Trench Safety Summit to Feature Training, Live Demos, and Survivor Keynote
Virginia hosts Trench Safety Summit to enhance excavation safety with training and live demonstrations.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Mar 20, 2025
The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI), in partnership with the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and the North American Excavation Shoring Association (NAXSA), will host the 2025 Virginia Trench Safety Summit on April 22 at the Virginia Public Safety Training Center in Hanover.
The event, aimed at enhancing trench and excavation safety for workers and contractors, will feature keynote speaker Eric Giguere, a trench collapse survivor, sharing his harrowing story and emphasizing the importance of safety practices. The summit will also include training sessions led by Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) staff, providing updates on OSHA standards and best practices.
Attendees will experience live demonstrations on hydraulic shoring, proper use of aluminum and steel trench boxes, and a trench rescue operation led by the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and Henrico County Division of Fire.
Registration is required for the free event, which includes breakfast and lunch. To learn more, visit NAXSA’s website.
The summit supports DOLI VOSH’s mission to foster safe workplaces and build a culture of injury-free careers, with VILO serving as Virginia’s Center for Excellence in safety education.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco brings a strong and varied journalism background to her role at Occupational Health & Safety, having previously served as a multimedia editor, broadcast journalist, professor and reviewer across major news organizations. As Content Editor, she writes news and feature articles, hosts sponsor and editorial webinars, co-hosts the SafetyPod worker health and safety podcast, and manages the brand’s digital and social media presence. She is committed to informing and engaging the safety community through compelling reporting and conversations that support safer, healthier workplaces.