미 직업안전 위생국(OSHA)의 터파기 사고 요인 6가지 VIDEO:The Top 6 Causes of Trenching and Excavation OSHA Violations

The Top 6 Causes of Trenching and Excavation OSHA Violations

Even though the means to prevent trench collapses is pretty simple, dozens of construction workers continue to be killed by them every year. A few weeks ago, The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) held a webinar on trenching and excavation hazards, the reduction of which is has been OSHA’s priority goal since 2018. 

photo by Andy Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0

미 직업안전 위생국(OSHA)의 터파기 사고 요인 6가지    터파기 수단은 꽤 간단한데도 매년 수십 명의 건설 작업자들이 목숨을 잃고 있다. 몇 주 전, 건설연구훈련센터(CPWR)는 웨비나(인터넷 세미나)를 개최했는데, 사망자 감소는 2018년부터 OSHA의 최우선 목표였다. '터파기 안전에 영향을 미치는 요인에 대한 인식 제고'라는 제목의 웨비나에서 연사들은 OSHA가 터파기 안전을 어떻게 시행하는지, 업계 조사 결과, 안전에 대한 대안 등을 논의했다. OSHA의 터파기 안전 강화 OSHA의 집행 노력에 대해 말하기 위해 CPWR은 OSHA의 건설국장 스콧 케첨을 초대했다. OSHA의 2019 회계연도 표준 1926.651-.652 특정굴착요건은 건설업에서 6번째로 많이 인용된 표준으로 총 위반 1,500건, 중대 위반 1,173건, 고의 위반 35건, 반복 위반 81건을 차지했다. 케첨은 또한 그러한 위반 각각에 대해 인용된 구체적인 기준을 허물었다. 표준 1926.652(a)(1)은 단연코 가장 많이 인용된 표준으로, "터파기에서 작업원 보호"를 다룬다. 이 기준서에서는 구체적으로 다음과 같이 기술하고 있다. 터파기 깊이는 1.52m 미만이며, 경험 많은기술자가 지반을 조사하면 터파기 낙반 가능성은 전혀 없다고 밝혔다. 다른 인용 이유로는 대피 수단, 느슨한 암석이나 토양으로부터 작업원 보호, 굴착 가능성의 결과를 초래할 수 있는 상황의 증거를 발견하는 일일 발굴 조사, 그리고 지하수 관련된 위험으로부터 보호 등이 있다. Ki Chul Hwang Conpaper editor curator 황기철 콘페이퍼 에디터

edited by kcontents

In the webinar, titled ‘Increasing Awareness of Factors that Influence Trench Safety, speakers discussed how OSHA enforces trench safety, results of an industry survey about trench safety, and alternatives to trenching.

OSHA’s Trench Safety Enforcement

To speak about OSHA’s enforcement efforts, CPWR invited Scott Ketcham, the Director of OSHA’s Directorate of Construction.  In OSHA’s 2019 fiscal year, standard 1926.651-.652 Specific Excavation Requirements was the 6th most frequently cited standard in the construction industry, accounting for 1,500 total violations, 1,173 serious violations, 35 willful violations, and 81 repeat violations.

via OSHA

Ketcham also broke down the specific standards that were cited for each of those violations.  Standard 1926.652(a)(1) was by far the most frequently cited standard, which covers “protection of employees in excavations. That standard specifically states:

“1926.652(a)(1)

Each employee in an excavation shall be protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system designed in accordance with paragraph (b) or (c) of this section except when:

1926.652(a)(1)(i)

Excavations are made entirely in stable rock; or

1926.652(a)(1)(ii)

Excavations are less than 5 feet (1.52m) in depth and examination of the ground by a competent person provides no indication of a potential cave-in.”

Other reasons for citations were means of egress, protection of employees from loose rock or soil, daily inspection of excavations, where the competent person finds evidence of a situation that could result in a possible cave-in, and protection from hazards associated with water accumulation.

via OSHA

In addition to the citation data, Ketcham also highlights fatality statistics, OSHA’s outreach training efforts, and additional safety resources. The full, 1-hour long video is embedded at the bottom of this article if you’d like to find out more. 

Trench Survey

The 2nd speaker in the webinar was Joe Wise, Regional Customer Training Manager at United Rentals Trench Safety. In his portion, he discussed the results of a survey completed in conjunction with CPWR. An eye opening statistic from this survey showed that less than 25% of the respondents said that they frequently or always see trench protection on their jobsites. In addition, less than 50% of respondents said that there was always a competent person that was trained in trenching on their projects. 

There were many other interesting results shared from the survey and this portion begins around the 25 minute mark in the video below.

Alternatives to Trenching

via NIOSH

The 3rd and final speaker of the webinar was CAPT Alan Echt of the NIOSH Office of Construction Safety and Health, who discussed alternatives to trenching.  In the safety trainings that I perform one of my all-time favorite subjects to talk about is NIOSH’s Hierarchy of Controls. The chart highlights the effectiveness of certain categories of hazard controls are, elimination being the most effective and PPE being the least effective. Since trenching is unable to be eliminated in most instances, Echt instead focuses on the next best option: substitution.

Some of the alternatives to trenching discussed include directional boring, relining using cured-in-place pipe, pipe ramming, and utility tunneling and pipe jacking. Echt’s portion of the webinar begins around the 40 minute mark in the video below.

constructionjunkie

 kcontents