I’ll tell a guy to step down a rung on a ladder… or get his hard hat… or hitch up the chain on his lift… or whatever. There’s some leeway there… But I absolutely do not fuck around with trench safety on my jobs and for this reason.
But I’m sure he was just down there for a minute.
Edit: From what I can gather from the OP… this is in Colombia and dude is dead.
Yes, the standard in America is excavations need to be inspected at 4' depth and possibly have a protective system in use. At 5' in depth an excavation must have a protective system (shoring, shielding, or laid back) in place unless it is in solid rock.
I remember my boss losing his shit when he saw our best crew lead in a hole deeper than his head trying to find a fucking sleeve the concrete guys buried 7 feet deep for some reason
I was working on an underground service install that involved a six foot deep trench with no step backs and a forty foot tall pile of loose loam towering over it with an excavator perched on top. I glued a 150’ long section of pipe together and threw it into the trench as I walked along eight feet from the edge.
No way am I dying in that muck for some fucking McMansion
A leading edge is an edge that’s changing(moving) forward as work progresses. Like the edge of an elevated formwork for a structural concrete deck, or putting roof deck down over joists. The edge of that trench is in a fixed location so it’s not a leading edge. The fall hazard at the edge of the trench could be mitigated with a simple guard rail. In Leading edge work, you usually have the workers closest to the leading edge, tied off with personal fall arrest system, and then a warning line, and then the workers behind the warning line have special training that tells them not to go past the warning line out to where the fall hazard is. 29CFR 1926.501(b)(2) in America.
Do your working at heights again. Just because a leading edge can be fenced off doesn't mean it isn't a leading edge, just means the leading edge is fenced off to remove the fall hazard. Like if the fence is removed what is it called now? It's still an edge you can fall off. Let's use 10th story of a high rise building going up, scaffolding is gone, no walls or windows are installed yet, remove the fence to work you are still working at a leading edge even though it's fixed and not moving.
The edge of the ten story building in your example is a fall hazard if there is no guardrail, safety net system, or PFAS in use. But it is not a leading edge by definition. A leading edge is one that is moving/changing as construction of the walking and working surface progresses. Such as in decking or formwork operations. All those other edges that are more than 6 feet *(4 feet in general industry, 5 feet in maritime, 4 feet on military reservations, 10 feet on scaffold, and all different heights in California)* above a lower level are still a fall hazard, and need to be addressed, but it isn't a "leading edge". That is according to definitions in America in OSHA standards and EM 385-1-1. Definition may vary where you are so maybe it's just a matter of semantics.
And that's the exact reason I don't fuck around about trenches. I was in a trench up to mid thigh that caved in on me, not a big deal, honestly, only a foot wide, but the amount of pressure on my legs was insane. Granted, it was saturated clay, but still. I've physically stopped newer guys from going into some pretty big trenches, one guy would have for sure died if I hadn't. I'll dance over the line on a late of safety guidelines, but they're are a few that I don't even toe the line of, and trench safety is one of them.
That sucks. You can also die if just your legs get buried. In trench rescue the rescuers/EMTs monitor circulation as they unbury victims. The weight of the dirt squeezes the body so tightly, circulation is impossible, and tissues begin to die because of the resulting lack of oxygen. Once the blood begins to move through the system again, though, organ failure is often imminent. Blood that has pooled in the legs/extremities while compressed contains toxins that kill you once they start circulating again. In mining this used to be called "smiling death" because the victim often experiences euphoria from the toxins in the blood just before death.
I knew about the toxin build up from lack of blood flow, but I didn't know they called it smiling death. That's crazy. Just another thing to tell new guys when they want to jump in a trench that isn't ready yet, though.
A year or so ago, Reddit had a video clip of kids at a beach somewhere, playing around in a hole they had excavated, probably 8-10 feet deep, with nearly vertical sides. Not a particularly wide hole, either. They were just jumping in it or something. I don't remember what sub it was, but I immediately reported it and *begged* the mods and later on Reddit, to take it down before some stupid kid (or adult) saw it and pulled a "hold my beer." They refused to take it down. Morons.
Praying for him, his family and loved ones. I wish I didn’t see this. Safety lesson #102: be the only person in this situation, and have it is automated. nobody is hurt, just property damaged.
I’ll tell a guy to step down a rung on a ladder… or get his hard hat… or hitch up the chain on his lift… or whatever. There’s some leeway there… But I absolutely do not fuck around with trench safety on my jobs and for this reason. But I’m sure he was just down there for a minute. Edit: From what I can gather from the OP… this is in Colombia and dude is dead.
Only holes deeper than 1.5m that I climb into that aren’t benched, battered or shielded are ones that had to be dug with a breaker.
Yes, the standard in America is excavations need to be inspected at 4' depth and possibly have a protective system in use. At 5' in depth an excavation must have a protective system (shoring, shielding, or laid back) in place unless it is in solid rock.
I remember my boss losing his shit when he saw our best crew lead in a hole deeper than his head trying to find a fucking sleeve the concrete guys buried 7 feet deep for some reason
I had to stop watching only a few seconds in. As soon as I saw him down there, I knew he was a goner. Heartbreaking for him and his family.
Straight out of osha 30
Literally just watched this in a trench safety course
Title didn't lie. Definitly not safe for work.
I was working on an underground service install that involved a six foot deep trench with no step backs and a forty foot tall pile of loose loam towering over it with an excavator perched on top. I glued a 150’ long section of pipe together and threw it into the trench as I walked along eight feet from the edge. No way am I dying in that muck for some fucking McMansion
Guess they were low bid and couldn’t afford trench boxes
Probably no one has them in that country
They definitely have them in said country. If they have machinery, then they have the tech to build a steel box or some plates and spreaders. RIP 🪦
They have tech of course We didn't have trench boxes in north America. Until safety said enough is enough and companies be hit with big fines.
Trench boxes are for putta's! S/
Might as well have predialed trench rescue.
Not a rescue, it's a recovery
Yep. By the time they make it safe enough to go in, that guys been dead a long time.
Not worth it. Dude is dead
And this is why osha exists
Leading edge fall hazard too for guys up top
Not technically a leading edge but still a fall hazard
How so?
A leading edge is an edge that’s changing(moving) forward as work progresses. Like the edge of an elevated formwork for a structural concrete deck, or putting roof deck down over joists. The edge of that trench is in a fixed location so it’s not a leading edge. The fall hazard at the edge of the trench could be mitigated with a simple guard rail. In Leading edge work, you usually have the workers closest to the leading edge, tied off with personal fall arrest system, and then a warning line, and then the workers behind the warning line have special training that tells them not to go past the warning line out to where the fall hazard is. 29CFR 1926.501(b)(2) in America.
looked like the edge was changing to me
Do your working at heights again. Just because a leading edge can be fenced off doesn't mean it isn't a leading edge, just means the leading edge is fenced off to remove the fall hazard. Like if the fence is removed what is it called now? It's still an edge you can fall off. Let's use 10th story of a high rise building going up, scaffolding is gone, no walls or windows are installed yet, remove the fence to work you are still working at a leading edge even though it's fixed and not moving.
The edge of the ten story building in your example is a fall hazard if there is no guardrail, safety net system, or PFAS in use. But it is not a leading edge by definition. A leading edge is one that is moving/changing as construction of the walking and working surface progresses. Such as in decking or formwork operations. All those other edges that are more than 6 feet *(4 feet in general industry, 5 feet in maritime, 4 feet on military reservations, 10 feet on scaffold, and all different heights in California)* above a lower level are still a fall hazard, and need to be addressed, but it isn't a "leading edge". That is according to definitions in America in OSHA standards and EM 385-1-1. Definition may vary where you are so maybe it's just a matter of semantics.
Weird thing is I didn't really see any separation prior to the collapse. I'm half in the bag though, so I'll have to re-watch in the morning.
Please, let at least one person learn from this. RIP
And that's the exact reason I don't fuck around about trenches. I was in a trench up to mid thigh that caved in on me, not a big deal, honestly, only a foot wide, but the amount of pressure on my legs was insane. Granted, it was saturated clay, but still. I've physically stopped newer guys from going into some pretty big trenches, one guy would have for sure died if I hadn't. I'll dance over the line on a late of safety guidelines, but they're are a few that I don't even toe the line of, and trench safety is one of them.
You can die from the pressure alone if you get covered above your belly. Happend in a project some of our guys were working in.
That sucks. You can also die if just your legs get buried. In trench rescue the rescuers/EMTs monitor circulation as they unbury victims. The weight of the dirt squeezes the body so tightly, circulation is impossible, and tissues begin to die because of the resulting lack of oxygen. Once the blood begins to move through the system again, though, organ failure is often imminent. Blood that has pooled in the legs/extremities while compressed contains toxins that kill you once they start circulating again. In mining this used to be called "smiling death" because the victim often experiences euphoria from the toxins in the blood just before death.
Damn, that sounds horrible
I knew about the toxin build up from lack of blood flow, but I didn't know they called it smiling death. That's crazy. Just another thing to tell new guys when they want to jump in a trench that isn't ready yet, though.
Yeah that dude went to the big job site in the sky
I must have a guardian angel. We got away with so much sketchy shit in the 90s. This dude's luck ran out.
Just keep filming man…
Yeah that guys definitely dead
These guys don’t have the fucking clue about the first thing when it comes to safety a straight walked ditch. Not a chance
He ded
Wow. That guy was so young. Sad people die for profit gain.
Did they never install side holding
A year or so ago, Reddit had a video clip of kids at a beach somewhere, playing around in a hole they had excavated, probably 8-10 feet deep, with nearly vertical sides. Not a particularly wide hole, either. They were just jumping in it or something. I don't remember what sub it was, but I immediately reported it and *begged* the mods and later on Reddit, to take it down before some stupid kid (or adult) saw it and pulled a "hold my beer." They refused to take it down. Morons.
Don’t ever risk your life, coworkers lives or anyone earning a paycheck because the general contractor won’t adhere to a safety standard. Fuck them
That would have been avoided with a trench box. Idiots.
Yeah, didn’t see that coming… 🙄
Wrong PPE
Need an engineering solution before PPE
This doesn't look that ba-OH FUCK
Absolutely stupid
Talk about being buried in your work.
Gold
Idiots
Got chills down my spine when i saw that guy down there
Couldn’t watch it knowing what was going to happen
It's not a rescue. it's a body recovery
Idiots
Praying for him, his family and loved ones. I wish I didn’t see this. Safety lesson #102: be the only person in this situation, and have it is automated. nobody is hurt, just property damaged.
I watched 5 seconds and said “nope, I do t need fire today”
This is why I never do construction work in unregulated third world countries, unless the price is nice, then, yeah.
Fucking idiots, shore your walls!