COMPTON, CA — Trench Shoring Company has expanded the strength and experience of its Trench Shoring University (TSU) with the addition of new Trainer, Fred Estrada, and now provides bilingual classes in its training program. Under the management of veteran NAXSA-certified Trainer, Greg Shreenan, Trench Shoring University can effectively communicate safety measures, dangers, and risks of underground construction to the scores of workers for whom Spanish is their primary language.

The bilingual aspect of TSU can also be adapted for both online (remote learning) as well as classroom situations. Additionally, in the near future, Estrada will be offering Spanish-only training classes through Trench Shoring University. TSU provides three types of training: online training with a live instructor, in-person training at the Bakersfield, Fullerton, and Las Vegas locations, and training at the customer’s location.

Estrada brings over 40 years of experience in construction and shoring. From 1978 to 1981, he worked for CL Peck Construction, which built South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California. From 1981 to 1990, he worked for AEG Construction, a family-owned business, where he gained experience in identifying the right materials, equipment, and tools for each project.

Over the next 30 years, Estrada worked for several companies including Rados Construction, where he gained experience in heavy civil engineering, pipe laying, and construction of bridges and overpasses. He then moved on to FCI, the Silverado Eastern Transportation Corridor joint venture with Sukut, and then to Atkinson Construction, often working with the same core group of project workers, gaining hands-on experience in every aspect of construction and trenching.

In 1998, Estrada was trained by Trench Shoring Company Founder, Tom Malloy, in CAL-OSHA trench and excavation standards. He was motivated to enter the training profession so he could do his part to protect workers in the trenches.

“Years ago, I saw three deaths firsthand in pipe laying,” Estrada said. “Back then, our teams weren’t properly trained because the current OSHA training just didn’t exist. There has been an evolution in hazard awareness over the past decade or so. I came to Trench Shoring Company with a determination to save lives.”

His epiphany came during an early training, when several classmates asked Estrada to translate some of the information into Spanish. He realized even then that there was a need to communicate to these Spanish-speaking students who were reluctant to speak up.

Estrada received his formal classroom and computer training from Shreenan, who has almost two decades of classroom training. Like Estrada, Shreenan had over 30 years of experience in construction. Two decades of ground experience with heavy equipment prepared him for his career in underground safety. Certified as a NUCA Instructor in 2006, Shreenan has trained over 10,000 people, is passionate about the potential of NAXSA to serve the training industry, and is determined to keep people safe.

Both Shreenan and Estrada present TSU materials that are built from the latest in CPE and CSC curricula, and satisfy all OSHA requirements. This revamped training underscores Trench Shoring Company’s mission of safety in the trenches and the importance of training for its clients and contractors throughout California and Las Vegas, and now, throughout the country.

Training has been a key component of Trench Shoring Company’s philosophy for over 40 years. During that time, more than 30,000 contractor workers have completed their in-house training. However, the industry has evolved and become more complex and is demanding the most relevant and current training.

Trench Shoring University’s shift to NAXSA (North American Excavation Shoring Association)-based materials ensures that its Competent Person for Excavation Safety and Confined Space Construction training meet all current industry demands and satisfy all OSHA requirements, as well as providing an active and ongoing conduit to trainees for current information. Each training session includes a subject matter expert.

Trench Shoring Company President, Kevin Malloy, said that Trench Shoring University reflects “the important advances and investment we’ve made in launching a best-in-class total-access training program as a mix of classroom and online training sessions, making it easy and convenient for clients to access training.”

Trench Shoring Company remains committed to support clients’ trench safety needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have implemented mandatory safety and health procedures for our customers and employees ... and will continue to explore alternative solutions and methods to meet any situation,” Malloy said.