Excavation Death Trap: Not Today

Summary

In this workplace safety story, an Occupational Hygiene Officer recounts spotting a dangerously deep excavation on a college campus. After seeing a worker jump into the narrow, unstable trench, the officers rushed to the site and instructed him to exit immediately. The wet, sandy soil showed clear signs of cracking, and moments later a large slab collapsed exactly where the worker had been crouching. The near-miss highlights the life-threatening risks of unprotected excavations and reinforces a critical message: never enter a trench deeper than four feet unless it is properly shored or sloped.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker is Kim Hess, an Occupational Hygiene Officer with WorkSafeBC.
• 😀 Kim and her colleague Dave Pringle were observing a construction site from a distance.
• 😀 They noticed a backhoe digging a deep excavation and observed a worker standing near its edge.
• 😀 A worker jumped into the hole, which raised concerns about the safety of the excavation.
• 😀 The excavation was 11 feet deep and 3 feet wide where the worker was crouched.
• 😀 The soil around the excavation was wet, sandy, and showed signs of cracking and sloughing.
• 😀 Kim and Dave immediately asked the worker to vacate the excavation for safety reasons.
• 😀 While speaking to the workers outside, a large slab of soil caved in at the spot where the worker had been crouched.
• 😀 The worker was fortunate to avoid being buried when the soil collapsed.
• 😀 The main safety takeaway is not to gamble with life: Always ensure that excavations deeper than 4 feet are properly shored or sloped.
• 😀 Excavation safety is critical to avoid potential hazards like soil collapse and worker injury.

Q & A

What prompted Kim Hess and Dave Pringle to investigate the worksite?

Kim Hess and Dave Pringle noticed a backhoe digging an excavation on a college campus. The deep angle of the boom on the backhoe caught Kim’s attention, and they observed a worker standing near the edge of the excavation, which prompted them to investigate.

What did Kim Hess observe about the worker in the excavation?

Kim Hess observed that the worker was crouched at the deepest point of the excavation, working to expose a water connection. The excavation was 11 feet deep and 3 feet wide at that location.

Why was it dangerous for the worker to be in the excavation?

The excavation had wet, sandy soil that showed obvious signs of cracking and sloughing. These conditions increased the risk of a collapse, which could have trapped or buried the worker.

What did Kim and Dave do when they saw the worker in the excavation?

Kim and Dave immediately asked the worker to vacate the excavation due to its hazardous condition, emphasizing the danger of staying in such an unstable environment.

What happened shortly after Kim and Dave warned the worker?

After Kim and Dave were discussing the situation with the workers outside the excavation, a large slab of soil broke free and caved in exactly where the worker had been crouched moments before.

How deep was the excavation at the point where the worker was working?

The excavation was 11 feet deep and 3 feet wide at the location where the worker was crouched.

What did Kim Hess say about the worker’s luck?

Kim Hess commented that the worker was lucky to have escaped being buried when the soil caved in, as the collapse occurred right where the worker had been moments earlier.

What is the main safety lesson from this incident?

The main safety lesson is to never enter an excavation deeper than 4 feet unless its sides are properly shored or sloped to prevent a collapse. The worker’s near miss emphasizes the importance of excavation safety.

What is the recommended excavation safety procedure according to Kim Hess?

Before entering any excavation deeper than 4 feet, it is essential to ensure the sides of the excavation are either properly shored (reinforced) or sloped to reduce the risk of collapse.

What specific conditions made the excavation particularly hazardous?

The excavation had wet, sandy soil that was visibly cracking and sloughing, which indicated that the soil was unstable and posed a significant risk of collapse.