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are many potential hazards when working in excavations and
trenches. Probably the most common hazard at any work site is
the threat of cave-in. A cave-in occurs when walls of an
excavation collapse. Cave-ins can be deadly. Wall failures often
occur suddenly, with little or no time for the worker to react.
The weight of the soil crushes and twists the body, causing
death or serious injury in a matter of minutes. Excavations need
not be deep or large to create a life threatening hazard, so
every excavation must be taken seriously. Why do cave-ins occur?
Undisturbed soil is kept in place by natural horizontal and
vertical forces of the nearby soil. When we dig in the earth,
these natural forces are no longer able to hold back the soil
left behind. With no support, event