Trench Safety Month
June is Trench Safety Month!
June 2023 has been declared “Trench Safety Month” by the National Utility Contractors Association. This declaration of safety further highlights the association's innovative educational and safety program, the “Trench Safety Stand Down” week, that will held June 19 - 23, 2023.Every June since 2016 NUCA has held the innovative Trench Safety Stand Down (TSSD) Week for the utility construction industry. This year’s event will occur at hundreds of jobsites across the nation, reaching tens of thousands of workers.
Look for the hashtag: #TrenchSafetyMonth |
TSSD Week is a series of organized events held by NUCA and industry members to emphasize the message of safety around jobsite trenches and excavations. TSSD Week is used by industry safety professionals to hold safety training, educational seminars, live demonstrations of trench rescues, and the other activities to reinforce the message of trench safety.
In an effort to grow this strong message of safety, the national association will be leveraging the safety messages of TSSD through NUCA’s social media channels, internal publications, and the construction trade press to emphasize several key safety ideas well known through our TSSD materials.
Selecting June as Trench Safety Month is a natural tie-in to the lessons and demonstrations being completed at thousands of NUCA member jobsites during TSSD Week. In 2019, more than 47,000 member employees and first responders at over 4,500 jobsites, from 324 organizations, took part in the stand down. Together, they learned the importance of being safe around their jobsite excavations and trenches from peers and experts alike.
NUCA and the utility construction industry members must seek out every measure possible to reduce risks on our jobsites, which we all know can be a dangerous place to work if someone is unaware of its hazards. 17 industry employees lost their lives through trench accidents in 2018, according to OSHA.
Time and time again, evidence shows that the key to significantly reducing the risks associated with our industry is employee training and reinforcement through events such as the TSSD Week.
This annual June event is expected to evolve over the following years as the TSSD continues to grow.
First Trench Safety Month:
June 2020
Due to the enthusiastic success of NUCA’s trench safety program over the past four years, NUCA made June 2020 the first “Trench Safety Month.” The association devoted the entire month of June to getting the message out to the public and non-NUCA industry companies about the importance of employee safety when working underground or in and around trenches.
“In this industry, the safety of our employees on the job site is our top priority,” remarked Doug Carlson, NUCA CEO. “Making this June “Trench Safety Month” emphasizes the valuable training and experiences our member’s employees are gaining through the Trench Safety Stand Down week also held annually in June by our members.”
The experience was seen as an extremely positive step for an industry culture steeped in safety, and was decided by NUCA leadership at its conclusion to continue "Trench Safety Month" in the years to come.
June 2020
Due to the enthusiastic success of NUCA’s trench safety program over the past four years, NUCA made June 2020 the first “Trench Safety Month.” The association devoted the entire month of June to getting the message out to the public and non-NUCA industry companies about the importance of employee safety when working underground or in and around trenches.
“In this industry, the safety of our employees on the job site is our top priority,” remarked Doug Carlson, NUCA CEO. “Making this June “Trench Safety Month” emphasizes the valuable training and experiences our member’s employees are gaining through the Trench Safety Stand Down week also held annually in June by our members.”
The experience was seen as an extremely positive step for an industry culture steeped in safety, and was decided by NUCA leadership at its conclusion to continue "Trench Safety Month" in the years to come.
