Trench Safety: 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 Rule

[@joshgallagher2994]

This is great info. To make this better I would add that the 2-ft rule really applies to spoil piles being minimum 2-feet away from the lip of any trench because of surcharge, access and roll-offs, tools and equipment are also to be kept 2 ft away as you stated. I would also add a “6-ft” rule to this when referring to the fall protection scope in trenching/excavation - even though there are exemptions this is mainly referring to crossing over a trench that is 6-ft or deeper. Keep up this info - it needs to be shared!

[@joshgallagher2994]

For the 4ft rule add that ladders or access/egress need to be 25-Ft away from workers in the trench…. Also, if working in the roadway and before taking plates from trenches be sure to use an air monitor to detect any harmful gases such as carbon monoxide from car exhaust, etc. before entering.

[@powerpak-safety1440]

​@@joshgallagher2994 Fantastic comments, Josh. You are 100% correct. We wish this video covered all of those points, along with a couple more points regarding the other 2ft rule (excavation beyond the engineered support), and the need for a competent person. It looks like we are going to need to make some more videos. Thanks for sharing, Josh.

[@MrPstott1]

Not sure about this advice as it doesn't matter how deep you dig before you install trench support systems it always depends on your ground/soil type. Also ladders should extend 5 rungs from the top of the excavation

[@powerpak-safety1440]

Absolutely, the 2-3-4-5 rules are a quick reference to the OSHA minimum requirements. You are correct; even though the minimum requirement for a support system is 5ft, conditions may require support in much shallower trenches. The same goes for the ladder minimum. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@richardkawucha1232]

Your safety measures depend on numerous factors, such as but not including - the depth of the excavation, the type of soils, the length of the excavation, vibration from your and other work in the area, and the weight of equipment or vehicles next to/near the excavation. Spoils are required to be no closer than 2-foot from what would be the angle of repose for the type/s of soil/s encountered. A safe means of egress shall be no more than 25-feet from the workers. If a ladder is used it shall extend 3-feet (min.) above the top of the excavation. If a shoring system is used the design (for that system) shall be at the work site. As a Michigan Senior Construction Safety Officer, with 23 years heavy construction experience and another 23 years as a field inspector I feel you should be a lot clearer with the information you disseminate. Just the opinion of someone who has seen too many workers buried alive.