A good toolbox talk is short, specific to today's work, and gets the crew talking. Read one of these at the start of a shift, then ask the questions. Record attendance on your own sign-in sheet. This site doesn't collect it.
Talk 1: Five feet and you need protection
Soil is heavy, about as much as a car per cubic yard, and a wall can fail in seconds. OSHA requires a protective system (sloping, benching, shoring or a trench box) in any excavation 5 feet or deeper unless it's entirely in stable rock. Shallower trenches need protection too if the competent person sees signs of a cave-in. Nobody enters an unprotected trench to "just grab something."
Ask: What's our protective system today? Who's the competent person? What would make you get out?
Talk 2: Ladders within 25 feet
In trenches 4 feet or deeper, you need a ladder, stairway or ramp within 25 feet of lateral travel. Ladders go inside the protected area, such as inside the box, and extend 3 feet above the top. If the work moves, the ladder moves.
Ask: Count the ladders. Is anyone more than 25 feet from one?
Talk 3: Spoil, pipe and trucks stay back
Spoil, materials and equipment stay at least 2 feet from the edge, and farther is better. Weight near the edge pushes on the wall and can trigger a collapse even if nothing rolls in. Trucks and stacked pipe count too.
Ask: Where will today's deliveries go? Who is watching the edge?
Talk 4: Know what's below
Before we dig, we call 811 and wait for every utility to mark. Inside the tolerance zone, we hand dig or vacuum excavate. Red is electric, yellow is gas, orange is communications, blue is water, green is sewer. Private lines often aren't marked.
Ask: What marks are on this job? Which lines are within the tolerance zone? What do we do if we hit something?
Talk 5: The box protects you only inside it
A trench box doesn't hold the wall up. It protects whoever is inside it. Stay inside when working. Don't step out of the ends to make a connection. Nobody rides in the box or stands in it while it's being set, lifted or moved.
Ask: Where are the box ends today? How are they protected?
Talk 6: After rain, wait for the inspection
Water makes soil heavier and weaker and can wash out soil behind a box. After every rainstorm, the competent person inspects before anyone goes in. Seeping water means the soil is now Type C.
Ask: What changed overnight? Is the pump running and being watched?
Talk 7: Bad air in a hole
Low spots collect gas. Engine exhaust from pumps and saws can build carbon monoxide in a trench. Near landfills, sewers and fuel lines, the air gets tested before we enter trenches deeper than 4 feet. If the meter alarms, get out.
Ask: Is any gas-powered equipment near the trench? Where's the exhaust going?
Talk 8: Never under the load
No one stands under a load handled by lifting or digging equipment, including buckets, pipe and boxes. Stay clear of trucks being loaded. Operators who can't see the edge need a signal person, barricades or stop logs.
Ask: Who is our signal person? Where is the swing radius?
Talk 9: Warning signs mean get out
Cracks near the edge, bulging walls, soil falling, water seeping, the floor heaving, shores loosening or a box shifting: get out and tell the competent person. You don't need permission to leave a trench that looks wrong.
Ask: What would you do if you saw a crack open behind you?
Talk 10: If it collapses
Call 911 and say "trench collapse." Don't jump in to dig. Rescuers have been killed by second collapses. Stop nearby equipment, keep weight off the edge and never dig with the excavator. Professional teams shore the trench first, then dig by hand.
Ask: What's our address for 911? Where would rescuers access the site?
Want to go deeper?
Each talk lines up with one of our free trench safety lessons, and each lesson ends with a short quiz you can run as a group.
Sources and official references
Last reviewed: October 25, 2026 · Free general education based on OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P. It does not replace the site-specific training and competent person your employer must provide, and it does not issue a certificate. Nothing you enter on this page is saved or sent.