Death Traps Electrocutions, Trench Caveins and Falls

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Death TrapsElectrocutions, Trench Cave-ins and
Falls
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How can the number of construction fatalities be
reduced?

• A good beginning is to have a better
  understanding of the causation of accidents

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The elimination of all fatalities should be the
goal of the construction industry.

• OSHA gathers information on injuries and
  fatalities. ( a valuable resource)
• These inspection reports include various coded
  information

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• Despite the considerable information that is
  coded, CODES provide little detail
• The reports are accompanied by abstracts that
  give more detail

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The Findings To Be Presented are Based on
Extensive Examination of the OSHA Abstracts of
Construction Accidents
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Powerline Contacts

• 2/3 of the electrocutions in construction are
  related to powerline contacts

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Powerline Contacts Cause At Least 100 Fatalities
Each Year

• Note This hazard generally exists before the
  contractor sets foot on the project site

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Of the powerline contacts, 88 are fatal(7
of the incidents involve 2 or more fatalities)
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Of the Powerline Contacts, 2 are with
underground powerlines (Do the dig numbers
work?)
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Types of Lines Contacted 92 are distribution
lines Others drop-down service (120-480 V) and
transmission lines (66kV) Most (60) line
contacts are in the range of 7,000 to 20,000 V
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Types of Contacts with Powerlines Equipment 50
Items Carried 20.5 Ladders 12.9 Human
(direct contact - often when in a lift, etc.)
10.2
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Equipment Contacts (most are when moving the
boom) Cranes 41.55 Boom Trucks
15.14 Aerial Bucket 7.0 Dump Trucks 6.7
Backhoe 4.9 Concrete Pump 4.2
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Role of Workers Involved in Powerline
Contacts Rigger or spotter 47.5 Operator
37.9 Side Labor 14.6
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Ladder Incidents Moving the ladder 56
Putting up the ladder 24 Taking the ladder
down 20
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Age of Victims 16 to 65 (most are 20 - 30
years old)
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Timing of Most Contacts June to October
most in October
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Time of Day of Most Contacts 1000 a.m. to
noon 200 to 300 p.m.
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Type of Work Associated with Powerline Contacts
Sewer construction Painting Roofing
Tree-trimming
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TRENCHING INCIDENTS

• Trenching Related Fatalities and Injuries
• Estimate of 100 fatalities per year

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MOST TRENCHING DEATHS

• struck by earth materials
• caught in-between the trench walls

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• Trench configuration, 60 percent trenches are
  deeper than five feet but less than 10 feet deep,
  30 of the cave-ins occurred in trenches that
  were 10 to 15 feet deep

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• trench width was examined, no clear pattern
• Of 765 trench cave-in incidents, only three
  involved the failure of shoring

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Breakdown of nearly 2000 Trenching-related
Fatalities
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Note the ladder for access and egress, but
trench box does not extend 18 inches above the
edge of the trench wall
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Two trench boxes stacked on top of one another.
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• where no shoring or trench boxes were used (96.7
  percent), improper sloping occurred.
• water was mentioned in 92 cases

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OTHER FACTORS

• vibrations
• previously disturbed soil
• spoil pile nearby
• equipment nearby
• next to busy street

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OBSERVATIONS

• Many accidents are a result of the failure of
  employers to properly provide for the safety of
  workers

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• Trenches with improperly sloped or unsloped
  trench walls cause most fatalities

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• Shoring practices, when employed, appear to be
  adequate

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• Trench walls collapse when trench walls have been
  permitted to stand unsupported for longer periods
  of time.

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• Employers are failing to recognize when
  additional steps need to be taken to provide for
  protection in trenches.

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RECOMMENDATION

• Slope the trench walls
• Use trench boxes properly
• Shore the trench

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• Employers must fully embrace and comply with the
  existing regulations
• Proper training is also an essential

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