Excavation provides a strong foundation for further construction and is a crucial part of the construction process. In addition to foundations, roads, driveways, drainage, pipework, basements, and sewer lines, excavation work can be used for various reasons. A typical excavation job involves drilling, breaking, earthmoving, loading- unloading, trenching, or digging. Excavation requires heavy machinery like excavators, backhoes, or bulldozers. However, excavation activity also exposes on-site workers to dangerous, life-threatening hazards if done without following proper procedure. According to Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), excavation poses a 112% higher fatality rate than general construction work.
Here is a list of 4 common excavation accidents and how companies can safeguard their employees against them.
- Placement of machinery and tools
Heavy and light excavation machinery and tools falling are a leading cause of fatalities during excavation work. These accidents occur from not having proper safety nets installed, unstable equipment, etc. One must make sure that excavation machinery is stored at a safe distance from the excavation site. While trenching, special care must be taken to keep excavating material and tools far away from the edge of the trench to prevent accidental falls into the trench.
- Excavated materials
When excavated materials like soil are not properly shifted away from the edges of the trench, it puts the workers’ lives in danger. Since trenching work includes working in deep dig-outs, excavated materials placed close to the edge can collapse on the workers causing asphyxiation or drowning. In small-sized sites or construction sites on rugged terrain where shifting the excavated material far from the trench is impossible, sloping, benching, or shoring of the trenches should be done to guarantee the safety of the workers.
- Type of strata
Different construction sites are located on different types of terrains. Depending on the type of strata encountered during excavation, such as quicksand, loose boulders, and loose fills, adequate precautions should be taken for worker safety. While excavating in tricky terrain, the effect of moisture and other climatic variations on the excavated materials should be constantly monitored to prevent any type of disaster at the construction site.
- Electrical
Coming in contact with power lines resulting in electrocution is one of the most common excavation accidents on a construction site. Exposed electrical wires are the leading cause of electrocution during excavation. Exposed tools and construction equipment wires and lack of proper insulation also result in several electrical accidents. A thorough inspection of equipment and tools can safeguard the life of on-site workers and prevent any electrical mishaps on the construction site.
Conclusion
Construction workers on excavation duty always carry the risk of life-threatening injuries. To minimize or prevent the risk of life, they should always follow the safety guidelines for the site, wearing proper safety gears while working, use of machine alarm while travelling and use of proper lights during night operation. While construction companies and contractors should adhere to all safety regulations. The excavating process is strenuous and requires robust machinery. Hyundai is one of the most reputed construction machinery manufacturers nationwide. At Hyundai, they follow and practice “Safety First” at their manufacturing facility and also they have given some exclusive features in their machine for operator safety.
Their excavators are SMART, fuel-efficient, durable, and low-maintenance, which keeps the operational costs of the construction project in check.
