At TRS, we are your Trenchless Replacement Specialists! Our trenchless solutions to your plumbing and sewage needs mean no digging and no tearing up your yard or landscaping! But there are other advantages to going trenchless as well. In this post, we’ll discuss some of the hazards of trenches that you may not have thought of.
FALLS
When a large trench is in the process of being dug out of your yard, there’s always a risk of a fall. Especially with the loose dirt around the edges, a bad fall could result in an injury. Signs and fencing should be around any digging areas to prevent pedestrians from falling in, but there’s always a risk that a worker could suffer a fall.
GASSES
Depending on how deep it’s necessary to dig, it’s possible that workers could encounter toxic gasses at the bottom of a trench. This could present a hazard, especially if they lack special gear to make sure they’re able to breathe in the fresh air.
UTILITY LINES
Gasses can not only come from deep in the earth, but they can also escape from broken utility lines. Even though city-marked utility lines are taken into account, there’s always a chance that a mistake could happen and a line could get hit. Hitting water, sewer, gas, or electric lines can cause a major mess and be dangerous as well.
CAVE-INS
When workers are working inside the trench, there’s always a risk of a cave-in. Regular inspections and safety measures are critical to making sure this doesn’t happen to your project. Federal guidelines mandate that an exit point be available within 25 feet just in case disaster strikes. Those inspections are especially important after rain (not common in West Texas), or in windy conditions (very common in West Texas).
FALLING EQUIPMENT
We’ve discussed the risk of workers falling into the trench, but this can happen to equipment too. Some of the machinery used to lift heavy equipment in or out of the trench can be heavy, and damage your trench if it falls in. It can also be very difficult to move.
TRENCHLESS SOLUTION
We’ve explained a handful of reasons that digging trenches is not only an eyesore but has several safety hazards as well. Instead, go with the trenchless solution. Our state-of-the-art methods allow you to repair or even replace your pipes with no digging! Make an appointment online, or call us today at (432) 580-7693.