Trench collapse is fast, silent and survivable only by not being in the trench. Everything else in our safety protocol is secondary to two habits: shore every trench that needs it, and enforce the exclusion zone around every working machine.

Shoring is not a judgement call

Depth, soil type and surcharge decide whether a trench is shored — not the confidence of whoever is standing next to it. The rule on our sites is simple: if a person enters it and it is deep enough to bury them, it is shored or it is battered back. There is no third option and no discretion.

The exclusion zone moves with the machine

A slewing excavator has a strike radius, and it travels with the machine. The zone is marked, it is re-marked when the machine repositions, and the spotter can stop the work without asking anyone.

Why it does not cost time

Both protocols are planned into the sequence rather than added on top of it. Shoring is delivered with the pipe. The zone is set when the machine tracks in. Sites that treat safety as an interruption are the ones where it becomes one.