It is Vital to Focus on Digging During Trench Safety Stand Down this Week
Trenching accidents almost always involve an unthinkable event that can lead to injury or death: Being buried alive. But every trench failure is avoidable with proper planning, training and safety measures.
Beyond the obvious motivation to avoid serious injuries and deaths, OSHA last year announced a national enforcement emphasis program for trench safety after a spike in trenching deaths.
The National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) organizes an annual Trench Safety Stand Down in the middle of June. This week’s focus for National Safety Month is also trenching.
The stand down gives employers and supervisors the opportunity to speak directly to workers about trench and excavation hazards.
Trench collapses, or cave-ins, pose the greatest risk to workers' lives. To prevent cave-ins, jobsites should use OSHA’s “Slope It. Shore It. Shield It.” method:
- SLOPE or bench trench walls,
- SHORE trench walls with supports, or
- SHIELD trench walls with trench boxes
According to NUCA, most trenching accidents occur in trenches of 5 to 15 feet deep, and there is usually no warning before a cave-in.
The Trench Safety Stand Down is a good time for home builders to review their procedures for digging and excavating. NAHB has a video toolbox talk (embedded below) that builders can use to present to their workers and subcontractors, and additional resources in the NAHB Trenching and Excavation Toolkit.
Latest from NAHBNow
Feb 18, 2026
Podcast: Live From IBS 2026 – A Special Home for a Special CauseIn the latest episode of NAHB’s podcast, Housing Developments, CEO Jim Tobin and COO Paul Lopez take center stage at NAHB HQ at the 2026 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando, with special guest Jason Eichenholz sharing his behind-the-scenes involvement with The New American Home.
Feb 18, 2026
Georgia Builder Elected to Senior Leadership of NAHBJim Chapman, an Atlanta-based real estate developer with more than 25 years of experience in the construction field, was elected today as 2026 third vice chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) during the association’s International Builders’ Show in Orlando.
Latest Economic News
Feb 18, 2026
Overall Housing Starts Inch Lower in 2025Despite a strong finish in December, single-family home building dipped in 2025 as persistent affordability challenges continued to weigh on the market.
Feb 18, 2026
How Housing Affordability Conditions Vary Across States and Metro AreasThe NAHB 2026 priced-out estimates show that the housing affordability challenge is widespread across the country. In 39 states and the District of Columbia, over 65% of households are priced out of the median-priced new home market. This indicates a significant disconnect between higher new home prices, elevated mortgage rates, and household incomes.
Feb 17, 2026
Builder Sentiment Edges Lower on Affordability ConcernsBuilder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell one point to 36 in February, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).