Excavation Competent Person & Safety Training

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Cisco Sarmiento Phoenix Division 602-253-3311
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OSHA Subpart P Excavations
Applies to all open excavations including
trenches, pits, shafts, and other cuts made in
the earths surface. It does not matter if an
excavation is created with an excavator, backhoe,
dozer, drill, trencher, shovel, etc. If
excavating you MUST have a competent person in
excavation safety
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Definition Cave-in
Separation of a mass of soil or rock from the
side of an excavation.
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Weight of Soil
One cubic foot (12x 12x 12) weighs between 90
to 140 pounds. One cubic yard (36x 36x 36)
weighs as much as a small pickup truck.
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ONE CUBIC FT.
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Competent Person

• Means 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 authorization to take prompt corrective
  measure to eliminate them.

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Competent PersonAs applied to
excavations the CP must

• Be knowledgeable about the excavations standard
• Be capable of identifying hazards
• Have the authority to take immediate action
• Know how to classify soil type
• Know how to select and use shoring, shields,
  and/or sloping

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Inspections Worker Exposure
Excavations, adjacent areas, and protective
systems must be inspected by a competent person

• Daily prior to work
• As needed during work
• After rainstorm or other hazard increasing
  occurrence
• Where hazards are identified corrective action
  must be implemented.
• Always document inspections.

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Soil Classification
The competent person must make at least one
visual and one manual soil test as a basis for
soil classification.
Unless the soil is considered to be 'Type C' and
treated as a 'C'
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Every employee working in a trench or excavation
over 5 feet deep must be protected from a cave-in
by a protective system

• Sloping or Benching walls
• Shoring to support walls
• Shields to protect occupants
  inside when walls cave-in

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Sloping and Benching

• When sloping or benching refer to the standard
• Type A Soil ¾ 1
• Type B Soil 1 1
• Type C Soil 1 ½ 1
• Type C Soil can not be benched

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Do you know the Soil Type?
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Hydraulic Shoring

• Read tabulated data for each installation
• Spacing between shores changes based on widths
  and depths of trench
• No more than four feet from bottom cylinder to
  bottom of trench or 2 from bottom of board to
  bottom of trench
• Some Tabulated Data Sheets State that a complete
  system is working between 2 pressurized shores.
  BE CAREFULL

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Horizontal Spacing
Figure No. 1 Vertical Aluminum Hydraulic
Shoring (Spot Bracing)
Vertical Rail
18 Max.
Vertical Spacing
Hydraulic Cylinder
4 Max. Clyn OR
2 Max. Board
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Trench Boxes

• Can be lifted 2 up from the bottom of trench as
  long as the box is rated for entire depth of
  trench.
• Trench box must extend 18 above a slope
• Must be installed to prevent lateral movement in
  the box
• Used to the rated Depth!
• Never inside the box when being moved vertically

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Tabulated data must be available at the jobsite
during construction, setup, and removal of
protective systems
Serial of shield
Model of shield
Soil type
Max. depth
Limitations
Soil description
Must be certified by RPE
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When the excavation walls at the ends of the
trench shield are not sloped they must be
shielded as suggested by the manufacturer.
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Too many times the trench is not protected
correctly.
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Access and EgressIn trenches 4 or more in
depth there must be at least one safe way to get
in and out of excavations within 25 feet of each
worker.
Less than 25 ft.
Less than 25 ft.
gt4'
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Ladders must extend 36 inches above the point of
access.
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How many ladders?

• ?------------------ 100 ----------------------
  ?

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Exposed Trench
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Spoil Pile
Spoil pile
MIN.
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Spoil piles, materials, and equipment must be set
back at least 2 feet from the edge of the
excavation.
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Underground Installations

• Must be located prior to digging
• Determine the utilities exact location by hand
  digging or vacuum excavating only!
• Support, protect, or remove utilities in open
  excavations
• Contact utility company or facility owner if help

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Water Cave-in Hazard
These workers must be protected from cave-in.
Note the water in the bottom of the trench. This
is a very hazardous condition!
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Hazardous Atmospheres

• Trenches over
• 4 Deep can
• be considered
• a confined space
• if hazardous
• atmosphere is
• present!

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Surface Utilities
Must be removed or supported
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Workers must be provided with and wear warning
vests or highly visible clothing when exposed to
traffic.
Exposure To Vehicle Traffic
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Subpart P - Excavations (1926.650 - 652)
Employee protection in excavations - Protective
system use
Egress from trench
Inspections by competent person
Protection from falling/rolling materials
Competent person inspection - Employees removed
from hazard
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Remember!

• Workers must be protected at all times
• Excavations 5 feet or more in depth must be
  sloped, shored, or shielded
• Excavations less than 5 feet deep must be
  evaluated by the competent person
• Read tabulated data on your shoring systems
• Access and egress for all employees in trench 4
  or more in depth
• Have a Competent Person on site!
• Get trained today protect your company and your
  employees!
• Classes held by TUCA, ACT, ABA

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Hopefully this wont be you when OSHA asks who
the Competent Person is?
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NATIONAL UTILITY CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

• TRAINING
• AVAILABLE THROUGH
• N.U.C.A.
• National Utility Contractors
• Association of Arizona
• [phone]