NEW YORK – Two employees of a Bronx water and sewer line construction contractor were fatally injured in a trench at a construction site at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens on April 3, 2023. These fatalities could have been prevented if their employer had ensured proper safeguards, a federal investigation found.
The National Utility Contractors Association Trench Safety Stand Down is June 19-23, 2023. It encourages employers to “STOP” and remind workers of the dangers of trench and excavations hazards – and the ongoing importance of protecting workers in trenches and excavations. Being in the safety business, Roco Rescue is a strong supporter of NUCA’s efforts to...
According to a report from the Department of Labor, 39 people died doing trench or excavation work in the U.S. in 2022. In fact, the number of worker fatalities more than doubled since 2021, continuing a troubling trend cited by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that found 166 workers died in trench cave-ins from 2011-2018,...
BRECKENRIDGE, CO – The owner of a Vail construction company facing felony manslaughter charges has surrendered to local law enforcement. This is related to the findings of a federal safety investigation into a deadly trench collapse in November 2021. A worker installing residential sewer pipes suffered fatal injuries when the trench around him caved in. The...
The alarming rise in trench-related fatalities has spurred US Department of Labor to announce enhanced nationwide enforcement. In 2022’s first six months, 22 workers have fallen victim to the deadly hazards present in trenching and excavation work – surpassing 15 in all of 2021 – and prompting the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and...
Workers sent back into partially collapsed trench OSHA proposes $243K in penalties following fatal, serious injuries After escaping from a partial trench collapse hours earlier, two workers employed by an Austin (TX) contractor to install a residential wastewater line were not as fortunate later that day. Both were told to return to the unprotected 13-foot-deep...
For the first time in the state’s history, a Washington employer will go to jail for the death of one of his employees due to trench safety violations. The incident occurred back in 2016 when a worker was crushed to death under more than 6,000 pounds of dirt when an 8- to 10-foot-deep trench caved...
You’ll spot them everywhere – from a local utility company working in your neighborhood to your workplace at an industrial or manufacturing facility during construction. It’s way too common to see an open trench unattended and unprotected. And, as we know, it’s only a matter of time until it collapses.
In a grim reminder about the dangers of trench and excavation work, this article from Safety+Health Magazine also serves as a warning to employers. “The court’s decision sends a message to business owners that they can be held criminally accountable and face felony charges if they knowingly fail to protect their workers.”
June is Trench Safety Month and June 15-19 is Trench Safety Stand Down week. We are partnering with NUCA (National Utility Contractors Association) to encourage everyone who does trenching or excavation as part of their work to participate in the Stand Down by holding a toolbox talk on trench safety. Here’s how you can prepare...
