Fatal Work Accidents in North Carolina Trenches

Trenches and excavations are everywhere on North Carolina's building sites. Very few construction projects can take place without digging holes and trenches to place underground wires, lines and tanks to supply power, communication, water, or chemicals to the infrastructure being built.

Construction workers are not eager to work in trenches and excavations. What they fear the most are cave-ins, but other potential work accidents are also present: electrocution or explosion when in contact with underground utilities, inhalation of toxic fumes, drowning, and more generally the unease of working in confined spaces. Their distrust is justified: The fatality rate for excavation work is 112% higher than the rate for general construction says the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) website.

What should contractors do to protect trenching and excavation workers?

Through inspection before and supervision during the work, construction firms should make sure that:

A protective system is set up. Evaluate soil conditions and choose the appropriate system to prevent cave-ins. Get the most detailed plans of utility lines and test for low oxygen and hazardous fumes. Make sure all access roads are safe and accumulated water is drained.

Spoil piles and equipment are placed away from the excavation. The weight of spoils and equipment can cause a cave-in if placed too close to the trenches' edges.

Workers can safely access and exit the excavation works. In trenches or excavations more than 4 feet deep, workers need to have access to ladders, stairways or ramps.

The site is inspected daily. Work progress, a failure to follow instructions or a change in weather conditions may have changed the risk of work accidents which regular inspections can correct. Rainfall is one serious risk factor that may require new and drastic protective measures.

It is the employer's duty to follow OSHA's safety procedures and regulations and to make sure serious work accidents do not happen in North Carolina.

If you have suffered a work accident, call Accidental Injury Advocates Ltd. in Elizabeth City locally 757-455-8889 or toll-free 888-694-7994 or send us an e-mail for a FREE, no commitment discussion of your case. Attorney Joseph Miller, Esq has been representing injured North Carolina workers for over 20 years. Order now his FREE lawyer book "The Nine Biggest Myths About North Carolina Workplace Injuries".