Cave-ins that can trap or crush workers inside pose the highest risk for excavation workers.
Equipment or excavation soil falls on workers; when heavy equipment is placed close to the excavation, soil and debris are not removed after excavation. A cubic yard of dirt can weigh more than 3,000 pounds (1.5 tons), and soil can move surprisingly quickly, burying an adult in a matter of seconds.
Workers accidentally falling into the excavation is another risk that can be mitigated by deploying emergency equipment ladders, steps, or ramps so workers can safely exit the excavation.
Flooding or water accumulation can make it difficult for workers to get out. If an excavation has water in it or is actively taking on water, no workers can enter the excavation until the appropriate measures are taken.
When excavation is deeper than four feet, there is a high probability of exposure to hazardous gasses, dust, contaminants, or lack of oxygen. Control measures should be implemented, and testing should be conducted as needed to ensure the trench is safe for workers.
Contact with buried service lines, like sewage, and electrical lines, can be dangerous.
Proper maintenance and employing well-experienced machine operators will reduce the risk of equipment accidents. For vehicle and machine operators, vehicle warning strobes are needed to warn approaching traffic. Pylons, barrels, buffer zones, and safety spotters should also be deployed.
Before beginning any work, the employer or supervisor must take the necessary precautions to identify all potential hazards and risks. It's important to mandate certain safety procedures to protect all people working on the construction site and the people living around it.
Certain activities or safety procedures at a construction site require a competent person's design, inspection, or supervision. The OSHA Construction Standard defines a competent person as someone who is:
Capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings,
Working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and
Who has the authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them?
Excavation work is dependent on these specialized employees because its highly technical nature, as well as its inherent hazards, require a greater level of training and experience than a normal worker would possess.
Here are a few scenarios during excavation activities where a competent person is necessary;
Inspecting protective systems or equipment
Monitor water removal equipment and operations.
Inspect excavations subject to runoff from heavy rains to determine the need for diversion ditches, dikes, or other suitable protection.
Determine cave-in potential to assess the need for shoring or other protective systems.
Examine damaged material or equipment used for protective systems to determine its suitability for continued use.
Classify soil and rock deposits by visual analysis and testing to determine appropriate protection; re-classifying, if necessary, based on changing conditions.
Determine the appropriate slope of an excavation to prevent collapse due to surcharge loads from stored material or equipment, operating equipment, adjacent structures, or traffic and ensure such slope is achieved.
Inspecting Trench and Protective Systems
Authorizing immediate removal of employees from the hazardous area where evidence of possible cave-in, failure of protective systems, hazardous atmospheres, or other hazardous conditions exists.
Unsafe Access/Egress
A competent person qualified in structural design must design structural ramps used by employees as a means of access or egress.
The best way to enforce such precautions is by becoming an excavation-competent person.
The excavation Competent Person Training program is an advanced training program designed to educate supervisor-level workers to become competent enough to inspect, identify and mitigate hazards at a construction site.
According to OSHA, a competent person is knowledgeable in identifying workplace hazards relating to a specific operation and has the authority to mitigate them. The OSHA-certified training is a one-day program that provides the knowledge, ability, and authority to take required actions to mitigate hazards.
The one-day OSHA-certified training covers the following:
Introduction to Competent Person Excavations
Competent person responsibilities
Identify existing and potential hazards in the surroundings
working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees.
students will receive the training required to become a competent person who will support compliance with OSHA regulations on the site
Certification issued upon successful completion.
View our training calendar or call today for registration information.
