Trench safety covers precautions and standards for preventing collapse and other hazards during excavation work.
The set of practices and requirements — including protective systems like sloping, shoring, and shielding — used to prevent trench collapse, engulfment, and other excavation-related hazards. In the U.S., trenching and excavation are regulated under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P.
Before workers enter a 6-foot-deep trench, a competent person installs a trench box for shielding and confirms spoil piles are kept at least 2 feet from the trench edge.
OSHA generally requires a protective system, such as sloping, shoring, or shielding, for trenches 5 feet deep or greater, and always when soil conditions present instability regardless of depth.
A designated "competent person" trained to recognize soil hazards and trenching risks must inspect the trench daily and after any event that could affect its stability, such as rainfall.
The three primary methods are sloping (angling trench walls back from the excavation), shoring (supporting trench walls with a support system), and shielding (using a trench box to protect workers).
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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