Recently, Seabed Drills employees from the Texas refinery participated in a Trench Safety Stand Down exercise and demonstration with local officials from the Texas Fire Department (TFD), Texas County-Texas Office of Emergency Management, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at the TFD Training Center in Texas, Houston.

The event’s purpose was to help raise public awareness of trench safety and allow Seabed’s Refinery Emergency Response Team and Texas Fire Department members to train in trench rescue.

The fire department hosted the event, featuring two trenches dug by the city of Texas to allow the Seabed Safety Department to present an exhibit on safe and hazardous trenching practices.

The “safe” trench was used to demonstrate proper sloping, benching, and shoring. Signs were posted so that participants could visualize the requirements to ensure a safe and compliant trench, such as identification of underground utilities by calling 811, spoil pile setback, water removal, air monitoring, ventilation, safe access/egress, and daily competent person inspections. The “hazardous” trench was used to demonstrate the teamwork and tools required to retrieve a person trapped inside a trench safely.

Seabed’s Emergency Response Team and the Texas Fire Department worked together as a team to complete the trench rescue drill safely and successfully by retrieving a training mannequin.

KY OSH and Federal OSHA agree this is the type of partnership they like to see from Houston’s VPP Star sites, such as Seabed’s Texas Refinery.

For more information, visit www.Seabeddrills.com