Trenches & Excavations Safety
Excavations
Excavations are defined to include trenches. The
definition of an excavation is a man-made cut,
cavity, or depression in the earth’s surface
(including open-face excavations). More details on trenches below.
Trench
Trench excavation means a narrow excavation (in
relation to its length) made below the surface of the
ground. In general, the depth is greater than the
width, but the width of a trench (measured at the bottom) is not greater than
15 feet.
General requirements
Before excavation begins, locate and identify utility
services such as electrical gas, steam, water, and
sewer in the area. Get the approvals from the respective stake holders.
Pointed tools cannot be used to probe for underground
gas and electrical services.
Underground Installations
Determine the estimated locations & use advanced tools
Contact the utility or owner and inform
Proceed cautiously
Find the exact location
Support, protect, or appropriately remove the
installation in open excavations
Access and Egress
A safe means of entering and leaving excavations must be provided for employees.
A stairway, ladder, ramp, or other means of egress
must be located in trench excavations
which are:
- 4ft or more
in depth,
- require no more than 25 ft of lateral travel.
Exposure To Vehicular Traffic
Employees must be provided and wear warning vests or other suitable garments marked with or made of reflectrorized or high visibility material.
Adequate illumination to be ensured in night.
Warning System for Mobile Equipment
A warning system must be utilized when mobile equipment
is operated adjacent to an excavation, or when such equipment is required to approach
the edge of an excavation, and the operator does not have clear and direct view
of the edge. Barricades, hand or mechanical signals, or stop logs can be used.
Trenches & Excavations Safety
Exposure To Falling Loads
Employees are not allowed under loads handled by lifting or digging equipment.
Workers must either stand away or otherwise be
protected from any vehicle being loaded or unloaded to avoid spilling or
falling material.
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATION / CASE STUDY
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