Construction Injury prevention

Trench Safety Stand Down to take place June 19-24

Trench Safety Stand Down
Photo: National Utility Contractors Association

Fairfax, VA – The National Utility Contractors Association, with support from OSHA, is calling on employers whose workers perform trench work to participate in a Trench Safety Stand Down during the week of June 19-24.

The event is intended to raise awareness of the dangers of trenching and excavation. One of the goals is to provide workers with the most current information regarding excavation requirements and proper safety procedures, such as using trench protective systems.

To participate, email NUCA at [email protected]. Anyone who wants to prevent trenching and excavation hazards is encouraged to sign up, NUCA states.

Trench collapses are “rarely survivable,” according to OSHA, and one cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as 3,000 pounds. Two workers are killed in trench collapses each month, the agency states.

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