Ron Garretson, Brandenburg – Getting Stuck in a Ditch Sparks Important Safety Learnings
April 20th, 2021
My father-in-law does dirt work for a living, such as digging ditches. I experienced a big Safety Defining Moment with him on the job, as I often help him with bigger projects to save time and money. One afternoon, we were digging an electric and water line ditch, and the ditch wall fell in on my legs – trapping me in the spot. I couldn't move or get free on my own! Luckily, the ditch wasn't over my head, but it still wasn’t a good feeling to be trapped. We realized that the ditch had sandy soil, as it was close to river land. My father-in-law and I both learned that it’s critical to use ditch cribbing on certain ditch depths to avoid incidents like what I experienced. This event was also a reminder to ALWAYS ask yourself if there’s a safer way to do the job at hand to prevent injury.
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