There are all kinds of construction projects underway in Illinois and Indiana right now, from residential to industrial; to commercial and road work infrastructure; to utility work and repair. Many of these construction projects will need some type of excavation work done, where trenching is required.
Trenching is a type of excavation commonplace to many construction sites, where the ground is dug out at a depth greater than its width. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) explains trenching as follows:
OSHA defines an excavation as any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the Earth’s surface formed by earth removal. A trench is defined as a narrow excavation (in relation to its length) made below the surface of the ground. In general, the depth of a trench is greater than its width, but the width of a trench (measured at the bottom) is not greater than 15 feet (4.6 m).
Read, “Trenching and Excavation Safety,” published by OSHA (OSHA 2226-10R-2015).
Trenches are needed for all sorts of things, and most construction workers are used to having to deal with them while getting their work done. For instance:
- Building Projects: Things like piers, footings, and basement walkouts will all need trenches. So will things like culverts, storm drains, and bases for retaining walls in the surrounding areas to the building itself.
- Road Work: All the lighting on our streets and highways and interstates will need trenching work to install and upkeep the underground power lines for the traffic signals, etc. Road work zones may have several trenching needs as they install bridges, overpasses, etc. as well as creating trenches designed to route and divert flood waters.
- Utilities and Infrastructure Installation, Repair, or Maintenance: Gas lines, water pipes, sewer lines, underground electrical power lines, and fiber-optic cables are usually found underground, lying alongside roads or easements and underneath the frost line (very important in our harsh winter weather). To place them, as well as to access them, trenches need to be dug for access by the worker.
Dangers of Trenches on Construction Sites and in Excavation Projects
Construction workers understand the risks involved in these digs. Trenches are not permanent; they are literally long holes in the ground with dirt walls. For more, watch the Excavations in Construction / Trenching Prevention Video published online by OSHA.
If the trench fails in some way, one or more workers can be killed or severely injured in a matter of seconds in excruciating ways:
1. Asphyxiation.
There is a great danger of the construction worker to be buried under all the soil, rock, mud, or dirt where they suffocate in seconds because their access to oxygen is blocked. As OSHA warns, even one cubic yard of soil coming down on a worker weighs up to 3,000 pounds – as much as a car. It can quickly bury a worker alive or cause severe crushing or suffocation injuries.
2. Crush injuries.
Trench collapses can also come with great force, breaking bones or causing serious damage to muscles (e.g., rhabdomyolysis) and the nervous system. These can result in permanent disability or long-term recovery needs including multiple surgeries and physical rehabilitation.
3. Compartment Syndrome.
A horrific type of injury that can happen with a trench fail is when the construction worker is caught in the heavy soil, mud, or dirt. The collapsed material is extremely heavy, and even if the worker has escaped asphyxiation or a broken bone, being caught here can result in its own life-threatening situation. Called “compartment syndrome,” it can kill someone if help does not arrive fast.
The Horrific Risks of Trench Collapse: Compartment Syndrome
When there is a trench collapse and a worker is caught in the heavy dirt, mud, or soil, there is the great danger of bodily harm caused solely by the pressure of all that weight on the worker’s body. This is “compartment syndrome.”
Blood flow will be restricted because the force will squeeze against the trapped limb (arm, leg, hand, foot) and block the free flow of blood in veins and arteries. Alongside this, toxins will start to be released as cells break down because they are not getting the oxygen they need. This can cause cardiac arrest as the toxins hit the bloodstream.
In serious cases, the construction worker will need emergency surgery (“fasciotomy”) so the surgeon can relieve the body of the internal pressure within the tissue. Without help, the worker who survived the trench collapse may suffer nerve damage, spinal cord injury, muscle death, and may require an amputation of the limbs that were buried in the trench collapse.
For experienced construction workers, suffering compartment syndrome in a trench collapse is respected as one of the most painful and terrifying injuries that can be seen on a construction worksite. These trench collapse accidents are the stuff of nightmares, and sadly, usually found to be the result of a preventable accident.
See, Construction worker discussion on Reddit entitled, “Would You Go Into This Trench?”
Trench Accidents: OSHA Safety Regulations to Protect Workers
It is no mystery that any excavation work is risky and that trench collapse is a hazard that can kill or maim workers on the job. Accordingly, employers and others with possession, custody, or control of aspects of the site are under a legal duty to adhere to OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P (Excavations).
Particularly, trench safety on a construction site is heavily regulated by 29 CFR §1926.650; 29 CFR §1926.651; and 29 CFR §1926.652, alongside standard appendices 1926 Subpart P App A – Soil Classification; 1926 Subpart P App B – Sloping and Benching; 1926 Subpart P App C – Timber Shoring for Trenches; 1926 Subpart P App D – Aluminum Hydraulic Shoring for Trenches; 1926 Subpart P App E – Alternatives to Timber Shoring; 1926 Subpart P App F – Selection of Protective Systems.
Construction workers in Illinois and Indiana should be protected with daily safety inspections of the trench by a competent inspector with regulatory requirements that include:
Four Foot Access Rule: If the trench is at least four feet deep, then workers must have a safe way to get in or out of that trench (think ladder) and it has to be located within 25 lateral feet of them.
Five Foot Access Rule: If the trench is at least five feet deep, and it is not 100% rock, then there has to be a safety system in place, like trench boxes (shields) or slopes (angled walls) or shoring (bracing of the walls).
Two Foot Rule: The dirt and soil dug to make the trench is called “spoils” and all this stuff has to be kept at least two feet away from the trench edge to protect against a cave-in.
Construction workers on the site have a right to expect protection from a trench collapse not only from the employer that provides their paycheck, but from others on the worksite with any duty of care defined by law and regulation regarding the site conditions.
This includes the general contractor; owners of the building project; owners of the land or premises; lessors of the land or premises; subcontractors (think sitework, excavation); engineers; architects; independent contractors; utility companies; manufacturers, designers, or distributors of parts or components of machinery or equipment that failed; lessors of heavy machinery or equipment involved in the collapse; companies responsible for upkeep of machinery or equipment, or in training of workers; labs evaluating soil conditions and stability; and safety companies hired for regulatory compliance inspection of the site.
For more, read Construction Falls on Complex Construction Projects: OSHA Multi-Employer Policy and Third-Party Liability.
Compartment Syndrome Trench Accident Injury Claims
Causation in a trench collapse accident is a complicated issue. There can be more than one reason for the trench to fail and someone to be killed or permanently harmed by compartment syndrome. Victims in a construction site trench accident in Illinois or Indiana have a legal right not only to file for workers’ compensation benefits under their employer’s insurance policy but to investigate legal liability with their own accident reconstruction experts and legal advocates.
Civil personal injury claims after a trench collapse, particularly for those suffering horribly in a compartment syndrome injury, may involve several individuals and companies with liability for things like medical costs; rehab costs; lost wages; lost earning capacity; pain and suffering; psychological harm (think PTSD); and wrongful death damages.
For more, read:
- Work Accident Injury Claims in Illinois and Indiana: Things to Know About Monetary Damages
- Five Key Differences Between Workers’ Compensation and Civil Claims After Work Accident
- Growing Danger of Severe Construction Worker Trenching Accidents
- Trenching Dangers in Chicago Road Work Construction Projects: Rebuild Illinois in Chicagoland
- Construction Work Accident Injury Claims and OSHA Regulations.
Being trapped in a trench collapse on a construction site is something the savvy construction worker is always right to be wary about, and avoiding entry into a questionable trench is often the right decision in the face of being suffocated in a cave-in or trapped in a buried situation with compartment syndrome injuries. Illinois and Indiana construction workers face these risks daily. Please be careful out there!
