Safety Tip of the Day!!!!

Safety Tip of the Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dangers of Trenching and Excavation

Cave-ins pose the greatest risk and are much more likely than other excavation-related accidents to result in worker fatalities.  Other potential hazards include falls, falling loads, hazardous atmospheres, and incidents involving mobile equipment. One cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a car. An unprotected trench is an early grave. Do not enter an unprotected trench.

 

Trench Safety Measures

Trenches 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep or greater require a protective system unless the excavation is made entirely in stable rock. If less than 5 feet deep, a competent person may determine that a protective system is not required.

Trenches 20 feet (6.1 meters) deep or greater require that the protective system be designed by a registered  professional engineer or be based on tabulated  data prepared and/or approved  by a registered  professional engineer in accordance with 1926.652(b) and (c).

 

Competent Person

OSHA standards require that employers inspect trenches daily and as conditions change by a competent person before worker entry to ensure elimination of excavation hazards. A competent person is an individual who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards or working conditions that are hazardous, unsanitary, or dangerous to workers, soil types and protective systems required,  and who is authorized  to take prompt corrective  measures to eliminate these hazards and conditions.

 

General Trenching and Excavation Rules

 

• Keep heavy equipment away from trench edges.

• Identify other sources that might affect trench stability.

• Keep excavated soil (spoils) and other materials at least 2 feet (0.6 meters) from trench edges.

• Know where underground utilities are located before digging.

• Test for atmospheric hazards such as low oxygen, hazardous fumes and toxic gases when > 4 feet deep.

• Inspect trenches at the start of each shift.

• Inspect trenches following a rainstorm or other water intrusion.

• Do not work under suspended or raised loads and materials.

• Inspect trenches after any occurrence that could have changed conditions in the trench.

• Ensure that personnel wear high visibility or other suitable clothing when exposed to vehicular traffic.