Moving dirt seems like a simple task. Grab a shovel, rent an auger or backhoe, and lift that dirt out of your way. As a friend of mine likes to say, “Just put it not here.”
Simple concept? Yes.
Fraught with danger? Big ol’ yes.
“Trenching and excavation operations are recognized as one of the most hazardous construction activities,” says Rob Matuga, director of labor, safety and health for the National Association of Home Builders, who is currently working on a trenching safety handbook for residential construction.
There are big reasons why Matuga and the National Association of Home Builders have trenching safety as a priority for its members. First, an unprotected trench is considered a willful violation from OSHA, which results in a $70,000 fine. But more importantly, jobsites average more than 50 deaths and hundreds of injuries every year from trenching and excavation work, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and OSHA.
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