employee was crushed to death. The worker was digging soil out of a trench in Washington Township when the trench walls around him gave way, burying him in thousands of pounds of dirt.