What Can You Tell Me About a Trench Shield?

Because trench work is such a hazardous line of work, contractors and their workers use trench shields to help them get their work done. A trench shield is built strong to handle the pressure of unstable soil and provide a safe space and protects workers in the event that a trench collapses. They are used to secure the walls of large excavated trenches. Their purpose is to ensure the safety of workers in the trenches. They can effectively cover large areas of depth of trenches, eliminating the possibility of a cave-in. Trench shields can be used for several kinds of projects, such as:

• Digging the foundation for a building
• Laying pipes or wire

The most common type of trench shield is made of steel but they can also be purchased in aluminum. Inflatable trench shields are also becoming popular.

Sizing the trench shield you use is very important. To size a trench shield you should:

• Know the job – Use a trench shield that is large enough for the job but light enough to handled by the trench shoring equipment being used.
• Know how deep the cut is going to be.
• Know the condition of the soil you are working with
• Know the outside pipe diameter
• Know the length of the pipe being used. The shield should be two to four feet longer than a joint of pipe.
• Know the size of the excavator and the lift capacity. The minimum capacity should be 1.5 times the shield weight within a 20-foot radius.

The handling and assembling of a trench shield should be conducted by:

• Determining the weight and the load and making sure the equipment being used to handle the shield is capable.
• If using a crane, it is important to make sure the rigging is correctly sized and in good condition.
• Always assemble the shield per manufacturer’s instructions and always use the components and spreader pins that are supplied by the trench box manufacturer.
• The rebar, bolts, pipe or other materials in place or spreader pins should never be substituted.
• Always install the keepers
• When using a tag, the line is to make sure it is long enough to keep the worker a safe distance from the shield.

Trenches normally are formed on borrowed time and depending upon the material of the surrounding ground and the depth of the trench, it will cave-in at some point. The purpose of the trench shield is to widen the utility worker’s window to work within the trenches before caving in begins to occur. This is why is extremely important to pick the right kind of trench shield for each project.

As stated, the most common materials used for trench shields are steel and aluminum. The strength of these materials will allow for a rigid wall to be maintained while the workers work which helps extend the amount of time that the shield works. Unstable soil pressure can harm crews if it collapses while the crew is still in the trenches working. Especially if a team is busy focusing on projects such as digging a foundation, laying wiring or working on pipes.

The safety of the workers in the trenches should always be the number one priority and this should determine the decision on what type of material to use. However, using this kind of thought process also provides another benefit, an economical one. Keeping these priorities in mind allows for the safest but also the best system to serve economically. When weighing the safety of workers, the following should be considered:

Make sure your operators are properly trained – Thoroughly train operators to avoid potential dangers while on the job. All operators and supervisors should receive training on proper handling and assembly of trench shields.

Make sure the trench shield has been properly sized – Knowing the scope of your job is imperative to choosing the correct trench box – large enough to provide protection but light enough for the equipment being used on the site. Develop a checklist that addresses the following:

• Type of soil to be worked in
• The depth of the cut
• The outside diameter of the pipe
  The length of the pipe you are using. The shield must be 2′ to 4′ longer than the pipe.
• The is the size of the machine and the lift capacity. Minimum capacity should be 1.5 times the weight of the shield at 20′ radius

To ensure safety when using trench shields always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines – Always read the manufacturer’s directions before assembling a shield. Make sure all components are supplied by the manufacturer, including the spreader pins. Rebar, bolts, pipe or other materials should not be substituted for the spreader pins.
Lastly, properly handling shields helps keep workers safe. Do not chain together stacks of trench shields. When stacking shields, always use stacking pins. It is also important to install all the spreaders and to never remove a spreader from a machine. A trench shield should never be lifted by the spreaders. If a tagline is being used, the line should be long enough to keep the worker a safe distance from the shield.

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