Trenching Basics
General info only. These talks don't replace your company's safety program, your site rules, or OSHA rules. Follow those first, and ask your safety lead if something here doesn't match.
Start here
Dirt is heavy. One cubic yard can weigh as much as a small car. A trench wall can fail with no warning, so today we go over the basics.
Key points
- Never get in a trench until the competent person has checked it that day.
- Trenches 5 feet or deeper need protection, like sloping, shoring, or a trench box, unless the competent person says the ground is solid rock. Shallower trenches can still need it.
- Keep spoil piles and equipment back at least 2 feet from the edge.
- Have a way out, like a ladder, close to where you work in deeper trenches.
- Watch for water, cracks, bulging walls, or soil falling in. Get out and tell someone.
- Know where the utilities are before digging starts. Locates must be done and marked.
- Rain, vibration from equipment, and old backfill all make walls weaker.
Bottom line: If something looks wrong in a trench, get out first and ask questions after.
Talk it over
- Who is the competent person for trench work on this job?
- Where is the ladder or way out in our trench today?
- What signs would make you climb out right away?
Before you wrap up: have everyone sign the sign-in sheet, write today's date and the topic, and note any questions or hazards the crew brought up. Need a sheet? Use the free toolbox talk template.
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