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Excavations vs. Trenches: Definitions and the Scale of the Hazard

A trench is deeper than it is wide, with a bottom 15 ft across or less. Anything else is an excavation.
A trench is deeper than it is wide, with a bottom 15 ft across or less. Anything else is an excavation.
A trench wall can collapse suddenly and without warning. Workers at the bottom have no time to move out of the way. A single cubic yard of soil weighs over 3,000 pounds — equivalent to a compact car — and is enough to fatally crush and suffocate a person [S4].
Knowledge Check

According to OSHA's definition, which of the following correctly describes a trench?

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