Trench Safety ebook
The United Rentals Guide to Trench Safety
Protect workers through knowledge and action
Vue d’ensemble
Working in trenches is one of construction's most dangerous activities, yet most accidents are preventable. The majority of trench fatalities occur when no protective system is used, even in shallow trenches. This comprehensive guide provides the knowledge contractors need to protect workers: from understanding the competent person's critical role to choosing the right protective system and building a strong safety culture. Make the investment in worker safety before it's too late.
What You’ll Learn
Protect your workers and prevent trench collapses with comprehensive safety knowledge. In this ebook, you’ll uncover:
- The competent person's essential role and responsibilities – What OSHA requires for daily inspections, hazard identification and protective system selection, plus why experience and ongoing training are both critical
- How to choose and properly implement protective systems – The four types (benching, sloping, shoring, shielding), when you need a registered professional engineer, and how to correctly use manufacturer's tabulated data vs. OSHA charts
- Building a world-class safety culture – Seven essential elements including written policies, ongoing training, management commitment, worker involvement, stop-work authority and effective subcontractor management
Prevent Trench Fatalities with Engineered Safety Solutions
With more than 90 trench safety branches and North America's largest fleet of shoring equipment, United Rentals helps contractors protect workers through comprehensive training, expert guidance and the right protective systems.
72% of trench fatalities
occur in trenches less than 9 feet deep
112% higher fatality rate
for excavation work vs. general construction
76% of trench fatalities occurred
when no protective system was used
36 workers died in 2016
more than double the 5-year average
One cubic yard of soil =
weight of a small car
5 feet deep =
OSHA requires a protective system
Key Topics
Understanding the Danger
Why trench work remains one of construction's deadliest activities, and how the weight and force of collapsing soil create fatal situations in seconds
The Competent Person and Protective Systems
OSHA requirements for trained personnel to conduct daily inspections and select the right system based on soil type, depth and site conditions, including when RPE approval is required
Common Myths and Special Situations
Debunking dangerous misconceptions about trench boxes, aluminum shores and tabulated data, plus when trenches become permit-required confined spaces under OSHA 1926 Subpart AA
Building a World-Class Safety Culture
Written policies, ongoing training, management commitment, worker involvement, stop-work authority and pre-job briefings that prevent preventable fatalities
"It was pitch black. I couldn't see, I couldn't move. I was completely helpless. Every time I would exhale, the dirt would get tighter and tighter. It crushed my chest; I couldn't breathe. I was suffocating. I knew I was going to die right then because we didn't follow safety procedures."
— Eric Giguere, trench collapse survivor
