Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has released a safety alert to highlight the risk of trench collapse when trench support systems such as shoring boxes don’t extend for the full length of the trench.
The alert comes after a November incident involving ground collapse at a trench on a Brisbane construction site. A worker was seriously injured during the accident.
A similar incident occurred in 2016 at a Gold Coast construction site.
In both incidents the shoring boxes did not extend for the full depth of the trench in both incidents.
The alert highlighted that a variety of factors can contribute to such a collapse including the type of ground, ground water, rain and loading applied to the ground.
