Diagram with 3 sections: top section is a blue banner shape with the Charlotte Water logo in white font on left and on right are the words in white font, For illustration purposes only, not showing all safety steps necessary for excavation And in the section on the below left, a driver's POV of driver's view out front window of a vehicle including hands on steering wheel, outside the windshield is a view of a rendering of a construction area on the right side of the road including orange and white traffic cones and fencing, 4 workers in orange safety gear, a brown rectangular trench, and a yellow excavator, Nearby is a blue sign with white lettering Charlotte and in the distance is a faint city skyline and and green fields along the roadway. Above that in black bold font, What You See! On the right side of the diagram is an image depicting the same orange cones, 4 workers, and yellow excavator along the roadside and what is happening in the brown trench below: against blue wall liner in the trench, 2 workers in orange and yellow safety gear work with a shovel, brown ladder and section of black pipe. Above them is the same blue faded city skyline with the bolded words in black font: What They See!
Behind the Scenes, Construction, How Things Work, Repairs and Spills

Why are People Standing Around a Construction Site / Repair Site?

Everyone has a job to do…

To watch coworkers underground to ensure they are safe. If someone is injured they are to call 911.

To communicate with equipment operators about raising or lowering materials in or out of the trench.

To supervise or verify that the project or repair is being completed efficiently and effectively.

Training opportunities for new coworkers to see how we safely work in a trench.

To hand equipment and tools down to team members in the trench.

And sometimes they are waiting on more equipment or materials to be delivered.

Trenches are typically just enough space for the minimum number people to get the job done. The less digging, the less time to restore the trench.