Buried-In or -By
On construction sites, the major hazard related to buried-in or -by is cave-ins of unprotected trenches and excavations. Cave-ins crush or suffocate workers.
Trenches are very dangerous. Never enter an unprotected trench.
In addition, trenches may contain:
- hazardous atmospheres;
- workers can drown in water, sewage, or chemicals in the trenches; and
- if working around underground utilities, workers may also face burns, electrocution or explosions from steam, hot water, gas, or electricity.
Workers who are working underneath large scaffolds may also be buried if the scaffolds collapse. Workers may be buried and crushed by walls that collapse during demolition.
Workers may also be buried or engulfed by grains and other materials while working in confined spaces such as tanks and silos.
Examples
Read the following accidents and think about how each could have been prevented.
- A worker was in the bottom of a 9.5-foot deep trench, setting grade for concrete pipe while the employer was installing additional shoring. During the shoring installation, the west wall at the south end of the excavation caved-in and covered the worker. There was no shoring or protective system at the location of the trench. The employee was dug out by coworkers and the fire department and survived.
- An employee and a co-worker were working in a 9-foot deep excavation installing water pipes, when the south side of the excavation caved in on the employee and buried him. The employee was killed.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-4. In construction a major cause of buried-in or -by fatalities is _____.
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