ECN Forum Forums Safety Discussion and News Occupational Safety Discussion Another Trenching Death

It's amazing how people who dig trenches on a regular basis allow this to happen.
http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/48647


It seems to many live by the "it won't happen to me" attitude, and some innocent parties are paying the ultimate price for these people or companies.

Roger

OK Roger,
There are a few things in that story that worry me a tad.
Being a person that is versed in most types of rescue work, this could have been prevented by very simple means, in other words, shoring wasn't used and a guy died because of it.
Mainly because the company was too tight to get some shoring!.
Watch out!, there's a News flash. .
In all of the trench rescue courses I have been on there has been a general idea that you never get into an area that you will never be able to get out of and we always have bracing to prevent further collapse.
Roger,
If things were done properly mate, I would never have had to take that Trench Rescue course.
Not meaning to water down your post but, the company in question has a LOT to answer for.

Trumpy, this is the problem, we have very specific and strict trenching laws that these companies want to short cut or not adhere to at all.

The loss of life and time spent in rescue (in this case and many others, "body recovery") is unecessary if these rules are followed.

We furnish our employees with trenching safety classes as well as all other safety training pertaining to the work they will be involved in at a cost of well over $100,000 year. We take our safety program seriously and by doing so have gone 570 days without a loss time accident.

This is one reason I have little tollerance of this type of incident. This wasn't an accident considering the negligence.

Roger

Hey Roger,
Don't get me wrong, I am not disputing anything that you are saying.
In fact I am in agreement with you.
To say the word "Negligence" sums the whole deal up really.
To send guys down in a trench like that and not ensure thier safety is one thing, but to throw your nose to the wind and disregard all Safety procedures is sheer stupidity.
Going slightly off topic here, but what would happen if all the Line workers in the US decided that they were no longer going to wear Insulated Gloves.
Would you get down a very deep hole without shoring Roger?.
Sorry please don't take this as a personal attack on you mate, as this is not my intention!.
I dunno Roger, someone in that company needs thier b/side kicked and hard!

Just my observation,but being sometimes involved in digging,trenching etc. As long as there are unscrupulous contractors who'll ask men to get down in the trench w/o proper shoring,these kinds of things will continue. You can just about hear of 1 a week here in the Southeast.

That's really sad because other than money,there's no reason for it.


Russell