By Samantha Harsh, MS, GSP, CHST – Health & Safety Consultant
Excavation and trenching are essential construction industry activities; however, they pose numerous safety hazards and risks. In 2024, OSHA recorded 12 fatalities linked to excavating activities and issued 629 OSHA citations to employers for excavation safety regulation violations. Raising employee awareness about excavation and trenching safety measures is vital to making sure all workers return home safely at the end of each workday.
Understanding the Hazards
Excavation and trenching can involve serious hazards, including:
- Equipment accidents
- Cave-ins
- Falls
- Hazardous atmospheres.
Insufficient shoring, incorrect bank slopes, inadequate soil condition assessments, substandard shoring materials, adjacent loads, vibrations, and adverse weather conditions can all contribute to cave-ins. OSHA regulation 20 CFR 1926 Subpart P for excavations outlines the requirements for implementing protective systems, atmospheric testing, inspections, and designating a competent person.
A designated competent person is responsible for recognizing potential hazards associated with trenching and excavation activities and has the authority to implement corrective actions to protect all workers involved. While experience is beneficial, adequate training is essential to understand regulatory requirements comprehensively. A competent person is responsible for the following tasks:
- Examining excavations for signs of potential cave-ins, failures in protective systems, and other dangerous conditions.
- Overseeing water removal equipment operation and efficiency.
- Conducting visual and manual soil assessments to determine soil type. This assessment must be performed before excavation starts and following any event that may increase hazards.
- Evaluating and classifying soils using one visual and one manual analysis.
- Making sure the correct protective system is used, such as sloping, benching, shoring, or trench boxes
- Assessing the necessary excavation slope to prevent collapses due to loads from stored materials, equipment in operation, nearby structures, or vehicular traffic, and making sure the correct slope is established.
- Authorizing immediate personnel evacuation from hazardous areas with signs of potential cave-ins, failures in protective systems, unsafe atmospheres, or other perilous conditions.
Utility Location
Identifying utility locations before starting excavation activities is crucial. To prevent damage to underground lines, contact 811 or a designated utility location service before digging. Despite having utilities marked by calling 811, safety best practices recommend initially exposing the soil through non-mechanical means such as hand digging or hydro excavation techniques.
Excavation activities must maintain the safety of underground installations and the workers involved in the operation. Existing utilities should be safeguarded using barricades, shoring, suspension, or other appropriate methods to protect employees.
Although excavation and trenching work is inherently dangerous, we can minimize the risks by following proper safety protocols. Ultimately, safety is everyone’s responsibility. If you see something unsafe, speak up!
Additional Offerings
RETTEW’s team of safety professionals has expertise in work location and job site dangers for a wide client base, including private industry, contractors, municipalities, and other consultants. Our in-house staff and partners, including Certified Safety Professionals, Construction Health and Safety Technicians, Certified Industrial Hygienists, and Certified Ergonomics Compliance Directors, assist our clients with construction, commercial, and industrial workplace safety concerns. Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive safety services.
