Blake Smith How to Select the Right Trench Protection System How a utility contractor chooses to excavate on a job site can make all the difference in the project outcome. When you consider that 30 to 40 percent of all excavations lack the appropriate protective solutions, it should come as no surprise that projects are often over budget and overdue. When you add the very real risk of injury or death, a lack of proper protection makes no sense at all. Appropriate trench protection solutions and safety training are the difference between 16 MAY 2019 | UConOnline.com a safe, productive worksite and putting your project at risk. The time spent in choosing the right protective system and ensuring that your team is up-to-date on training is an investment in project success. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that a protective system be used any time an excavation is at a depth of 5 feet or more. With four types of workable, OSHA-approved protective solutions available-sloping, benching, shoring and shielding-utility companies and contractors will be safest and most productive if they learn how to select the most effective system for a given job site. A protective system has multiple components, all of which factor into the selection and installation processes. It starts with aligning the system to the soil and job-site conditions. This is followed by thorough inspections throughout the project and mandated safety training. In addition, there is a balance between keeping thehttp://www.UConOnline.com