Department of Trade and Industry

CONSTRUCTION MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

SAFETY
ON
EXCAVATION
EXCAVATION

Definition:

An Excavation is any man-made

cut, cavity, trench, or
depression in an earth surface
that is formed by earth
removal.

A Trench is a narrow excavation

(in relation to its length) made
below the surface of the
ground.
General Requirements cont.
 Wear Personal Protective Equipment
 Based on assessed hazards PPE requirements shall be
listed on JHA.

 Emergency Equipment
 Some Examples: SCBA, Lifeline, basket stretcher

 Fire Safety
 As applicable ensure adequate fire fighting protection

 Consider Odors and Air Quality

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EXCAVATION

Workers Protection from Cave-ins

A. Each worker shall be protected from cave-in

except when:

•Excavation are made entirely in stable rock

•Excavations are less than 5 feet (1.52 m)

in depth and examination of the ground by a
competent person provides no indication of
a potential cave-in.
EXCAVATION

Potential Hazards

• Soil Instability (Cave-In)

•Falls

• Falling objects

• Hazardous atmosphere
(confined space)
EXCAVATION

Workers Protection from Cave-ins …cont’n.

Protective systems shall be installed and

have the capacity to resist without failure
all loads that are intended or could
reasonably be expected to be applied or
transmitted to the system.
BENCHING OR MULTIPLE BENCHING
Shield System
Shoring
EXCAVATION

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

WATER ACCUMULATION

•Use of special support or shield systems

approved by a registered professional
engineer.
•Water removal equipment, i.e. well
pointing, used and monitored by a
competent person.
•Safety harnesses and lifelines used in
conformance standards.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration…..

WATER ACCUMULATION…cont’n.

•Surface water diverted away from the

trench.
•Employees removed from the trench
during rainstorms.
•Trenches carefully inspected by a
competent person after each rain and
before employees are permitted to re-enter
the trench.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

ACCESS & EGRESS

•Trenches 4 ft or more in depth should be

provided with a fixed means of egress.

• Spacing between ladders or other means

of egress must be such that a worker will
not have to travel more than 25 ft (7.5m)
laterally to the nearest means of egress.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

ACCESS & EGRESS….cont’n.

•Ladders must be secured and extend a

minimum of 36 in (0.9 m) above the
landing.

• Metal ladders should be used with

caution, particularly when electric utilities
are present.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration…..

SURFACE CROSSING OF TRENCHES

Vehicle crossings must be designed by and

installed under the supervision of a
registered professional engineer.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

SURFACE CROSSING OF TRENCHES…cont’n.

Walkways or bridges must be provided for

foot traffic. These structures shall:
- have a minimum clear width of 20 in
(0.51 m);
- be fitted with standard rails; and
- extend a minimum of 24 in (.61 m)
past the surface edge of the trench.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

EXPOSURE TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC

• Providing employees with and requiring
them to wear warning vests or other
suitable garments marked with or made
of reflectorized or high-visibility
materials.
• Requiring a designated, trained
flagperson along with signs, signals, and
barricades when necessary.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

EXPOSURE TO FALLING LOADS

• Employees are not permitted to work

under raised loads.
• Employees are required to stand away
from equipment that is being loaded or
unloaded.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

EXPOSURE TO FALLING LOADS….cont’n.

• Equipment operators or truck drivers

may stay in their equipment during
loading and unloading if the equipment
is properly equipped with a cab shield or
adequate canopy.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

WARNING SYSTEMS FOR MOBILE

EQUIPMENT

• Barricades must be installed where

necessary.
• Hand or mechanical signals must be used
as required.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

WARNING SYSTEMS FOR MOBILE EQUIPMENT…

• Stop logs must be installed if there is a

danger of vehicles falling into the trench.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

EMERGENCY RESCUE EQUIPMENT

• Respirators must be of the type suitable

for the exposure. Employees must be
trained in their use and a respirator
program must be instituted.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

EMERGENCY RESCUE EQUIPMENT …cont’n.

• Attended (at all times) lifelines must be

provided when employees enter bell-
bottom pier holes, deep confined spaces,
or other similar hazards.

• Employees who enter confined spaces

must be trained.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

COMPETENT PERSON

• Training, experience, and knowledge of:

- soil analysis;
- use of protective systems;
• Ability to detect:
- conditions that could result in cave-Ins;
- failures in protective systems;
- hazardous atmospheres; and
- other hazards including those
associated with confined spaces.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

COMPETENT PERSON …cont’n.

• Authority to take prompt corrective

measures to eliminate existing and
predictable hazards and to stop work
when required.
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

INSPECTION

• Daily and before the start of each shift;

• As dictated by the work being done in
the trench;
• After every rainstorm;
• After other events that could increase
hazards, e.g. snowstorm, windstorm,
thaw, earthquake, etc.;
EXCAVATION

Safety Consideration….

INSPECTION …cont’n.

• When fissures, tension cracks,

sloughing, undercutting, water seepage,
bulging at the bottom, or other similar
conditions occur;
• When there is any indication of change
or movement in adjacent structures.
Safety Consideration….

 Collect information and conduct an

evaluation to determine potential
hazards of the excavation site. This
evaluation should include:
 Determination of what is underground at excavation site,
e.g. Utility lines and or piping (electrical, natural gas,
water, etc)
 Data collected can be found by review of underground
drawings, electromagnetic scanning on the site,
interviews of personnel with long time knowledge of
the facility.
 Excavate all underground utilities by hand using non-
sparking tools.
Safety Consideration….
 Determination made if the site of the excavation has
previously been disturbed as it results in it being unstable.
 If there are already structures on the site or it should
automatically be considered as having being disturbed.
 Review of soil analysis report for the site to determine the
type and properties of the soil in the area.
 Review of the above ground to
determine any potential hazards such as:
Overhead power lines within 4 meters (14
feet) of the excavation site and or
buildings very close to the excavation that
could be impacted by the excavation
work.
Safety Consideration….

Determine if the soil in the site is

contaminated with hydrocarbons are toxic
substances.
 If contamination determined all necessary
safety precautions and conditions required to
safely perform the work must be listed on the
work permit.
For Excavation work that has been
determined to be a medium or high risk a Job
Safety Analysis should be completed.
Safety Consideration….

 Barricading and installation of signs to prevent

personnel from falling in is required.

Warning tape and or cones are not a positive

barrier and so can only be used temporarily (4
hours) until a proper barricade can be erected.
Excavation Dangers
 Cave in of an excavation is a major
concern and must be adequately
addressed.
 Cave in during excavations has resulted
in several deaths due to engulfment of
personnel.

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Excavation Dangers
• Contaminated soil is a
potential danger.
• Gas testing should be
undertaken prior to and
during the excavation to
check for soil contamination.
• If contamination is found
measures must be taken to
address the potential
hazards.

Ignition Source
34
Excavation Dangers
• Personnel must not enter into an excavation if standing
water is present.
• Water must be pumped out if it is contaminated or there is
free product the pump used must be either explosion proof
or air driven.
• If water is contaminated it must be properly contained and
treated.
Excavation Dangers
 There are potential for various flammable or toxic gases to be present in
an excavation, such as:
 Methane
 LPG
 Gasoline vapor
 Carbon Monoxide (CO)
 Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
 Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
 Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

 When flammable or toxic vapors are present special precautions should

be taken to ensure the atmosphere is safe to enter.
 Use of a blower or an eductor to purge the excavations atmosphere and
ensure it is safe to enter may be required.
 Motorized Blowers must be of an explosion proof type.
Access and Egress from Excavation

 Ladders shall be installed in excavation to provide a

means of access and egress.
 Ladders shall be a maximum of 7.5 meters (25 feet)
apart
 Ladders should extend 1 meter (3 feet) or 3 rungs
above the top of the excavation or trench and should
be adequately secured.
 Additional ladders should be installed if more than
one worker will be in the excavation, it is suggested
that for 5 persons two ladders should be installed
and an additional ladder for every additional 5
persons.
EXCAVATION

Safe Distance

1 meter
Minimum

Spoil
EXCAVATION

Safe Distance

1 meter

Materials
EXCAVATION

Safe Distance

1 meter

Equipment
EXCAVATION

Safe Distance

Vehicular
Traffic 1 meter

1/3 D

1 meter

Barricade
D - depth