Characteristic analysis and prevention strategy of trench collapse accidents in the U.S., 1995-2020

Abstract

Statistics show that many workers have lost their lives because of trench collapse although the dangers of trenching are well known and defined. Thus, the question of “why” should be asked again. The most comprehensive data set in the literature has been created to determine the reason for the recurrence of accidents even though the risks are known. A total of 723 accidents caused by trench collapse in the last 25 years were selected from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s database. Variables were created using accident summaries, and the frequency distribution of the categories was interpreted. Results showed that these accidents have a high frequency and a high severity level (58.1% fatalities). The main reason for a half of the accidents was the lack of protective systems (49.7%). A total of 2596 violations including four main categories were detected for 723 accident reports. Employers paid approximately 23 million in penalties. The investigated accidents showed that trench collapse accidents are rarely survivable but can be completely prevented if necessary precautions are taken.