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Analysis of Safety Issues in Trenching Operations

Javier Irizarry1, Dulcy M. Abraham2, Reini D. Wirahadikusumah3, Carlos Arboleda4

Abstract

Trenching related accidents account for a large percentage of accidents in the construction industry. These accidents can be caused by failure of the soil in which the trench was excavated, or the lack of protection of the trench walls by means of structures such as trench boxes or contacts with equipment or materials near the trench area among others. 

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) inspections are limited to establishing the cause of the trenching related accident and verifying if the required measures, according to their standards, were used. If the required measures to ensure safety were not taken, then OSHA can impose fines to the company performing the work. However, these inspections may not indicate the reasons why the OSHA trench safety standards were not used or why they failed to protect the workers. 

This paper will describe a comprehensive analysis of the events leading to the accidents in trenching related work. It will examine those aspects of the trenching operation that are not fully addressed in the OSHA inspections. The paper will provide a synopsis of possible modifications to the existing OSHA standards that could provide alternatives to provide a safe working environment when traditional standards are not feasible or practical to apply. The research study underlying this paper, is funded through a grant from the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to the Construction Safety Alliance (CSA).

  1. George Washington Carver Doctoral Fellow, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University
  2. Associate Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University
  3. Post Doctoral Research Engineer, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University
  4. Graduate Research Assistant. School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University
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