just a presentation that I did at the Construction Safety Conference in March 2016

1. Excavation Safety in Review
2015
Draft 3 6 2016

2. The Age Old Problem
• In 2013, which is the latest
national data available, 22
workers nationwide died in
trenching cave-ins or
excavation accidents, according
to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
• The number of fatalities
nationally was 15 in 2012 and
19 in 2011.
• No cave-in fatalities in IL in
2014.

3. Planning
• Three things that should be
done to ensure a successful
outcome.
• Worker Protection,
• Protection of existing buried
and aboveground facilities, and
• proper construction of the final
product. (CHST)

4. Criminal 2015
• Prosecutors said on Wednesday
that the two managers — Wilmer
Cueva, of Sky Materials, and
Alfonso Prestia, of Harco
Construction — had ignored
repeated warnings for months
from private inspectors that
treacherous conditions existed at
the site on Ninth Avenue
• Manslaughter and other charges
were being brought against two
construction managers and the
companies they worked for in the
April death of a worker at a
Lower Manhattan building site.

5. Neri Update February 2015
Mike Neri agreed to be
permanently enjoined from
engaging in trenching, excavation,
construction or related activities
and permanently prohibited from
possessing or leasing any
construction excavation equipment.
• The judges also found that Neri,
based on a review of his tax
returns and other financial
records, was unable to pay the
$110,440 fine.
• Mike Neri was released from
Federal Prison December 24,
2014

6. OSHA Litigation 2015
• OSHA cited Pan Oceanic Engineering of
Chicago $147,000
• $70,000 Willful cave in Protection 651(a)(1) Affirmed
• $70,000 Repeat Sidewalk under-mined 651(i)(3) Vacated
• $7,000 Competent Person 651(k) Vacated
• Trial held in Spring.

7. How Many Issues?
Trench 5.5 feet deep

8. Criminal 2015
• U.S. Sino Investment, its owner
and a project manager were
convicted on involuntary
manslaughter charges in the
cave-in death of a construction
worker at a Milpitas building
site.
• Raul Zapata Mercado, 38, was
killed January 28, 2012, after a
12-ft. wall of dirt collapsed on
top of him
• Sentencing later July 2015
• Cal-OSHA fined the company
$168,175 for an array of safety
violations

9. 2015 Problems
• These are the common
issues that I ran into in
2015 for underground
• Swing Radius needs to
be guarded for
excavators.

10. 2015 Problems
• Trench 5-6 feet deep.
• Spoil at edge.
• No access.

11. 2015 Problems
• People do not know
how to shore a narrow
trench less than 24
inches wide.

12. 2015 Problem
• Workers do not know
how to hand dig or
deal with tree roots.
• One company in 2015
6 at fault hits. 21 not
at fault,
• Cost per hit est
$10,000-14,000

13. 2015 Problems
• Locates not done for
IDOT or Tollway
areas (non JULIE)

14. 2015 Problems
• Holes not secured and
covered with steel
plate and fenced off.

15. 2015 Problems
• Rigging is used when
damaged

16. 2015 Problems
• Not keeping the 10
feet safe clearance
from powerlines
• 240 volts temp lights
may not be ok to
encroach on the 10
foot.
• Weatherproofing is
not insulation.

17. 2015 Problems
• Workers have ZERO
documented training
in the MUCTD so set
up cones and flags
haphazardly

18. 2015 Problem
• Workers use trench
boxes with only three
struts
• They are not sure
where the tabulated
data is anymore

19. Dec 2015
• Milton NY
• Two people were taken to the
hospital after a trench they were
working in collapsed Monday
in Saratoga County.
• The sheriff's office says Mark
Vadnais and Barbara Reed were
working on a water line at the
Northern Pines Mobile Home
Park on Lewis Road in Milton
around 12:45 p.m.
• They were in a trench about six
feet deep when it started to
collapse.

20. Dec 2015
• Houston TX
• Officials said the 58 year old
employee was not wearing a
seat belt when the machine
went into a retention pond.
• Investigators said the excavator
partially sank in the pond.

21. Nov 2015
• Coon Rapids MN
• A construction worker
in Coon Rapids was
rescued by fire crews
after he was buried up
to his face in a trench
collapse.
Coon River practicing
trench rescue

22. Nov 2015
• Kaukana WI
• The Kaukauna Fire Department
says the man trapped in the
trench died as a result of the
collapse.
• They say the man is in his 40s
and is believed to be from the
Valley area, but they are not
releasing his name or what
company he worked for.

23. Oct 2015
• Columbia MD
• A man is recovering after he
was trapped in a collapsed
trench for about an hour
Saturday evening in Columbia,
Maryland, police said.
• The man was digging a trench
for a water pipe in the 6400
block of Barchink Place when
the trench collapsed, burying
him up to his chest, just before
7:45 p.m.

24. Sep 2015
• West Fargo ND
• 15 feet deep
• Construction worker
rescued out of a trench
where he had been
buried up to his waist
after a wall of clay
collapsed on him in
West Fargo.

25. Sep 2015
• Chicago IL
• Carlos F. Soto, 40, had
been fatally engulfed
by dirt from the truck.

26. Sep 2015
• Wilmington NC
• Hines says the men were
helping unload concrete vaults
off a flatbed truck when the arm
of a track hoe hit a powerline.
• He says it energized the track
hoe and then the wet ground
where the men were standing
electrocuting them.
• Both died

27. Sep 2015
• Bellevue WA
• The co-workers said they had
found him face-down in a 10-
foot Trench that had two feet of
water in the bottom.

28. Sep 2015
• Las Vegas
• Worker struck and killed by
trench plate.
• "He was assisting in putting a
4-thousand pound plate of steel
in place and it was not secured
and it fell over and crushed
him," he said.
How would you lift this
plate?

29. June 2015
• Jefferson Co, KY
• 8-10 feet.
• Sewer line
• 19 year old killed

30. June 2015
• Plymouth MA
• A construction worker
has died after a 150ft
wall of sand fell onto
his front-end loader
and crushed him.

31. June 2015
• Maryville IL
• A teen was trapped in the
mud.
• It appears the teen was
working in a ditch or
trench adjacent to a
home.
• He hit a water main while
digging the hole.
• Mud formed in the hole
where the person was
working.

32. June 2015
• Omaha NE
• "Jeff Glup, 42, was fatally
injured Wednesday afternoon
about 2:30 p.m. on the Papillion
Public Works construction site.
Glup, who was a laborer,
received a fatal electrical shock
when he came in contact with a
live electrical conductor while
working in a trench installing a
storm sewer drain.

33. May 2015
• St. Louis
• 16 foot deep
• Buried up to
neck
• Rescued

34. May 2015
• CTA Yellow Line
• The embankment gave way late
Sunday as the Water
reclamation district was digging
a new deep trench for a box
culvert to handle the delivery
and exit of wastewater at the
treatment plant next door.
• Interlocked pilings were driven
deep into the embankment wall
and cross bars were in place to
prevent the collapse.
• Those didn't work, and no one
is certain why.

35. May 2015
• Covington LA
• One dead, one buried to
chest
• "All he kept asking was,
or requesting, was please
get me out of here, please
get me out of here. I want
to see my baby born,"

36. April 2015
• New York City
• Carlos Moncayo, a 22-
year-old laborer from
Queens, was trying to
make a living as he
worked on the
construction of a
Restoration Hardware
store at 19 Ninth Ave. in
Manhattan on April 6,
2015.
• Instead, his life ended that
day when the 14-foot-deep
trench in which he was
working collapsed and
buried him beneath tons of
soil and debris.
$70,000 for sidewalk undermined
$70,000 for no cave-in protection

37. March 2015
• Bakerfield CA
• He was conscious when
firefighters arrived at the scene,
northwest of Highway 119 and
Ashe Road, but he complained
of pain in his hips and legs and
remained trapped from his chest
down

38. March 2015
• FL
• $64 million
• Robert Matthews, 25, had been
working underneath the building
when a train went by the
construction site, causing the
ground to vibrate, and the entire
building to shift and slide toward
him.
• The Phospate company closed in
2014

39. March 2015
• $7000
• OSHA
must give
copies of
photos to
opposition

40. March 2015
• FL
• $64 million
• Robert Matthews, 25, had been
working underneath the building
when a train went by the
construction site, causing the
ground to vibrate, and the entire
building to shift and slide toward
him.
• The Phospate company closed in
2014

41. March 2015
• Water jet cutting at 2000 psi
to cut tree roots blocking the
sewer.
• The cutting head by the green
flag.
• No need to enter the confined
space or dig it out.
• Everything is lowered in the
manhole.

42. February 2015
• Columbia SC
• 6 foot deep
• City worker
died in
collapse

43. February 2015
• Riley County KS
• RCPD Officer Matt Droge says
a city crew was digging a ditch
with steep walls.
• When emergency crews arrived,
the first unit found the victim
was buried up to his waist in
dirt and mud
• He died the next day.

44. February 2015
• Houston TX
• Worker
seriously
hurt when
falling 20 ft
into
excavation

45. January 2015
• NYC
• 10 foot deep
• Buried up to the chest
• Coned provided
vacuum trucks to suck
up dirt.

46. Pot Holing
• Hand dig until find the
lines
• Some companies do
75 locates a week or
more

47. JULIE
Markings
• The gas meter is a
good indicator

48. Before and After Safe?

49. Soil Testing
• Appendix A
• Pocket Penetrometer
• Thumb penetration
• Ribbon Test
• others

50. Soil Classification
• Appendix A, section
(c)(2): The
classification of
deposits shall be made
on the results of least
one manual and one
visual analysis.

51. Soil Classification
• Soil is cracking due to
vibration from traffic.
Soil type was
classified as a Type C.
• Note: Vibration must
be able to be felt.

52. Power lines
• Equipment must stay
at least 10’ away from
power lines
• Violation
• This equipment got
within 5 feet of lower
power lines.

53. The Future

54. 55
159
173
242
512
651(k)(2)
651(j)(2)
651(k)(1)
651(c)(2)
652(a)(1)
Excavations
[1926.650 – .652]
COMPETENT PERSON - INSPECTION AND EMPLOYEE REMOVAL
COMPETENT PERSON - INSPECTIONS
PROTECTION FROM FALLING/ROLLING MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
SAFE EGRESS
CAVE-IN PROTECTION
SUBPARTP

55. #1 1926.652(a)(1)
• Protection from Cave-
in
• Many use double
stacked boxes when
over 10 feet.

56. #2 1926.651 (c)(2)
• Means of egress from
trench excavations. A
stairway, ladder, ramp or
other safe means of egress
shall be located in trench
excavations that are 4 feet
(1.22 m) or more in depth
so as to require no more
than 25 feet (7.62 m) of
lateral travel for
employees.

57. #3 1926.651(k)(1)
• Daily inspections of
excavations, the
adjacent areas, and
protective systems
shall be made by a
competent person

58. #4 1926.651(j)(2)
• Protection shall be provided by
placing and keeping such
materials or equipment at least
2 feet (.61 m) from the edge of
excavations, or by the use of
retaining devices that are
sufficient to prevent materials
or equipment from falling or
rolling into excavations, or by a
combination of both if
necessary.

59. #5 1926.651(k)(2)
• Where the competent person
finds evidence of a situation
that could result in a possible
cave-in, indications of failure of
protective systems, hazardous
atmospheres, or other hazardous
conditions, exposed employees
shall be removed from the
hazardous area until the
necessary precautions have
been taken to ensure their
safety.

60. #6 1926.651 (h)(1)
• Employees shall not
work in excavations in
which there is
accumulated water, or
in excavations in
which water is
accumulating,

61. #7 1926.651 (d)
• Exposure to vehicular
traffic. Employees
exposed to public
vehicular traffic shall be
provided with, and shall
wear, warning vests or
other suitable garments
marked with or made of
reflectorized or high-
visibility material.

62. #8 1926.651 (i)(3)
• Sidewalks, pavements and
structure shall not be
undermined unless a
support system or another
method of protection is
provided to protect
employees from the
possible collapse of such
structures.

63. #9 1926.651(j)(1)
• Adequate protection
shall be provided to
protect employees
from loose rock or soil
that could pose a
hazard by falling or
rolling from an
excavation face.

64. #10 1926.651(e)
• No employee shall be
permitted underneath
loads handled by
lifting or digging
equipment.

65. New Confined Space Rule
• ‘‘competent person’’ conduct
the initial job site evaluation,
• continuous air monitoring of
confined spaces is performed,
• continuous ventilation is used
• information to be shared among
employers is specified by the
rule and
• coordination with rescue teams
must be done in advance of a
confined space entry, although
teams don’t have to be present
at the site.

66. Examples
• Bins;
• Boilers and vessels;
• pits (such as elevator, escalator,
pump, valve or other equipment);
• manholes (such as sewer, storm
drain, electrical, communication,
or other utility);
• tanks (such as fuel, chemical,
water, or other liquid, solid or
gas);
• Incinerators and scrubbers;
• concrete pier columns;
• Sewers and storm drains;
• transformer vaults;
• step up transformers;
• turbines;
• heating, ventilation, and air-
conditioning (HVAC) ducts
• water mains;
• precast concrete and other pre-
formed manhole units;
• drilled shafts;
• enclosed beams;
• Digesters and lift stations;
• cesspools;
• silos;
• air receivers;
• sludge gates;
• air preheaters;
• chillers;
• bag houses; and/or
• mixers/reactors
1926.1201(a)

67. Hazardous Atmospheres
• Testing and controls
– To prevent harmful levels of atmospheric contaminants
– Less than 19.5% or more than 23.5% oxygen
– Less than 10% LEL
– No Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Sulfide and other
Toxics

68. Confined Space
A space that:
 Is large enough and so
configured that an
employee can bodily enter
and perform assigned
work
 Has limited or restricted
entry/exit means
 Is not designed for
continuous Employee
occupancy

69. Ventilate or Ventilation
• means controlling a
hazardous
atmosphere using
continuous forced-
air mechanical
systems that meet
the requirements of
§1926.57

70. • the employer who identifies, or
who receives notice of, a permit
space must:
• Inform exposed employees by
posting danger signs or by any
other equally effective means, of
the existence and location of, and
the danger posed by, each permit
space; and
• Note to paragraph (b)(1). A sign
reading “DANGER -- PERMIT-
REQUIRED CONFINED
SPACE, DO NOT ENTER” or
using other similar language
would satisfy the requirement for
a sign.
• (2) Inform, in a timely manner
and in a manner other than
posting, its employees’ authorized
representatives and the controlling
contractor of the existence and
location of, and the danger posed
by, each permit space.
1926.1203(b)(1)

71. • the employer who identifies, or
who receives notice of, a permit
space must:
• Inform, in a timely manner and
in a manner other than posting,
its employees’ authorized
representatives and the
controlling contractor of the
existence and location of, and
the danger posed by, each
permit space.
1926.1203(b)(2)

72. • Continuous forced
air ventilation must
be used…..
1926.1203(b)(2)(v)

73. • The atmosphere
within the space
must be
continuously
monitored
1926.1203(b)(2)(vi)

74. • If any employer decides that
employees it directs will enter a
permit space, that employer
must have a written permit
space program that complies
with §1926.1204 implemented
at the construction site.
• The written program must be
made available prior to and
during entry operations for
inspection by employees and
their authorized representatives.
1926.1203(d)(1)

75. Who Will Rescue?
• July 2015
• Fairfax County VA

76. Timber Shoring

78. Questions?