Excavation & Trenching Safety

Per OSHA, Employees must be protected from loads or objects falling from lifting or digging equipment. Procedures designed to ensure their protection include: Employees are not permitted to work under raised loads. Employees are required to stand away from equipment that is being loaded or unloaded. Equipment operators or truck drivers may stay in their […]

Per OSHA, Surface crossing of trenches should be discouraged; however, if trenches must be crossed, such crossings are permitted only under the following conditions: Vehicle crossings must be designed by and installed under the supervision of a registered professional engineer. Walkways or bridges must be provided for foot traffic. These structures shall: have a safety […]

A number of stresses and deformations can occur in an open cut or trench. For example, increases or decreases in moisture content can adversely affect the stability of a trench or excavation. Below are some of the more frequently identified causes of trench failure (per OSHA’s soil mechanics). Tension Cracks Tension cracks usually form at […]

Per OSHA, A visual test is a qualitative evaluation of conditions around the site. In a visual test, the entire excavation site is observed, including the soil adjacent to the site and the soil being excavated. If the soil remains in clumps, it is cohesive; if it appears to be coarse-grained sand or gravel, it […]

What is Maximum Allowable Slope? Per OSHA, Maximum allowable slope means the steepest incline of an excavation face that is acceptable for the most favorable site conditions as protection against cave-ins, and is expressed as the ratio of horizontal distance to vertical rise (H:V). [Source] Of note: Maximum Allowable Slope is a term that has […]

Trench collapses, or cave-ins, pose the greatest risk to workers’ lives. When done safely, trenching operations can reduce worker exposure to other potential hazards include falls, falling loads, hazardous atmospheres, and incidents involving mobile equipment. Trenches 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep or greater Trenches 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep or greater require a protective system […]