Trenching and Excavation: How to Avoid an Early Grave

Trenching and excavation work are among the most hazardous construction operations out there. On average, two workers are killed every month in trench collapses.

Timeline of a Trenching Fatality

8:15 a.m. Police officers are called to a construction site in Des Moines, Iowa, to respond to a trench collapse. The victim, a 30-year-old male, and a few other workers were digging a trench while excavating a sewer pipe, when the walls of the trench collapsed. The trench is more than 12 feet deep and slick with thick mud. The victim is trapped and buried under the collapsed mud. Rescue efforts begin.

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