Excavation and Trenching Safety Program Hazard Assessment Excavation and trenching work presents serious hazards to all workers involved. These trenches or open pits should have an adequate number of exit ladders, daily safety inspections, and should include safety engineering such as proper shoring and sloping. 3 0 obj Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Although most of us quickly move away from the hazardous environments created during emergency situations, a group of dedicated and well-trained professional emergency responders and medical service personnel are tasked with containing and mitigating these incidents, rescuing individuals at-risk, and providing medical assistance to the injured. Ensure, if required, that the design of a protective system has been completed and approved by a registered professional engineer before work begins in an excavation. An excavation safety plan is required in written form. 0000239073 00000 n Dallas, TX 75254 Surface encumbrances. 1926.651 - Specific Excavation Requirements. | Occupational Safety and Structural ramps that are used solely by employees as a means of access or egress from excavations shall be designed by a competent person. Inspections shall also be made after every rainstorm or other hazard-increasing occurrence. Creating athoroughfall rescue plan armsyourworkers with the knowledge and processes they need to follow in an emergency to preventseriousinjury or death. 2`60Sj38kxAIzpHU. At least one written copy of the tabulated data, which identifies the registered professional engineer who approved the data, shall be maintained at the jobsite during construction of the protective system. Equipment or excavated soil falling on workers (e.g., equipment is operated or soil and debris is stored too close to the excavation). Exposure to Vehicular Traffic Employees exposed to vehicular traffic shall be provided with, and shall wear warning vests or other suitable garments marked with or made of reflectorized or high-visibility material. Sloping and Benching Systems Employees are not permitted to work above other employees in the faces of sloped or benched systems, except when employees at lower levels are protected from the hazards of falling, rolling, or sliding material or equipment. % Workers must use both hands when climbing up or down ladders. Personal Protective Equipment All employees working in trenches or excavations shall wear approved hardhats and steel-toed shoes or boots. There is one area of the fall-arrest procedure that is lacking in many companies. Provide training to affected employees and supervisors. 1. 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 a clear and direct view of the edge of the excavation, a warning system shall be utilized such as barricades, hand or mechanical signals, or stop logs. Sheeting: the members of a shoring system that retain the earth in position and in turn are supported by other members of the shoring system. And paragraph (b) clearly states that this standard does not apply to construction work regulated by 1926 subpart PExcavations. Emergency Response Plan for Your Construction Site EUJm)c iwOtP%E6b@'=|c"p&s@l:3il &P|pB@eRRq8&%ecc8 \ \TPPd 050EZCCafk@1 Inspections shall also be made after every rainstorm or other hazard increasing occurrence. Having an emergency response plan in place when there is a risk of engulfment can be critical in saving lives. 0000028240 00000 n 0000012443 00000 n Materials and Equipment Materials and equipment used for protective systems shall be free from damage or defects that might affect their proper function. Installation and Removal of Supports General Members of support systems shall be securely connected together to prevent sliding, falling, kickouts, or other potential hazards. Protection of Employees Stairs, ladders, or ramps shall be provided at excavation sites where employees are required to enter trench excavations over four (4) feet deep. A mechanical device must be available to retrieve personnel from vertical type permit spaces more than 5 feet (1.52 meters) deep. PART ONE: Rescue Plans OSHA 1926.502 (d)(20) - Rigid Lifelines OSHA mandates that an employer provide for prompt rescue of employees or ensure that employees are able to rescue themselves. Ensure that affected employees practice making permit space rescues before attempting an actual rescue, and at least once every 12 months, by means of simulated rescue operations in which they remove dummies, manikins, or actual persons from the actual permit spaces or from representative permit spaces, except practice rescue is not required where the affected employees properly performed a rescue operation during the last 12 months in the same permit space the authorized entrant will enter, or in a similar permit space. Employees All employees, including contractor personnel, who work in or around excavations must comply with the requirements of this program. After that time, the data may be stored off the jobsite, and shall be maintained by Responsible Person. Cal/OSHA Guidance for Construction Employers - California Department of TRAINING Training Schedule All personnel involved in trenching or excavation work shall be trained in the requirements of this program by Responsible Person with assistance from the appropriate supervisors. Structural ramps used for access or egress of equipment shall be designed by a person qualified in structural design, and shall be constructed in accordance with the design. Excavation Collapse Emergency Response Plan When does OSHA require a Confined Space Rescue Team? - Hazmat School When utility companies or owners cannot respond to a request to locate underground utility installations within 24 hours (unless a longer period is required by state or local law), or cannot establish the exact location of these installations, the employer may proceed, provided the employer does so with caution, and provided detection equipment or other acceptable means to locate utility installations are used. Those in control of any working at height activity must ensure that they plan, supervise, and carry out work safely. ISO 14001:2015 ISO 45001)<br>>Experience in working . Benching system: a method of protecting employees from cave-ins by excavating the sides of an excavation to form one or more horizontal steps, usually with vertical or near-vertical surfaces between levels. Employees are not permitted to carry any object or load while on a ladder that could cause them to lose their balance and fall. Employees shall be protected from the hazard of cave-ins when entering or exiting the areas protected by shields. PDF Sample Fall Protection Plan - OSHAcademy 0000027265 00000 n Structural ramp: a ramp built of steel or wood, usually used for vehicle access. Protective systems shall be capable of resisting all loads that could reasonably be expected to be applied to the system. In the construction industry, applicable standards include: A Falls Emergency Rescue Plan is a pre-planned procedure for safely retrieving someone who has fallen from a height and is suspended in a harness. If excavation work interrupts the natural drainage of surface water (such as streams), diversion ditches, dikes, or other suitable means shall be used to prevent surface water from entering the excavation and to provide adequate drainage of the area adjacent to the excavation. The list is meant to assist construction employers and does not detail all Cal/OSHA requirements. Cave-ins pose the greatest risk and are much more likely than other excavation-related accidents to result in worker fatalities. Utility companies or owners shall be contacted within established or customary local response times, advised of the proposed work, and asked to establish the location of the utility underground installations prior to the start of actual excavation. Designs using other tabulated data Designs of support systems, shield systems, and other protective systems shall be selected from and constructed in accordance with tabulated data, such as tables and charts. This equipment shall be attended when in use. In addition: Any atmospheric testing instrument that has not been used within 30 days shall be recalibrated prior to use. }=Xy'av }O_ $} 0000030910 00000 n Excavation shall be done in a manner that does not endanger the underground installations or the employees engaged in the work. Kickout: the accidental movement or failure of a cross brace. This equipment shall be attended when in use. "H EKzbdcl hYph06r99 grK;MT 00#P?=?K;u+[z_KY 9Z3 "it|~M&R9>C7QM,{u $^s0-&k.85V(EB{"3o} Each atmospheric testing instrument will be field checked immediately prior to use to ensure that it is operating properly. Training and Duties of Program Manager The Program Manager, Responsible Person, shall receive the training detailed in this program as well as training on the requirements detailed in the OSHA Excavation Standard. endobj Stability of Adjacent Structures Responsible Person will determine if the excavation work could affect the stability of adjoining buildings, walls, sidewalks, or other structures. 0000011312 00000 n "The employer shall provide for prompt rescue of employees in the event of a fall or shall assure that employees are able to rescue themselves." When you whittle down this rule, the core of the meaning is that employers need to provide some form of rescue if a fall occurs. Plan your excavation: We must have a pre-knowledge of how the excavation should look like, the safety concerns and the necessary measures needed to carry out the excavation activity successfully. Chemicals. Quick and ef cient response can save lives. Excavation personnel shall not be permitted to work above one another where the danger of falling rock or earth exists. Fires and fire-prone materials. 0000013735 00000 n Additional Requirements Excavation of material to a level no greater than two (2) feet below the bottom of the members of a support system is allowed, but only if the system is designed to resist the forces calculated for the full depth of the trench. The main legislation surrounding working at height is The Work at Height Regulations 2005. Directs teams for emergency response for each of various contractors working in. All surface encumbrances that are located so as to create a hazard to employees shall be removed or supported, as necessary, to safeguard employees. Cal/OSHA Publications Fed/OSHA Construction Web Page 0000013247 00000 n Sidewalks, pavements, and appurtenant structures shall not be undermined unless a support system or other method of protection is provided to protect employees from the possible collapse of such structures. Ensure the plan is part of the overall site safety plan. +DH3p20x`idfP`ta0e(rP [n en ! OSHA offers some guidance through the 1910 General Industry Standards and the 1926 Construction Standards & supplemental letters of interpretation. Design of Support, Shield, and Other Protective Systems The design of support systems, shield systems, and other protective systems shall be selected and constructed by Responsible Person in accordance with the following requirements: Designs using 29 CFR 1926, Subpart P, Appendices A, C and D Timber shoring in trenches shall be designed in accordance with the requirements of the OSHA guidelines. Warning System for Mobile Equipment A warning system shall be used when mobile equipment is operated adjacent to the edge of an excavation if the operator does not have a clear and direct view of the edge of the excavation. Identify the method of falling object protection below the elevated work: Structural Ramps Structural ramps used solely by employees as a means of access or egress from excavations shall be designed by a competent person. PDF ON-SITE RESCUE PLAN - University of Guelph Exposure to Falling Loads No employee is permitted underneath loads being handled by lifting or digging equipment. 1 0 obj Excavations - Construction Safety topics - HSE A confined space rescue plan is an integral part of any effort to perform and manage confined space entry works. Program Manager The Responsible Person acts as the competent person for Company Name in reference to this program, and must assure that: The procedures described in this program are followed. Cross braces: the horizontal members of a shoring system installed from side to side of the excavation. You need a plan of action for yourcrewsto follow in the event of afall. OSHA 1910.132 requires that a hazard assessment be completed prior to the job, and derive a plan that includes the selection of the proper protective and rescue equipment that is deemed necessary to Confined space entry is commonplace on construction, mining, oil and gas and . After that time, the design may be stored off the jobsite, and shall be maintained by Responsible Person. At least one copy of the tabulated data that identifies the registered professional engineer who approved the data shall be maintained at the jobsite during construction of the protective system. 0000001356 00000 n Only personnel who have received approved training and have appropriate equipment shall attempt retrieval that would require entry into a hazardous atmosphere. Emergency rescue equipment, such as breathing apparatus, a safety harness and line, and a basket stretcher, shall be readily available where hazardous atmospheric conditions exist or may develop during work in an excavation. Adequate precautions shall be taken to prevent employee exposure to atmospheres containing less than 19.5 percent oxygen and other hazardous atmospheres. These inspections are only required when employee exposure can be reasonably anticipated. This Excavation and Trenching Plan has been established by the Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability and Risk (ESSR) to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation, "Excavation and Trenching", 29 CFR 1926.650, .651, and .652 as enforced by the Maryland Occupational Health and Safety PAGE PAGE 22 2 ; [ @ , 8 e x { , : T &.