Excavations OSHA Competent

Person Course 4

Hazards of Excavations 2
Legal Stuff

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Protection of the Public

Barricades, walkways, lighting and signs are used to

protect the public during excavation work.

Guardrails, fences, or barricades shall be used at excavations

next to walkways or driveways used by pedestrians or
vehicles. Warning lights and area lighting shall be used from
sunset to sunrise as needed to protect the public and
employees.

All excavations should be backfilled as soon as

possible.

Walkways or bridges with guardrails shall be used

where the general public is permitted to cross
over excavations.
1926.651(i)(3)
Sidewalks,
pavements, and
appurtenant
structure shall not
be undermined
unless a support
system or another
method of
protection is
provided to protect
employees from
the possible
collapse of such
structures.
Protecting The Public
• Or a combination of
signs, barriers, lights,
markers, flags or
sentries may be
necessary to provide
adequate protection for
the public and
employees. These
safety devices must be
properly maintained
until the excavation is
completed or when
there is no longer any
danger.
Protecting The Public

• Excavations carried out

at any place to which
the public have or might
gain access must be
guarded to avoid danger
to people. A fence 3 feet
high must be installed.
Protecting The Public

• If an excavation is likely to
collect or retain water of such a
depth as will constitute a
drowning hazard to children, or
persons, the excavation must be
covered or fenced off during
times when employees are not
present.
 Sources of Vibration

• Traffic
• Railroad Operations
• Heavy Equipment
Operations
• Jack hammer’s
• Tamping compacting
operations
Sources of Vibration

• Pile driving
• Gangster car stereos that make you want to
pull out your hair and … oh…never mind…
Vibration

• Particular care needs to be taken while backfilling

and compacting trenches. The vibration from the
compactors can loosen soil from the trench sides
and cause collapse.
Vibration

• A plumbing company employee

and an independent backhoe
operator were making a sewer
line connection in a 13-foot deep
trench when a portion of the
trench wall caved in, burying the
employee. The backhoe
operator was buried up to his
chest in the trench.
Vibration
The weight and
vibrations of
the crane make
this a very
hazardous
condition.
They shall not
be working
under this
crane.
Surcharges

• Surcharges on the
edge of excavation
• Spoil Pile
• Vehicles or equipment
Surcharges

• Mechanical plant, vehicles, storage of materials or any heavy

loads should be prevented from approaching within or
encroaching on the zone of influence of an excavation unless
the support system has been specifically designed for such
loads.
You Can Work in A Water Filled
Excavation If:
1926.651(h)(1)Employees shall not work in
excavations in which there is accumulated water,
or in excavations in which water is accumulating,
unless adequate precautions have been taken to
protect employees against the hazards posed by
water accumulation. The precautions necessary to
protect employees adequately vary with each
situation, but could include special support or
shield systems to protect from cave-ins, water
removal to control the level of accumulating water,
or use of a safety harness and lifeline.

Life Vest!
Water

• Rain, melting snow, high

water table, overflow from
streams or drainage.

Boiling is evidenced by an upward

water flow into the bottom of the cut.
A high water table is one of
the causes of boiling. Boiling
produces a “quick” condition in the
bottom of the cut and can occur even
when shoring or trench boxes are
used.
Water

• The natural water table in sandy

soils and soft clay are highly
susceptible to heaving.
• Heaving is the seepage of water
at the bottom of the trench
causing the soil to be pushed
upward.
• This heaving is a signal that a
failure may occur.
Water

• Water or hydrostatic
pressure weights more than
soil and can cause system
failure.
Water

• A struck water line can

release large amounts of
water washing out the
support systems.
• Erosion of and around
protective systems can
cause them to fail.
• Flash flooding – drown the
worker.
Water Pressure Can Kill

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. -- A Denver Water

employee was killed overnight when a valve in
the high-pressure water main he was working on
ruptured, sending a crushing stream of water
toward him. After the accident, Shawn Patilla,
35, of Denver was trapped in the trench and his
LOTO SOMEBODY
co-workers needed help to get him out.

The Arapahoe County Coroner's Office said an

autopsy determined that Patilla died from head
and neck injuries as a result of being hit by the
water at a pressure of 90 pounds per square inch.
"The transmission and distribution crew was
disconnecting from a 24-inch water main and
reconnecting service to a new 8-inch line when
the valve in the 24-inch line blew out," said Craig
Austin, with Denver Water.
Water is Hazardous

• Hazard:
Employees working in
excavation, filling with
water, without a
protective system and
precautions from hazard
of water.
Employer should install
trench box and
appropriate system to
remove water.
 Water is Hazardous

When water is
present in an
excavation it is
extremely
hazardous to
enter.
Note that these workers are
not wearing hardhats to
protect them from materials
falling into the trench
Georgia Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
Water
The action of water in excavations
can cause undermining and cave-ins.
Standing water at the bottom of the
trench absorbs upward and saturates
the trench sidewalls. The trench wall
will slough off when there’s too much
saturation.

Water (i.e. rain) can also fill surface

cracks at the edge of the trench
leading to wedge failure.
 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!
Frozen Water

• Freezing usually indicates a rather stable ground

condition, unless you dig below the frost line.
• If you excavate or shore frozen ground, be aware
that another potential problem exists—thawing. A
sudden thaw can be as dangerous as a rainstorm.
Lack Of Water

Drying of soil

As moisture content decreases due to

evaporation, some dry soils lose their ability
to stick together.

Usually results in large chunks of earth

breaking free and rolling into the excavation.
Controlling Rain and Moisture

• Placing plastic over the

walls of a trench can help
hold in moisture.
• Can shield the walls from
rain.
• But make the sheeting clear
so the competent person
can conduct their
inspections.
Controlling Water
• Subsurface drains, well pointing, or
sump pumping should be installed to
cut off, remove, or intercept
groundwater and channel it away
from the site if this is a hazard.
• 1926.651(h)(2)
• If water is controlled or prevented
from accumulating by the use of
water removal equipment, the water
removal equipment and operations
shall be monitored by a competent
person to ensure proper operation.
Controlling Water

• The well-point system.

Located on a line 2 or 3
feet, or further, behind the
sheeting, well-points are
inserted to the depth that
exceeds that of the
excavation.
Controlling Water

• The well-point system will have a

capacity sufficient to remove any
inflow of water as quickly as it
occurs.
• The depth limit of this method’s
is approximately 15–20 feet,
• Greater water removal can be
achieved by installing more well-
points.
Controlling Water
 Excavation
Electrical Safety
Electrical Cords Used in Excavations

• Must be grounded
• GFCI Protected
• Assured Grounding Program
• Continuous inspection of cords
for damage.

• TELL THE STORY

ABOUT BILLY BOB
Wimpy Cords

1926.405(a)(2)(ii)(J)

Extension cord sets used with portable electric tools and appliances
shall be of three-wire type and shall be designed for hard or extra-hard
usage. Flexible cords used with temporary and portable lights shall be
designed for hard or extra-hard usage.

NOTE: The National Electrical Code,

ANSI/NFPA 70, in Article 400, Table
400-4, lists various types of flexible
cords, some of which are noted as
being designed for hard or extra-hard
usage. Examples of these types of
flexible cords include hard service
cord (types S, ST, SO, STO) and
junior hard service cord (types SJ,
SJO, SJT, SJTO).
Control – Use the Correct Wire
3-7.5.1
Flexible
cords and
SEOO
cables SEO,
,
SJTO, SJTOO, G-GC, PPE,

Types SE, SJ, SJT, SO, G, and W

S SCT, SJE, SJO, SOO, STOO

SC SCE, SJEO SJEOO, ST, STO,

 Control – Use the Correct Wire
Flexible cables shall be durably marked on the surface at intervals not exceeding
24 in. (610 mm) with the type designation, size, and number of conductors.

Must be 3-wire type and designed for hard or extra-hard use

GFCI and Generators

Many
generators
do not
have a
GFCI.
GFCI and Generators

A
portable
GFCI
will
need to
be
used.