The Basics – Trenching & Excavation Safety

From building foundations to underground utilities, trenches and excavations lay the groundwork for any project. Due to the unpredictable nature of earthwork, these excavations can be dangerous and even fatal. In this blog we will review some basic safety measures you should always take when working in and around open trenches and excavations.
 
Trench & Excavation Definitions
OSHA defines trenches and excavations as:
Trench -  a narrow excavation made below the surface of the ground; generally the depth is greater than its width and does not exceed 15ft
Excavation - any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the Earth’s surface formed by earth removal
 
Safety Before Working
Before you begin working in an open trench or excavation, be sure to:

• Identify a competent person – this person will be responsible for identifying and predicting hazards associated with excavation work along with preparing safety inspections and measures to be used for each excavation
• Complete an inspection – inspections should be completed by the competent person prior to entry and if weather or work conditions change

• Provide ingress/egress routes – provide safe ways for employees to enter/exit excavation as needed (required if depth is greater than 4ft)
• Ensure underground utilities have been identified – make sure all utilities have been clearly marked prior to beginning work

 
Safety While Working
When working around an open excavation, be sure to:

• Classify the soil type – identify the soil class of the excavation to identify potential hazards and properly select the protective system
• Remove water hazards – excavations should be kept free from water buildup and accumulation as this can undermine protective systems
• Select a protective system – if the excavation is deeper than 5ft, provide a protective system to ensure the safety of workers within the trench or excavation (Bench, Slope, Shore, Shield)
• Keep spoils away from sides – maintain spoil piles at least 2ft from excavation edge and ensure proper equipment distance to prevent failing

 
Preventing excavation cave-ins and collapses are easy when basic safety measures are followed every single day. Preparing safety measures before you begin work and continually inspecting as you go will allow workers to safely identify hazards before they become catastrophic. To keep the conversation going, download the Trenching & Excavation Toolbox Talk (TBT) or comment below.

Trenching & Excavation TBT