10/30/22, 11:17 AM Safety Tips For Construction Excavation | Earthworkz Construction, KC

Excavation Safety Tips

There are many different types of excavation, but all of them pose a variety of hazards. Statistics show
that excavation and trenching are among the most dangerous jobs in the construction industry.
Competent excavation contractors always follow Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
trenching and excavation safety guidelines to ensure their workers have safe working conditions.

Common Safety Hazards

OSHA states that cave-ins pose the greatest danger to excavation workers and are more likely to
cause fatalities compared to other safety hazards related to excavating and trenching. However, this
line of work poses many other risks, including:

Falling people, loads and equipment

Rocks and other debris falling on workers
Various hazards from using heavy equipment
Nearby structures collapsing into the excavated area
Damaged underground utilities causing electrocution, gas leaks, explosions or flooding
Hazardous atmospheres, such as oxygen deficiency or combustible or harmful contaminants

Safety Inspections and Checklists

Excavation contractors should perform a pre-work safety inspection before allowing any work to begin
each day. Daily excavation site inspections are easily performed using a safety checklist and help
reduce hazards and the risk of injury. Always check weather conditions, especially impending
rainstorms, and inspect trenches daily prior to beginning work. Use your checklist to check areas
essential to worker and site safety, including surface conditions, access areas, support and warning
systems, utilities, atmosphere within trenches, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other areas
of the jobsite to identify potential problems before they occur.

Surface Safety Tips

Falls into an open trench or debris falling onto workers inside the trench can be avoided with
appropriate surface safety precautions. Earth and rock excavations done near roads, buildings or
other structures put workers at further risk from surface encumbrances, such as utilities, power poles,
concrete from nearby roads or sidewalks, foundation or wall materials from nearby structures,
transformer vaults and geologic anomalies. Make sure all surface encumbrances have been removed
or are supported so as not to endanger workers. Other surface safety tips include making sure:

Bridges and walkways over excavation are equipped with appropriate guardrails
Barriers are placed around all excavations, pits, wells, shafts, etc.
All equipment, spoil and materials are kept at least 2 feet from the excavation edge
All equipment operating near the excavation edge is equipped with a warning system

Support and Protective System Safety

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Support systems include materials and/or equipment and are meant to protect workers throughout an
excavation project. Safety tips to keep in mind regarding these support systems include:

Ensure installed protective systems don’t pose risks of collapses, cave-ins or falling materials or
equipment
Select support system materials and/or equipment based on trench depth, soil analysis and
expected loads
Confirm support system members are securely fastened to prevent system failure
Confirm support systems appropriately stabilize adjacent roadways, structures, etc.
Install a shield system to prevent lateral movement and prohibit employees from remaining in
this system during vertical movement
Ensure protective system materials and/or equipment are regularly inspected and removed from
service if they’re not in good condition
Before putting previously damaged protective system materials and/or equipment back into
service, have a registered professional engineer inspect it
Remove support systems only as backfill progresses

General Worker Safety Tips

Employees and contractors should work together to promote safety on the work site and for everyone
working on the project. Some general safety tips include making sure employees:

Always wear appropriate hard hats

Are trained on PPE and rescue equipment
Wear highly visible clothing and/or warning vests when near vehicular traffic
Use safety harnesses and lifelines when entering deep, confined excavations
Avoid working above others while working on slope faces or benched excavations
Stand away from vehicles during loading and unloading
Never walk beneath suspended loads
Are protected from water accumulation by using appropriate pumping equipment
Are protected from oxygen deficiency and combustible or otherwise harmful contaminants
through atmospheric testing within the excavation
Are provided ventilation to prevent exposure to flammable or hazardous atmospheres
Know the location of all electric, gas and water lines, which should be clearly marked
Closely monitor their surroundings within a trench for hazards, including unstable edges, cave-
ins, rigging hazards, damaged utility lines, standing water, noxious gases, etc.
Never enter a trench, even briefly, without taking all the necessary precautions

Hire a Reputable Excavation Contractor

At Earthworkz, we take safety seriously and do everything to ensure the safety of our workers and the
excavation site. We’re one of the most respected excavation contractors in the Greater Kansas City
area, with a solid reputation for always using appropriate safety measures. Whether you need an
excavator for a small job or an extensive contractor project, you can count on Earthworkz to get the
job done in a safe and efficient manner. This is just one of the many reasons customers continually
choose us over our competitors. Contact us at 816-355-0280 to schedule your excavation
services consultation today.

May 13th, 2020

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