Is it normal to dig down 10-12 feet right next to a foundation without shoring?

Having a foundation wall on one side doesn't change the rules at all. Under OSHA standards, any trench deeper than **5 feet** requires protective systems—meaning shoring, benching, or a trench box—unless the cut is entirely trough solid, stable bedrock. What you're looking at is an active death trap. Soil weighs anywhere from 100 to 130 pounds per cubic foot. If that 12-foot dirt wall shears off, even a minor collapse drops a couple tons of earth onto that worker in less than a second. People don't survive that by digging their way out; the sheer weight compresses the chest cavity instantly, and asphyxiation happens within minutes. Having a concrete wall on the opposing side acutally makes it worse, becuase the soil has zero room to displace—it just pins the person flat against the foundation. These outfits pull this crap so they can underbid legitimate contractors who actually factor in the cost of renting shoring jacks and trench shields. Don't worry about 'causing trouble' for the crew—you might literally save that kid's life today. Walk over to the super right now and tell them to halt work untill proper shoring is lowered into the pit. If management drags their feet, an emergency call to OSHA about an imminent collapse hazard usually gets an inspector dispatched within hours.

I had a 7-foot trench cave in on me doing a sewer line tie-in a few years back. The dirt looked completley solid until a slab gave way near the top edge. It only came up to my knees, but the pack was so dense I couldn't pull a single foot out—my brother had to dig my boots free with a spade. That's at seven feet. At twelve, it's game over. When I finished that job, I just rented hydraulic shores from the local equipment yard for $150. You literally drop them in and hand-pump them tight against the dirt in three minutes. There's zero excuse for this.

There is zero excuse for this even in a tight walkway where an excavator can't drop heavy steel. Tell the super they need to call Sunbelt and rent an Efficiency Production Build-A-Box setup today.

It's modular aluminum, light enought that two guys can carry the panels through a tight gate and pin it togather right in the cut by hand. If that's too bulky, even standard Speed Shore vertical hydraulic shores woud keep that dirt wall off him. Basic trench gear isn't expensive to rent, this outfit is just being lazy.

Quick update — I brought up the modular aluminum trench box to our super, but he claimed the dirt is hardpan and fine. Now I noticed they dumped the huge spoil pile right on the lip of the trench, and there's a bobcat running right next to it. Doesn't that extra weight on the edge drastically increase cave-in risk? If management won't listen, do I just call OSHA directly?