Abstract:

Excavation and trenching operations are among the most hazardous construction activities and are a leading cause of worker injury and fatality in the sector. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 1008 deaths in construction in 2018 of which 55 (5.5%) were categorized as caught in/between. The most common cause of accidents in earthwork are cave-ins and sidewall collapse and are known to often result in fatalities. Other hazards include falls, falling materials, dangerous atmospheres, heavy equipment and existing utilities. It is reported that the fatality rate for excavation is 112% higher than that of general construction (OSHA, 2002 as referenced in Arboleda & Abraham, 2004).

Earthwork operations, including excavation and trenching, are typically undertaken by specialty trades. Such specialty contractors tend to be smaller firms, often restricted to specific geographic regions. Typically, they have fewer resources dedicated for worker health and safety, including lack of expertise in hazard recognition and management. Researchers suggest that, traditionally they have also been underserved by OSH initiatives and exempt from regulatory requirements devised to protect employees.

Experts contend that the engineering solutions for worker safety in excavation and trenching are comprehensive and robust. These are, namely, sloping and benching soil, and/or using shoring and shielding systems for soil support. The challenge is adoption of these strategies and systems.

Objective:
This research aims to
1. Gain knowledge about accident causation in excavation and trench work
2. Identify the barriers to use of trenching protective systems
3. Develop strategies to ensure that these systems are used correctly and consistently

Method:
Publicly available investigation reports were used to develop a 10-year database of all cases of workers deaths while working in trenches. This included location, victim age and gender, North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code, union status, number and types of citation, penalty in dollars, specific clauses cited from the OSHA Excavation Standard, and the summary report.

Findings:
Data Analysis revealed that more than 40% cases were cited for a lack of safety training and education of workers. approximately 60% of the cases are from within three sub-sectors in construction and only 10% of the firms are unionized.

Research Deliverable:
The expected deliverable is a smartphone-based bilingual tool for peer-to-peer training and knowledge sharing aimed at increasing worker awareness about hazards and safety.

Keywords:

Excavation, trench, safety, training, worker.