Most trenches are dug to lay pipe or place manholes, conduit runs, or footings. It is easy to try to work fast in a trench and get out without taking the correct safety steps. Don’t. Each year, more than 30 construction workers are killed in trenches.
A trench is a confined space with many special problems. Most deaths in trenches are from cave-ins. Other risks are falls, electrocution, being struck by falling objects (or a backhoe), and bad air. Bad air can hurt your breathing, help cause a fire, or poison you. Many workers die trying to rescue other workers in trenches.