Digging trenches and foundations for drains, utilities etc. are one of the first jobs to be carried out on a construction site and unluckily for some it is the last job they carry out.
Workers with many years experience in excavation work are often deceived by the appearance of the ground which they are convinced will stand with little or no support for as long as they have to work in it.
Every year an average of 7 people are killed and many more injured when excavations people are working in collapse. The risk is evident when you consider that 1 cubic meter of soil can weigh as much as 1 tonne, and is quite common that the volume of soil collapses into an unsupported excavation.
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