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SAFETY MOMENT, JULY 17

Watch for water and bad air

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Safety moment, July 17

Watch for water and bad air

Soil is heavy, and a trench wall can give way with little or no warning. A cave-in can bury or crush a worker before they can react, and a coworker who jumps in to help can be caught by the next collapse. These rules keep the walls off people and give everyone a way out.

SAFETY MOMENT

July 17

The hazard

Soil is heavy, and a trench wall can give way with little or no warning. A cave-in can bury or crush a worker before they can react, and a coworker who jumps in to help can be caught by the next collapse. These rules keep the walls off people and give everyone a way out.

The action

Do not work in an excavation with standing or rising water unless adequate precautions are in place, such as water removal, special support or shield systems, or a harness and lifeline (29 CFR 1926.651(h)(1)). Where low oxygen or a hazardous atmosphere exists or could reasonably be expected, such as in a landfill, the air must be tested before anyone enters an excavation more than 4 feet deep. Crews usually test with a gas monitor. (29 CFR 1926.651(g)(1)(i))

ASK THE CREW

What protective system are we using, and where does it stop protecting us?

From the talk: Trenching and excavation. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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