I see it all the time when I drive around or visit a jobsite — a trench or a section of a trench in which workers are not protected from a possible cave-in. In reality, there is no excuse for not providing a protective system when it is required, but here are some of the ones that safety professionals hear on a regular basis:

“We’re working in an area where there are crossing utilities.” When using trench shields, contractors frequently come across crossing utilities where they have to lift the box over the utility or leave a gap between two boxes. Leaving a gap is acceptable as long as workers are not allowed to be in the exposed area — even if it is only to move from one box to the next. (Note: The area above, below and around the utility has been previously disturbed and is therefore one of the most dangerous areas in a trench.) When it is necessary for workers to work in or pass through this area, it must be protected by shoring or sloping. Single aluminum hydraulic shores work well in these situations.

“There is no shoring available to use in this area.” Companies should make sure that shoring is available if it is anticipated that workers will find themselves in a situation where it is necessary to connect pipe or perform other operations in areas where the trench box will not fit.

“We did not think it was necessary.” Protective systems are required by OSHA in all areas of a trench where any worker must enter that are more than 5 ft deep (4 ft in some states).

“We only had to be in the unprotected area for a short time.” Time has nothing to do with compliance. It does not matter if a worker is exposed to a cave-in for a minute or all day. Protection is necessary and required at all times.

“We have never had a problem before.” In other words, it is okay to take a chance and gamble on a cave-in not killing somebody. Even if nothing has happened in 20 years, it could happen today.

“If the exposed area starts to cave in, the workers can run back into the trench box.” By the time the workers realize the trench wall is caving in, and their minds process the information, they will be buried.

It is a simple fact that excuses result in injuries and fatalities. If an accident occurs, OSHA and the courts will not want to hear any excuses. They will look at the facts and determine if the employer was in compliance with the rules and regulations applicable to the type of work being performed.

Let’s take a quick look at the basic rule. OSHA requires that all workers in trenches more than 5 ft deep (4 ft deep in some states) must be protected by a protective system in the form of sloping, shoring and/or shields.

In situations where trenches are less than 5 ft deep, OSHA says the competent person on the job must evaluate the situation and decide if the trench is safe to enter without a protective system. This decision is made based on the competent person’s knowledge and experience, which is why it is important to ensure that the designated competent person is well trained and knowledgeable about how to identify and control the hazards associated with trench work.

There are some basic things every company can do to ensure that employees who work in trenches are protected at all times. Start by training managers and supervisors to ensure that they are competent and capable of identifying trench hazards. Ensure that the competent person knows that he or she has the authority to take corrective action anytime a hazard is observed. Require the competent person to make inspections daily, throughout the work shift as necessary, to ensure that all hazards are eliminated or controlled. Additionally, safety audits should be conducted on a regular basis to determine if anything has been overlooked.

Provide trench safety training to all employees who work in or around trenches. Train crews to use the options that are available to them and insist that they be used when an exposure exists. Most importantly, instruct all employees to never enter into an unprotected area no matter what the circumstances.

Give your supervisors and workers options when it comes to protective systems and make sure they know what to use in different situations in order to control the hazards. For example, if sloping is the only option, make sure they understand the soil must be classified if the slope will be any steeper than 1½:1.

There are no excuses when it comes to trench safety. Make a decision today to never allow employees to work in a trench without a protective system designed to protect them in all areas of the excavation they will have to enter.

George Kennedy is NUCA Vice President of Safety.