What Are Trench Collapses and How Do They Happen? – Rochester

Trench collapses are among the riskiest types of construction-related accidents, causing severe injuries or even death. If you’ve been injured by a trench collapse that could have been avoided, let the highly skilled construction accident attorneys in Rochester handle your case as you and your loved ones focus on the things that matter, your recovery.

Below are some of the most commonly occurring trench collapses:

1. An Earth Slide:  Occurs when a massive amount of soil is dumped near the trench and is reabsorbed back into the trench.
2. A Shear Wall collapse: When the top portion of a wall abruptly collapses, dirt may overflow in the ditch, carrying up to 9000 pounds of matter.
3. Belly Sloughs: When the central part of the trench wall sags because of proximity to flowing water or underground facilities, it is called a belly slough.

Injuries Associated With Trench Accidents

• The sudden collapse of trench walls can cause suffocation and loss of consciousness.
• Lack of ventilation in tight underground spaces can result in asphyxiation.
• Electrocutions can occur when employees hit the power cables that are hidden from view.
• It is possible to drown if workers don’t have access to exits, and water is flooding the trench because of a damaged water pipe.
• Lung injuries can happen if a gas pipeline explodes and toxic gases are released into the trench.
• If employees slip into trenches that haven’t been marked, there’s a higher chance that they’ll break bones and sustain head injuries.

How to Avoid These Accidents?

In the past thirty years, OSHA has prioritized the prevention of trench collapse injuries. Employers must take the following steps to be in compliance with OSHA’s rules and prevent the risk of trench collapse:

Expert Advice: 

• A qualified person should carry out inspections every day to check for malfunctioning safety equipment or systems, possible collapses, or other dangers.
• If a trench is greater than 4 feet in depth, a proper plan for evacuation must be in place for the trench, like an access ramp or ladder. 
• Constructing fencing and other barriers surrounding the trench will stop employees or heavy machines from being thrown into the ditch accidentally.
• Helmets with hard shells must be mandatory for all employees working in and around trenches.
• Avoid electrical wires, unknown water pipes, and gas pipes as they pose immediate dangers to your safety.

There are typically no warning signs before a trench suddenly falls and causes soil to flow in the ditch at great speed. Such collapses could bury and even crush people who aren’t paying close attention in many cases. Many fatalities and injuries due to trench cave-ins can be prevented if proper security measures exist.