Trench Safety, Sunstate Equipment Co., LLC

Christian Toepfer

Did you know a cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as 3,000 pounds? Which means, a trench collapse is rarely survivable. In fact, OSHA reported that in 2022, thirty-five workers died in trenching and excavation work. This is an alarming increase and more than double from the previous year.

One on-the-job fatality incident is one too many, but unfortunately, crews working without the proper training in excavation sites is a tragic and dangerous reality.

There are two main reasons trench cave-ins or collapses happen: crews are either not using the proper equipment, or they have the proper equipment onsite but are not using it correctly.

Industry-wide, it is more common to see noncompliant jobsites than compliant sites. Unfortunately, small, start-up contractors often opt to forgo spending the time and money on proper equipment and training.

Time and time again, non-compliance is the biggest risk factor to crew safety, and because of the recent uptick in fatalities, OSHA is cracking down with fines up to $140,000 for a single citation!

Spreading awareness of proper excavation safety protocols—for the entire excavation team—is the key to reducing incidents across the board. Every excavation site has different hazards, soil conditions, and functions to complete the task at hand—so there is always a lot to learn.

While there must always be one Competent Person onsite, crews also need to have the knowledge to identify potential hazards and evaluate several site conditions, including surrounding traffic, nearby structures, weather, overhead and belowground utilities, water lines, and more.

Another common mistake is assuming that having a protective system on the jobsite is enough to meet OSHA requirements. While this is a necessary step towards compliance, a Competent Person is also mandatory.

A cost-effective, easy-access certification program can teach everyone on the crew the latest OSHA Trenching and Excavation Safety guidelines. Also, consulting a trench safety professional for advice on the best solutions for the job is critical for keeping sites OSHA-compliant. When it comes to trench safety, knowledge is a life-saving necessity!

How Sunstate’s OSHACompliant Competent Person Training Program Stands Out

There is absolutely no substitute for experience when it comes to keeping your crews safe, which is why Sunstate Equipment’s Trench Safety Division training programs are unparalleled. With classes taught by subject matter experts with 30 years of experience—tenured instructors with real-world experience—students attending a CPT course through Sunstate will have the advantage of taking part in a highly interactive program.

Sunstate’s CPT training uses innovative technology to keep students engaged the whole way through. This program isn’t sitting and watching videos all day. Trainees are shown real-world scenarios, work with soil samples, and identify hazards to pick the proper solution. The course also covers proper installation, daily inspection steps, and ongoing safety protocols to work safely in a variety of conditions.

The tangible, potentially life-saving benefits of putting an entire crew through a CPT training program, such as the one at Sunstate, cannot be understated. For around $150 per person, the cost of training is a small price to pay to avoid the devastating costs of hefty citations, life-threatening injuries, or worse.

Learn more about Sunstate’s interactive CPT training courses at www.sunstateequip.com.