Eliminating Existing and Predictable Excavation Hazards

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.

Excavation safety competent person training is focused on identifying and eliminating hazards to ensure safe work for employees. The authors of Subpart P understood the need to include predictable hazards as well as existing hazards.

Most participants in a competent person class can explain the difference between “existing” and “predictable” hazards. Providing examples of each proves to be more of a challenge for them though.

One way to approach this lies in the concept of the JSA, or Job Safety Analysis, and an understanding of the workflow process. It is critical that we understand the hazards involved in each step of the work process. Knowing next steps can provide a view of predictable hazards.

Here is a list of just a few of the existing and predictable hazards that could be around excavation work. See 1926 Subpart P for a complete list of the safety requirements.

Falling loads

There are so many ways that lifted loads present a dangerous situation. The rule is that no employee is allowed underneath loads because there are so many things that can go wrong. Far too often employees are allowed to be in the excavation underneath lifted loads, and many times workers are guiding the load to its final position. That is why this hazard is number one on my list of predictable hazards.

Adjacent structures

All structures in the adjacent area must be supported to ensure their stability. The adjacent area is generally defined as the area away from the excavation a distance equal to the depth. Anything in this area can be made unstable by the digging operation. The belief that structures will remain in place without support is wishful thinking and presents a predictable hazard. This includes sidewalks, walls, utility poles, sign bases and similar things.

Exposure to vehicular traffic

Employees exposed to public, or construction traffic are in a vulnerable position. All precautions to protect these employees must be taken, including traffic control and making sure workers are wearing appropriate safety vests to increase their visibility.

Existing utilities

Locating underground installations prior to excavating can be tricky and always presents challenges. Failure to follow protocol can lead to disaster, but some employees are not adequately trained in these important procedures.

Mobile equipment operating near excavations

Make sure that equipment operations around excavations is done safely, and operators do not grow complacent over time. Regular safety reminders and good communication is critical.

Egress?

A means of egress must be located within 25 feet of employees working in trench excavations. Also, for a variety of reasons, ladders are sometimes incorrectly positioned in an unprotected part of the excavation, for example outside of the trench shield. This sometimes happens because the ladder is in the way and is temporarily moved, but this is dangerous.

Hazardous atmospheres

So often excavation work involves employees also working in spaces such as manholes, pipes, or vaults. Make certain that every employee understands the dangers of entering those kinds of spaces. Have a policy in place that prevents any entry into these types of spaces until a competent person has conducted all testing and has made sure that entry is safe.

Cave ins

Any amount of soil or rock material that can fall or flow into an excavation in sufficient quantity that it entraps, buries, injures or immobilizes an employee is a predictable hazard and must not be allowed.

The reason a cave in is a predictable hazard is because the force of gravity is stronger than the strength of soil and/or unstable rock. That means that a cave-in is an inevitable event, and we must not allow anyone to be subjected to that danger.

All soils will cave in. That means Type A, Type B, and Type C soils will all collapse, regardless of how strong they may appear. It is a predictable hazard. Always make sure an adequate protective system is in place to prevent employee exposure to these cave-ins. That usually means sloping, shoring, or using a trench shield.

To recap

This list is only a few of the predictable hazards involved in excavation work. Make sure your employees are adequately trained in hazard recognition and safe work practices. Some of the important classes include Excavation Safety Competent Person, Confined Space Entry, OSHA 10 hour for Construction, Traffic Control including Flagger Training.

For more information on excavation safety, I invite you to go to www.trenchandexcavationsafety.com

There you will find a practical and very affordable guide into the world of excavation safety. This is a must for any competent person, safety professional, engineer, compliance officer, as well as OSHA 10- and 30-hour instructors.

Thank you

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