Florida
Safety Training, Inc.
South
Florida's DOT and
OSHA
compliance training for the
Engineering,
Construction, and
Utility Industries
9507 NW 73 Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33321
Voice
954-854-9923
Message or Fax 954-721-7638
patrick.joyce@comcast.net
Excavation and Trenching Safety
(Normally 7:30am to 4:30pm or the equivalent)
Training Course Content
General
- Definition of a “Competent Person”
- Soils Analysis
- Use of Protective Systems
- Requirements of the Standard
- Definitions used in the Standard
- Sloping
- Shoring
- Shielding
- Cross Braces
- Uprights/Verticals
- Wales
- Sheeting
- Underpinning
- Stable Rock
- Registered Professional Engineer (RPE)
Soils Analysis
- Weight of soil per cubic foot, per cubic yard
- Examination of physical forces on the body in a cave-in
- Composition of Soil
- Relative sizes of particles
- Air/Water gaps
- Capillarity of water in soils
- Soil Types A, B, C
- Comparison of characteristics of each type of soil
- Measures used to classify
- Soil Tests to determine Type
- Tests Required to classify
- Visual Tests
- Manual Tests
- Visual Tests
- Cohesiveness
- Fissured Soil
- Granularity
- Saturation
- Manual Tests
- Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS)
- Pocket Penetrometer
- Shear Vane
- Thumb Penetration Test
- Sedimentation Test
- Saturation Test
- Cohesiveness Test
- Drying Test
- Classification of Soil based on Tests
Use of Protective Systems
Consideration of operational space, depth of facilities, time constraints, availability of materials and equipment, and other environmental factors in choosing the appropriate protective system for the job location
- Sloping
- Type A, B, & C diagrams
- Example of a constructed sloped side excavation
- Discussion of when a sloping system is practical,
and
limitations restricting the use of a sloping system - Timber Shoring
- Mixed Oak or the equivalent (850 psi)
- Type A, B, & C charts
- Douglas Fir or the equivalent (1500 psi)
- Type A, B, & C charts
- Example of a constructed timber shoring system
- Discussion of when a timber shoring system is practical, and limitations restricting the use of a timber shoring system
- Aluminum Hydraulic Shoring
- Vertical Shores
- Type A & B charts
- Wale Shores
- Type B & C charts
- Use of Wale Shoring Systems
- Other Shoring
- Screw Jacks
- Shield Systems
- Definition and Common Uses
- Types of Shields
- Installation and Removal Procedures
- Discussion of use of a shield system is most practical
Other Requirements of the Standard
- Determining locations of underground facilities near the excavation
- Use of appropriate traffic controls and PPE
- Monitoring atmosphere in an excavation
- When rescue equipment is required
- Access and egress of employees
- Construction of ramps
- For equipment
- For personnel
- Surface crossing of an excavation
- Diversion of surface waters
- Dewatering operations monitored by the competent person
- Inspections by the competent person
- Protection of the excavation
- Protection of employees by falling soil, rock, or other materials
- Control of operating equipment near the excavation
- Support of structures near the excavation
OSHA's
"Competent Person" Standard
29 CFR, Part 1926.652
OSHA requires that a "Competent Person" inspect every excavation and determine that conditions in the excavation are safe before personnel are allowed to enter the excavation.
The term "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 authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
This course presents all of the OSHA requirements in the regulation and explains the reasons behind each. The slide presentation is filled with hundreds of diagrams, photos, and illustrations, so that the student may gain a thorough understanding and be able to perform the practical application of the methods and procedures to real world excavations.