Compliance Officer Protects Employees from Trench Collapse June 20, 2007
    On June 7, while driving through Madison, Wis., Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) Chad Greenwood of OSHA’s Madison area office observed work being performed at an excavation site. The CSHO saw a potentially unsafe trench and stopped to initiate an inspection. When the trench conditions were closely examined, the trench was found to be unsupported and unstable. The CSHO warned the foreman that no one should enter the trench. The contractor had been preparing to place an inlet box for a storm sewer. During the opening conference with the employer, a portion of the trench wall collapsed. Luckily, no one was hurt because of the CSHO’s quick actions. OSHA’s Working Safely in Trenches QuickCard® (English/Spanish) offers tips to employers and employees on improving workplace safety and health while working in trenches.
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