When it comes to working safely in trenches or any other ground excavation there are various forms of trench safety systems that are widely accepted throughout Australia and New Zealand, including shoring, sheeting, shielding, sloping and benching.
Ultimately prevention of trench wall collapse is the objective, no matter what trench safety system you opt for.
Mabey Hire has a growing fleet of shoring ground works products for hire across Australia and New Zealand which are suitable for excavations up to 6 m deep, including lightweight aluminium shoring shields, heavy duty steel shoring shields, hydraulic shoring, vertical shoring and aluminium modular shoring shields.
Excavations less than 1.5 m deep do not require protective systems unless there are signs of a potential cave in.
This is not to say that you should not take the necessary measures to make sure the trench meets safety standards, as wall collapses that happen in shallow pits can still have very serious consequences.
For trenches between 1.5-6 m deep a trench safety method is mandatory, and for excavations greater than 6 m, a registered professional engineer is required to design the protective system to ensure it complies with safety standards.
For larger and irregular shaped excavations, Mabey Hire offers a highly experienced in-house engineer available to work with you and your staff to design and test the optimal groundwork solution for your project.
For more information on Mabey Hire’s trench shoring products please visit www.mabeyhire.com.au or phone 1800 622 394.