The key is to know what to look for so that you can anticipate the dangers that may be associated.
When it comes to the construction industry, there are very few things that are as hazardous as trenching and shoring. Trenching and shoring are ways that the construction business uses to make the structural integrity of building sites and structures stronger and safer for employees to work on or around. The problem is that you can’t always anticipate all the conditions that can wreak havoc on a job site, especially when it comes to the weather.
Winter is one of the worst times for construction trenching. With a combination of frozen ground and precipitation, there are always conditions that must be accommodated. If they aren’t, then it can put a real hazard on your work site. Being able to compensate for weather conditions is imperative to keeping everyone working on a trenching and shoring site safe and injury-free. The key is to know what to look for so that you can anticipate the dangers that may be associated.
Soil Conditions and How they Create Instability
One of the biggest factors in ensuring a safe trenching or shoring site is the condition of the soil that you are working with. If the soil is riddled with extra water, then you are going to be fighting a losing battle trying to keep things structurally sound. Heavy rains will be the number-one enemy of safety. That is why, if you see any signs of the soil heaving, cracking, settling or boiling, then it is time to shut the operation down and find a way to compensate for the additional water instead of trying to work through it.
What Should you Do if you Notice Soil Problems?
Once you notice that there is a problem with soil conditions, they need to be addressed immediately. There are ways to pump water from a site to make it sounder. You can also use protective systems to either dig deeper or to excavate a wider area to compensate for the weather conditions. The key is to identify the signs of water problems and to find a way to solve them, instead of just pushing through and hoping that they will take care of themselves.
If you find that water is a problem, then you can use different methods of benching, shoring, or sloping, depending on what the issue is. It’s essential to have an engineer or management professional who not only can identify when your trenching operation is jeopardized by excess water, but also knows how to address it so that your workers are safe.
Trenching is one of the most dangerous parts of any construction site, because the integrity of the work site is compromised to begin with. To ensure that you are compensating for weather conditions, make sure to hire the right professional so they can not only identify when things need alterations, but also find the right way to fix the problem before a hazard exists. The smallest water or weather issue can take down your entire operation, slow down your timeline, or put your personnel at risk.
