Increase in trenching deaths spurs (delayed) action by OSHA
A Sauganash, Ill. city water department worker dies after an underground trench collapses around him during a routine project. A man dies after he was trapped in dirt up to his waist while working at a home construction site in Washington State. A Smithton, Pa. teenager dies when the walls of a 10-foot-deep trench collapse on him as he helps install a septic system.
A recent spike in trenching fatalities like the ones described above is behind OSHA’s recent announcement of a renewed effort to prevent such worksite deaths. The agency has updated its National Emphasis Program (NEP) on preventing trenching and excavation collapses and says it will crack down on safety violators – after a three month period of education and prevention outreach.