In 2023, a Calgary worker lost his life when his supervisors failed to provide trench safety equipment. 

The same happened in Toronto in 2024 after a tragic trench collapse. Later that year, a construction worker was fatally trapped in a four-metre-deep trench after conducting repairs. Most recently, unstable soil caused a trench to collapse, leaving two people gravely injured. 

With all our advancements in equipment and safety awareness, these accidents shouldn’t happen, but they do. Trench excavation is dangerous work when precautions are overlooked. The biggest threat is non-compliance — contractors operating outside the safety system or not using one at all to save a bit of cash. And when safety culture is non-existent, workers may feel unable to speak up. 

The consequences can be fatal. 

Keep reading this article on cooperequipment.ca

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