Excavation Safety - Competent Person

When it comes to construction projects, your foundation excavation is important and yet the most dangerous aspect of the job. From the utilities underground to the shifting of soils, it’s important to have a competent person available to know these hazards and make sure everyone works safely around them. Let’s look at what it means to be a competent person on an excavation project.
 
What is a Competent Person?
OSHA defines a competent person as “one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.”
In short, a competent person has the knowledge and understanding to remove hazards. One can assume this role through experience in the field, proper training by the company, and through their knowledge and understanding of OSHA standards and practices. Once the competent person has been identified for a project, it’s important they review their duties and responsibilities each and every day as the job changes.
 
Duties of a Competent Person
Open trenches and excavations are a dangerous operation as they disturb the soil and surrounding areas in new ways each day. That is why the competent person must be prepared for any and all hazards you may see. Some responsibilities the competent person will need to be perform include:

• Inspect the Excavation/Trench Daily
  • As the project progresses and the weather changes, the excavation needs to be inspected daily to ensure the safety of the workers. Checking for hidden hazards, damaged equipment, or eroded walls and address them immediately
• Analyze the Soil
  • Knowing the type of soil and the surrounding area will help the competent person select the proper protective system. This will also assist in selecting areas for spoils and direct traffic flow away from the open excavations
• Determine Proper Protective System
  • Bench, Slope, Shore, and Shield are the four main ways to protect workers in an open excavation. The competent person will decide which system will be the most beneficial for the site and also maintain any trench boxes or safety standards for spoils
• Ensure Egress Routes are in Place
  • If excavations are taller than 4ft, an egress route needs to be added. All trenches also require an egress route accessible within 25ft of the work area

 
In Case of Emergency
Your competent person needs to be on the jobsite every day to assist with the job duties and safety inspections, but this doesn’t mean they can be everywhere all the time. For this reason you need to ensure all workers have proper training around open excavations and have the ability and confidence to stop work if something seems wrong. In the event of a cave-in or collapse, make sure everyone knows to dial emergency services immediately.
 
Excavations and trenching operations are paramount to the beginning of a project. Ensuring the safety of those working means you need to make sure your competent person is prepared and has the authority to keep everyone safe at all times. To keep the conversation going, download the Competent Person Toolbox Talk (TBT) or comment below.

NUCA Competent Person TBT