Excavations of ___ or greater depth shall have ladders or steps within ___ of workers in the trench.

• A. 3 ft - 15 ft
• B. 5 ft - 20 ft
• C. 4 ft - 25 ft
• D. 6 ft - 25 ft

Answer: (C)

The safety rule focuses on keeping a quick escape route available in trenches as they get deeper. When an excavation reaches four feet or more, a ladder or other safe means of egress must be within 25 feet of every worker in the trench. This distance ensures a worker can reach an exit quickly in a collapse or other emergency, reducing the risk of entrapment or injury. The other options mix an incorrect minimum depth or an incorrect maximum distance, so they don’t meet this standard. In practice, place ladders so no one is more than 25 feet from a means of egress, and have the ladder extend above the trench edge to help with exiting.