In recognition of the 2021 Trench Safety Stand Down on June 14-18, United Rentals has announced a series of free online trench safety seminars. The sessions are intended to raise awareness about trench and excavation hazards and showcase best practices.
During the nationwide Trench Safety Stand Down Week, contractors and their crews are encouraged to review the hazards associated with excavation work, applicable regulations and safety practices.
“Trench and excavation work is among the most dangerous jobs in the construction and utility industries,” says Todd Hayes, vice president, Trench Safety Region at United Rentals. “By educating workers on safe excavation practices, their awareness of associated risks increases, which allows for better, and more importantly, safer choices to be made in the field. Nothing is more important than safety on the worksite. We believe compliance can help drive productivity.”
To register, go to trenchsafetyevents.com. Topics and schedule are as follows:
The Buried Truth Uncovered: A survivor’s story. This session features Eric Giguere, a former construction worker who survived a near-fatal trench collapse and now is a recognized expert in safety awareness. Giguere will discuss his chilling experience of being buried alive that changed his life and sparked his personal commitment to safety awareness. Date and times: June 14 at 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT.
Thinking Outside the Trench: What else you need to know. Protection from a trench collapse is not the only thing a competent person needs to be concerned with on the jobsite. OSHA requires that a competent person drive compliance on a dozen specific requirements. This session will review the trench safety-related tasks, not associated with shoring or shielding, that a competent person must ensure are in place. Date and times: June 16 at 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT.
The Buried Truth Uncovered: A survivor’s story – in Spanish. Giguere will discuss his experiences as a construction worker who survived a death-defying work-related trench accident and the need for safety awareness. At the conclusion of his presentation, Giguere, along with a bilingual translator, will take questions. Date and times: June 17 at 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT.
Digging Through the OSHA Standard: Clearing up the confusion. In a survey from The Center for Construction Research and Training, roughly one-third of the respondents, consisting of both field workers and safety professionals, indicated they had uncertainty on how to comply with the standard. This session will focus on bringing clarity to those misunderstood requirements of the OSHA Excavation Standard. Date and times: June 18 at 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT.
