NUCA Sponsors National Trench Safety Stand-Down

NUCA is requesting all contractors, municipalities, military and others involved with trenching operations to hold a Trench Safety Stand-Down during the week of June 20-24. Fatalities caused by cave-ins and other trenching hazards often lead to fatalities and serious injuries, which are preventable. The purpose of holding a National Trench Safety Stand-Down is to raise awareness of preventing trenching and excavation hazards in construction and other industries.

What Is a Safety Stand-Down?
A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees and others about safety. These Stand-Downs will focus on trench/excavation hazards and reinforce the importance of using trench protective systems and protecting workers from trenching hazards.

Stand-Down Goals
The goal is to reach out to as many workers who work in and around trenches and excavations as possible to provide them with information about current excavation requirements and safety procedures for working in trenches/excavations. If we can reach enough workers, we can reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries that occur each year in our industry.

Who Can Participate?
This year we will start with a NUCA Trench Safety Stand-Down and if it works next year we will expand it. However, anyone who wants to prevent trench/excavation hazards in the workplace can participate in the Stand-Down. Possible participants include companies of all sizes in areas such as: utility construction, residential, highway construction, plumbers, military, unions, associations and safety equipment manufacturers.

How to Conduct a Safety Stand-Down?
Companies will conduct a Trench Safety Stand-Down by taking a break to have a toolbox talk or another safety activity to draw attention to the specific hazards related to working in and around trenches/excavations.

Recognition of Participation
Companies will provide feedback about their Stand-Down to NUCA such as when it was held, how many workers participated and any other useful information. NUCA would collect the information, publicize the overall total number of participants and publish the names of the companies that held a Trench Safety Stand-Down. NUCA will also provide a Certificate of Participation which will be e-mailed to all participating companies.

Access materials and read more at: www.nuca.com/tssd. Tags: NUCA