The risks, including death, are well known. Despite being easily prevented, cave-ins during trenching and excavation work continue to occur, killing an average of 40 workers every year. Whenever he hears of an incident, Ronnie Perkins says, “The first thing that comes to my mind is ‘competent person.’”Perkins, safety and education director for Associated General Contractors of Kentucky, stresses that a competent person is the last line of defense for workers and a company.“There’s really not an excuse for anyone being injured in a trench accident,” Perkins says. “When you trace it all back, you usually find that they either
