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Prevent Trenching Accidents: Avoid These Common Mistakes

It’s not an enjoyable part of the job, but someone has to do it: did you know that we monitor trenching accident occurrences as part of our daily operations? We do. Our goal is to prevent trenching accidents, so we keep our ear to the ground so we can be better with raising awareness, getting insight into the industry, and monitoring regulatory activity in the wake of excavation mishaps. With all that we’ve seen, here are the most common mistakes we see on the job site.

Avoid These 4 Mistakes to Prevent Trenching Accidents

Not Doing the Homework

Get ready to dig. Not just in the ground, but dig through the basic regulations and guidelines before you start a project. Scope it out. It’s not because we or others are watching to make sure you dot every “i” or cross every “t”, but it is largely because these regulations and guidelines are there for a reason. Many of these are even on the books because something bad happened previously. If you want to prevent trenching accidents, and everyone should, then don’t get in too deep without the right knowledge (and equipment).

Underestimating or Misjudging Ground Conditions

Once you know the basics about regulations and general guidelines, ask questions and get a sense about certain circumstances that threaten the safety of those on the job site. Ground conditions, for example, make a big difference in how you treat a job and how wary you have to be of additional potential for danger. We could (and will) write another full blog post about ground conditions, but suffice it to say how it matters whether you have sand, dirt, rocky mix, or something else. Beyond that, recent weather patterns like wind and precipitation also matter greatly.

Utilizing the Wrong Equipment or the Right Equipment the Wrong Way

We develop our products and provide data sheets so we can work with you to maximize your ability to prevent trenching accidents. Each piece of GME construction safety equipment is made to be used for certain types of jobs, trench depths, installation methods, and other considerations. We are glad to provide videos, too, so be sure to check those out. We can get you connected with the right equipment and the right rental or purchasing information. With our support, you won’t need to guess or fudge it. Your risk will then be greatly reduced.

Ignoring the Risk

Although every item on this list is important, there is one last item that transcends it all. The bottom line is that if you want to prevent trenching accidents, the biggest thing you can do is develop the right mindset. The ideal is to have zero incidents on site and to have no fines from regulatory authorities like OSHA. Everyone wins when this ideal is made a reality. Don’t ignore the risk. Recognize that you’ll spend much more time and money in response to something that goes wrong. If you work with GME and GME distributors and retailers, you can expect our standard to be that we get you the best, most compliant and safe solution for safety.

Contact GME for More Information

We have a vested interest in our customer’s shielding and shoring needs, and we are working together to resolve their demands. Our growing customer base knows this and we look forward to demonstrating it to you, too.

Contact GME Today