NAXSA and T.E.S.T. Working Together to Save Lives in the Trenches
NAXSA is proud to welcome the Trenching and Excavation Safety Taskforce (T.E.S.T.) as a new partner to our organization. If you have not already followed them on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram, please take a moment to do so and share these sites with your team members.
The Trenching and Excavation Safety Taskforce (TEST) was started by a group of volunteers after learning of a trenching incident on April 16, 2019, where two workers lost their lives in Windsor, Colorado. During the rescue process, one of the buried workers was still alive, so the first responders were able to communicate with him through a PVC pipe. The worker’s wife also came to the scene and while he was still in the trench covered in dirt, he said goodbye to her using the pipe.
Unfortunately, the workers chose not to utilize the trench protective measure (trench box) onsite and entered the unsafe excavation. This story was very impactful, and something needed to be done to spread awareness and help stop these incidents.
The team of TEST volunteers continue to meet quarterly and initially produced a catchy tagline to communicate trench safety. This tagline is Think Inside The Box, which refers to the simple trench safety method of utilizing a trench box to protect employees from cave-in hazards while performing excavation activities. The team of volunteers agreed that trench boxes are a very common method and one that is readily available in the industry.
The Chairman of the Trenching and Excavation Safety Taskforce, Perry Silvey, CHST works full-time as a safety manager at BT Construction and BTrenchless based in Colorado. He continues to serve with the following industry groups:
- Contractor Director — NUCA of Colorado Board of Directors
- Chairman — NUCA of Colorado Safety, Compliance, & Training Committee
- Facilitator — NUCA of Colorado Monthly Safety Roundtable
- Committee Member — AGC of Colorado Safety Council Steering Committee
- Member — AGC of Colorado Safety Council
- Member — Construction Safety Group of Denver
- Member — Denver Metro Damage Prevention Council — Colorado 811
- Member — American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Colorado Chapter
Trench incidents, training resources, and other trench safety information are shared online to facilitate word-of-mouth marketing.
The website is paid for and maintained by TEST partners. The page is also provided in Spanish here.
The LinkedIn page started in December 2020 and currently has nearly 1,800 followers.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ExcavateSafe) pages started in November 2021 and continue to grow their reach organically.
-Dawn Morse, Boise Branch Manager, D.P. Nicoli
The North American Excavation Shoring Association (NAXSA), is created to promote the safe and efficient use of excavation shoring practices. NAXSA was formed to represent manufacturers, engineers, rental companies/distributors, universities/educators, associates/suppliers, and government agency representatives who share the common goal of maintaining safety in the excavation shoring industry with the result of zero deaths and injuries.
Visit the NAXSA website here.
