When it comes to construction projects, employee safety is always the number one priority. One of the most dangerous situations on any construction site is when workers are working in a trench, which can be some meters deep and in some cases many meters long. The biggest danger in these jobs is the walls caving in, trapping the workers under dirt and other materials.

Watch this video to see how easy it is to make up the modular system.

Guardian Trench Shields are designed to meet New Zealand's tough working conditions and to protect your personnel while trenching. They are made to exceed the NZ standards. Certifications and a Safe Use Manual are available to help you meet your H&S requirements.

While most people assume trenches are simply done to install pipes or other materials below ground, there are many other types of trenches dug to install such things as manholes. For these trenches, it's just as important to ensure they are shored up safely. Guardian Modular Panel Systems are ideal for manhole construction when spaces can be tight and narrow and the threat of collapse very high.

As not all manhole excavations are the same, various configurations can be designed and built using the different length panels and the ability to stack panels on top of each other. Each panel is a convenient 600mm high, however, there are various lengths ranging from 1.2 - 3.0 metres long, which means square or rectangular boxes are possible.

As shown in this video they are very easy to assemble, using interchangeable corner connectors and pins. 2 men can easily handle these lightweight alloy panels. For example, these 1500mm x 600mm panels only weigh 35kg's each!

As construction projects become more and more complex in the years ahead, safety will continue to be a primary concern for companies and those on the job. Using technology such as our Modular Panel System along with equipment and methods developed by civil and mechanical engineers will ensure more workers can be safe and sound when working in the trenches.

Guardian has a full range of trench shields available for hire or purchase.

Our most common as in the video is the #2301 trench shield has 2.4m long x 1.2m high panels and is the most popular due to its ease of movement and assembly. A set includes 2 panels, 4 struts, 8 pins and clips. The struts have adjustable acrows so you can adjust the width to suit the trench size. A set weighs only 140 kg - easily moved by a 1.7 tonne digger. You can also stack these sets on top of each other to give you greater trench depth.