Facts on trenching and excavation hazards safety rules and prevention. Trenching and Excavation Safety Two workers are killed every month in trench collapses.The employer must provide a workplace free of recognized hazards that may cause serious injury or death. The employer must comply with the trenching and excavation requirements of 29 CFR 1926.651 and 1926.652 or comparable OSHA-approved state plan requirements. An excavation is any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in an earth surface formed by earth removal. Trench (Trench excavation) means a narrow excavation (in relation to its length) made below the surface of the ground. In general, the depth […]