Many construction or utility jobs will involve digging things like trenches or ditches. However, this kind of work can be dangerous. That’s why it’s important to use good digging safety techniques. Using these procedures can help keep you and others safe while on the job…
Digging Safety: Proper Procedure
Digging the trench
There are several different digging safety techniques to use while doing the actual digging. For starters, make sure you know the area you’re digging in. You don’t want to accidentally cut any cables or hit any pipes while digging, as this could cause serious problems for both you and the people in the area. You’ll also want to ensure you have the right safety equipment on.
Once you begin digging, keep any of the heavy equipment away from the sides. This will help prevent their weight from causing the trench to cave in. Make sure to keep the dug-up material like dirt or gravel away from the trench as well so it doesn’t re-fill the trench.
Protective measures
Good digging safety also involves making sure your trench is stable enough to work in. A collapse could not only injure the people inside, but also compromise the work you’ve done. That’s why it’s important to take some protective measures to keep the trench supported.
OSHA requires any trench 5 feet or deeper to have a protective measure (unless the trench is in solid rock). This can be done by simply sloping the walls, or by placing wood or metal supports inside. Most importantly, you shouldn’t enter a trench and work in it if it appears to be unsafe.
Inspections
Good digging safety means thinking ahead for how much work you’ll have to do in the trench. Will you only need it for one shift, or for multiple ones? If you’ll need to work in it more than once, then you’ll want to make sure you inspect it properly before going back to work.
Have your trenches inspected by someone who has been trained to spot potential hazards. For example, rain can weaken the sides of the trench, but that can be hard to spot if you don’t know what to look for. If they say the trench isn’t safe, it’s better to wait until it is again rather than risk potential injuries.