A trench cave-in has trapped a worker's leg. The trench is 7 feet deep in Type B soil. What is the first priority action?
Correct Answer
B) Call emergency services and keep all personnel out of the trench
Safety first - call emergency services and prevent additional injuries by keeping personnel out of the unstable excavation until proper rescue procedures can be implemented.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Calling emergency services and keeping all personnel out of the trench is correct because a trench cave-in creates an active, life-threatening collapse hazard. Any untrained person entering the trench risks a secondary cave-in, turning a rescue into a double fatality. Emergency responders have the equipment and training to safely extract victims. OSHA's hierarchy of safety places prevention of additional injuries above immediate rescue attempts.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: Install shoring before attempting rescue
Installing shoring before attempting rescue is incorrect as the priority sequence. While shoring is eventually necessary, installing it takes time that may not be available and still requires trained personnel. Emergency services should be called first so they can arrive while any stabilization efforts begin.
Option C: Immediately enter the trench to free the worker
Immediately entering the trench to free the worker is the most dangerous choice. An unstable Type B soil trench after a cave-in is at extreme risk of a secondary collapse. Entering without proper protective systems (shoring, sloping, or shielding) violates OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P and is the leading cause of trench rescue fatalities.
Option D: Begin sloping the trench walls
Beginning to slope the trench walls is inappropriate as a first action in an emergency. Sloping is a preventive measure applied before work begins, not a rescue technique. Operating equipment near a compromised trench could trigger additional collapse.
Memory Technique
Remember the rescue acronym: CALL before CRAWL. Always CALL emergency services before anyone CRAWLS into a collapsed trench. Two victims are worse than one.
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