Need additional information on the legislation of structural stability during excavations? visit the HSE Website.
A light weight trench box is designed as a temporary earth retaining structure allowing the sides of the excavation to be cut vertical or near vertical. This quick and easy method ensures ground stability within a trench and helps to minimise the excavation area. Trench Boxes also avoid damage to neighbouring structures and utilities in the ground.
Trench boxes are simple, robust, two sided mechanical trench support systems. Depending on the size of the excavation trench boxes are hired in batches by our customers.
We recommend that users of any excavation support equipment are familiar with the following
references and publications:
(i) HSE – Safety in Excavations – CIS8REV1
(ii) HSE – Health and Safety in Excavations – Be Safe and Shore – HSG 185
(iii) BS8002 (1994) – Earth Retaining Structures
(iv) CIRIA SP95 – The Design and Construction of Sheet Piled Cofferdams
(v) CIRIA Report 97 – Trenching Practice
Current Safety Legislation requires that the product users formulate a safe system of work to
undertake the Excavation, which may include a Temporary Works Design.