Trenching and Excavation — Protective Systems
Construction · Ver en español
Talking points
- A protective system — sloping, benching, shoring, or a trench shield — is mandatory for any trench 5 feet deep or more, unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock.
- Soil classification determines the required slope: Type A (most stable) at 3/4:1, Type B at 1:1, and Type C (least stable) at 1.5:1. Most construction soil is Type B or C.
- For trenches deeper than 20 feet, the protective system must be designed or approved by a Registered Professional Engineer.
- Trench shields (trench boxes) protect workers from cave-ins but do not prevent the cave-in itself. They must extend at least 18 inches above the surrounding grade.
- Never enter an unprotected trench — even a shallow one. Soil weighs about 100 pounds per cubic foot. A cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a car.
Ask the crew
If you arrived at a trench that had no protective system in place, what would you do — even if your foreman told you to get in?
Standards this talk is built on
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