EXCAVATIONS

copyright 1999 Sierra Safetyworks 1

 Definition
Excavation Vs. Trench
 A trench is defined as a narrow excavation
made below the surface of the ground. The
depth is normally greater than the width with
the width at the bottom of the trench being no
wider than 15’
 An excavation is defined as any man-made
cavity, trench, or depression in the earth
surface formed by earth removal
 Therefore, it can be assumed that all
trenches are excavations, but not all
excavations are trenches 2
 PREPARATION :
 01:Before opening an excavation , the
supervisor in charge determines to the
extend possible whether underground
installations, such a sewer ,water fuel,…
etc or plan product lines will be
encountered if so ,the approximate
locations are marked and employees
involved in the work operation are
advised of the underground installations
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 PREPARATION
 02.When the excavation work
approaches the approximate crossing or
parallel location of un underground
installations and danger of accidental
contact or disturbance is possible , the
exact location will be determined
appropriate means before
proceeding,when is uncovered
adequate protection will be provided for
the existing installation
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 PREPARATION
 04. Trees ,boulders ,poles and other surface
encumbrance that may create a hazard to
employees involved in excavation work are
removed or made safe before excavating
begins .
 Exposure :Examination by a competent person
is made to determine that no recognizable
conditions exist that would expose employees
to injury from possible moving ground before
work is permitted in or adjacent to
excavation .
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Do You See Safe Work Practices in Place
Here?

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Do You See Safe Work Practices in Place
Here?

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Do You See Safe Work Practices in Place
Here?

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Are These Good or Bad Examples of Excavation
Safety?

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Are These Good or Bad Examples of
Excavation Safety?

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Are These Good or Bad Examples of
Excavation Safety?

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Are These Good or Bad Examples of Excavation
Safety?

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 Scope, Application & Definition
“Competent Person”
 The single most important definition
contained in this Subpart is that of
“Competent Person”
 A competent person is defined 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 the authority to take prompt
corrective measures to eliminate them 13
What Makes you an Excavation
Competent Person?

You MUST have specific

training in and be
knowledgeable about:
 Soil Typing & analysis
 The different kinds of
protective systems &
their proper use
 Hazard recognition
 When a registered P.E. is
required 14
What Makes you an Excavation
Competent Person?

AND HAVE AUTHORITY

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Did The Competent Person Do Their Job
Here?

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Did The Competent Person Do Their Job
Here?

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Did The Competent Person Do Their Job
Here?

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Did The Competent Person Do Their Job
Here?

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 General Requirements
 Surface encumbrances must be supported or
removed if they pose a hazard to workers
 All underground utilities or other similar type
installations must be located prior to any
excavation beginning. Those same may need
to be supported, removed or protected

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General Requirements
 Proper access and egress must be always
available to workers
 Ramps & runways
 Stairways & ladders
 Required 4’ or deeper
 Maximum of 25’ lateral travel by worker to reach
 Workers exposed to vehicular traffic must
wear DOT type vests or equal

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Are These Good or Bad Examples
of Access & Supporting Utilities?

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Are These Good or Bad Examples
of Access & Supporting Utilities?

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Examples of Barrier Protection Around the
Excavation Perimeter

 Barricades or equivalent around excavations to

keep employees from falling in
 Similar measures to be taken to keep vehicles
or equipment from going into excavation 24
 General Requirements

 Workers cannot be underneath any load

handled by digging or lifting equipment
 Warning systems must warn equipment
operators of excavations (I.e. barricades, etc)
 Excavations must be checked for possible
hazardous atmospheres

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 General Requirements
 Workers must not work in excavations
that contain water
 Any structure adjacent to an excavation
must be properly supported to prevent
collapse
 Workers must be protected from loose
materials or soil going into the
excavation

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Good or Bad Examples?

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Good or Bad Examples?

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Good or Bad Examples?

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Good or Bad Examples?

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General Requirements
 All excavations & any
protective equipment
used in same must be
inspected on a daily
basis by a competent
person & must occur
prior to any starting
 Walkways equipped
with guardrails must be
provided where workers
or equipment cross over
excavations 31
 Requirements for Protective
Systems
 Any worker in an excavation shall be
protected from cave-ins by an adequate
protective system except when:
 Excavation made entirely in stable rock
 Excavation less than 5’ deep & inspection by
competent person reveals no cave-in hazard
 All protective systems to have capacity to
resist without failure all loads that are
intended or reasonably could be expected
to be applied or transmitted to the
protective system 32
Are Proper Precautions Being Taken in
These Examples?

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Are Proper Precautions Being Taken in
These Examples?

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Are Proper Precautions Being Taken in
These Examples?

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 A Good Example of an Engineered
Shoring Plan

 Conventional sloping wouldn’t work because of

adjacent buildings & road that had to remain open
 Existing utilities were located and supported
 P.E. shoring plan followed exactly 36
 Requirements
Classification of soil & rock deposits
 All rock & soil deposits must be classified
by a competent person as either stable
rock, type A, type B, or type C
 These classifications must be made on the
basis of at least 1 visual & 1 manual test
Visual Tests Manual Tests
Particle size Pocket penetrometer
spalling & fissures roll test(cohesiveness)
water presence sedimentation test 37
Soil Classification
Type A Soil
 Cohesive soil with an
 Clay, silty clay, cemented
soils (non-granular)
 Cannot be Type A if:
 Unstable dry rock
 Previously disturbed soil
 Is fissured
 Subject to vibration
 layered with slope > 4/1

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Soil Classification
Type B Soil
 Cohesive soil with an
unconfined compressive
strength of 1000-3000#
per square foot
 Granular cohesionless
soils: silt, silt loam, sandy
loam
 Can be Type B soil if:
 Unstable dry rock
 Type A fissured or subject
to vibration
 Layered with slope <394/1
Soil Classification
Type C Soil
 Cohesive soil with an
unconfined compressive
strength of < 1000 # per
square foot
 Granular soils including
gravel, sand & loamy sand
 Must be Type C soil if:
 Submerged soil or soil from
which water is weeping
 Unstable submerged rock
 Any previously disturbed soil
(previously excavated)40
Would You Work in These
Trench Boxes?

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Would You Work in These
Trench Boxes?

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Would You Work in These
Trench Boxes?

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Good and Bad Examples of Trench
and Excavation Protection

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Good and Bad Examples of Trench
and Excavation Protection

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Good and Bad Examples of Trench
and Excavation Protection

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Good and Bad Examples of Trench
and Excavation Protection

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 An Excellent Example of all Facets of
Excavation Safety

 Good example of shoring /lagging

 Good guardrail system around upper perimeter
 Good impalement protection at lower grade 48