NIOSH Trench Safety Awareness Training

Trench Safety Awareness, an interactive CD-ROM produced by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory, uses text, video clips, and photos to offer basic training. The CD is an introduction to trench safety and the benefits of using trench protective systems. For each photo, click on a button to show, say, a type of trench collapse or safety features at a trench site. Topics include types of trench collapse, frequency and cost of trench collapse, soil types and 3 methods for testing soil, general OSHA safety requirements, common trench protective systems (sloping, benching, shoring, and shielding), and practical examples, good and bad.