United Rentals Trench Safety Digital Learning Series Discusses Safety Powered by Productivity

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 27, 2021 – United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE: URI) today announced an online series of trench safety educational events in support of the 2021 Trench Safety Stand Down, which takes place June 14-18. The free educational sessions will raise awareness about hazards associated with trench and excavation work, and showcase best practices that can help sites stay safe without sacrificing efficiency.

The purpose of the nationwide Trench Safety Stand Down Week is to reinforce the importance of working safely in and around trenches and excavations. Employers are encouraged to review with employees the hazards associated with these tasks, the regulations around them and optimal practices to help keep themselves and co-workers safe.

“Trench and excavation work is among the most dangerous jobs in the construction and utility industries,” said Todd Hayes, Vice President, Trench Safety Region at United Rentals. “By educating workers on safe excavation practices, their awareness of associated risks increases which allows for better, and more importantly, safer choices to be made in the field. Nothing is more important than safety on the worksite. We believe compliance can help drive productivity.”

Trench Safety Stand Down Training Schedule

Anyone can attend these online learning sessions. To register, please go trenchsafetyevents.com. Here are the educational session topics and schedule:

The Buried Truth Uncovered: A survivor’s story. This session features Eric Giguere, a former construction worker who survived a near fatal trench collapse and now is a recognized expert in safety awareness. Giguere will discuss his chilling experience of being buried alive that changed his life and sparked his personal commitment to safety awareness. Offered: June 14 at 7:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT.

Thinking Outside the Trench: What else you need to know. Protection from a trench collapse is not the only thing a Competent Person needs to be concerned with on the job site. OSHA requires that a Competent Person drive compliance on a dozen specific requirements. This session will review the trench safety-related tasks, not associated with shoring or shielding, that a Competent Person must make sure are in place. Offered: June 16 at 7 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. CDT.

The Buried Truth Uncovered: A survivor’s story – in Spanish. Giguere will discuss his experiences as a construction worker who survived a death-defying work-related trench accident and the need for safety awareness. At the conclusion of his presentation, Giguere along with a bilingual translator will take questions. Offered: June 17 at 7 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. CDT.

Digging through the OSHA Standard: Clearing up the confusion. In a survey from The Center for Construction Research and Training, roughly one-third of the respondents, consisting of both field workers and safety professionals, indicated they had uncertainty on how to comply with the standard. This session will focus on bringing clarity to those misunderstood requirements of the OSHA Excavation Standard. Offered: June 18 at 7 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. CDT.

United Rentals Trench Safety Solutions

United Rentals Trench Safety provides the worksite the most efficient path to safety through underground solutions and safety training. With more than 92 trench safety locations and the largest fleet of shoring and underground excavation rental equipment in North America, United Rentals provides customers customized, cost-effective trench safety and excavation rental solutions. It supplies OSHA-compliant trench protective systems including shoring, shielding, lasers and optical instruments, and more. United Rentals services help companies in pre-bid analysis on protective system solutions, on-site consultation and engineering designs that can be applied successfully on a project.