Solution Summary: Shoring Equipment for Trenching
Shoring equipment is designed to stabilize and provide structure for trenches when work must be completed below earth’s surface.
Risks Addressed:
An excavation is a man-made cavity in the ground and a trench is an excavation that is deeper than it is wide. Working in trenches increases the risk of injury and death and a significant number of worker injuries and fatalities are directly related to trench cave-ins. Many factors must be considered when the creation of a trench begins, including soil type, amount of moisture present, effect of vibration from equipment and nearby traffic, surcharge load (i.e. excessive weight that can put pressure on the walls of the trench), previous excavation, and weather for the area. Many methods may be used to protect against cave-ins, including the use of shoring equipment. Shoring equipment provides stability for the walls of the trench by preventing movement of soil, underground utilities, roadways and foundations. Shoring equipment therefore creates a safer work environment (Trenching Safety, 2010).
According to NIOSH, Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2000 to 2009 indicate that an average of 35 workers per year died in trenching or excavation cave-ins in the United States (NIOSH, 2011). The NIOSH report also noted a study based on an analysis of OSHA data from 1997−2001 that showed 64 percent of fatalities in trenches occurred at depths of less than 10 feet (Arboleda and Abraham 2004). Another study that used OSHA inspection data showed that lack of a protective system was the leading cause of trench-related fatalities (Deatherage et al. 2004).
OSHA has focused heavily on excavation and trenching operations over the past decade. Such operations can be dangerous past four feet deep with cave-ins causing serious injury or death. More serious incidents are likely to occur when work is performed at a depth of six to nine feet. With the average cubic yard of dirt weighing approximately one ton, a person will likely not be able to breathe due to the pressure of the dirt on his or her chest. Even if a person maintains the ability to breathe during a cave-in, it is not guaranteed that the victim will survive injuries from compression of the lungs and other organs. OSHA reviewed cases from 2004 and found they had issued over $7 million in penalties for accidents that most likely could have been avoided (Griffin, 2005).
Rule 943 of the state of Michigan OSHA standards and Federal OSHA standards (29 CFR 1926 subpart P) mandate the use of trench support systems. During the process of providing trench support, ample space must be allowed to prevent sliding, falling or kickout when using a brace or trench jack. In addition, with situations involving unstable soil, jacks should only be removed from above the trench once all workers have exited the trench area. Specific regulations exist to insure support systems can effectively resist the forces opposing the trench at the maximum depth point (MiOSHA, 2005).
How Risks are Reduced:
Shoring is the process of creating safer work environment by providing a support system for trenches. Depending on conditions, including soil type, shoring cylinders may be expanded directly against trench walls, against rails positioned vertically in the trench, or against sheets of plywood or metal positioned against the trench walls. Shoring support systems work by providing stability for the walls that have been created in the trench and reducing the risk of collapse.
Even with shoring equipment, workers still need to be observant of their surroundings and exit any trenches that do not seem stable until the problem is corrected.
Availability
The Icon Group Hydraulic Shoring
To obtain information, visit http://www.iconjds.com
or contact 1-800-836-5011
Pro-Tec Aluminum Hydraulic Shoring
For more product information
http://www.pro-tecequipment.com
or contact 1-800-292-1225
NIOSH Workplace Solutions Sheet
The National Institute of Safety and Health (NIOSH) has published a series of “Workplace Solutions”, which are easy-to-understand recommendations from NIOSH research results. Related to this Construction Solution, please find more information on:
Preventing Worker Deaths from Trench Cave-ins
Trench Tech Hydraulic Shoring
To obtain information, visit http://www.shoringsolutions.com
or contact 1-800-443-6832
GME Hydraulic Shoring
To obtain information, visit http://www.gme-shields.com
or contact 1-800-248-2054