The Official Website of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD)

Labor and Workforce Development

Trench Safety


Trench Safety Poster  

Trenching Regulations

On December 4, 2002, the Legislature enacted new legislation relative to excavation and trench safety.  The legislation, known as "Jackie's Law" was in response to a tragic accident that occurred in 1999 when a four-year-old girl was killed when a trench she had climbed into collapsed on her.  The Division of Occupational Safety and the Department of Public Safety, together, are charged with administering Jackie's law, including the promulgation of regulations.  Those regulations will go into effect on January 1, 2009.  Please visit the Department of Public Safety's Trench page to learn more about the law and regulations.