Excavation For Construction
Excavation For Construction
Excavation For Construction
Construction
Industries engaged in
excavation
General contractors
Highway and
street construction
contractors
1b
Hazards of excavation
work
Cave-ins
Underground
utilities
Materials/
equipment falling into
excavation sites
2a
Hazards of excavation
work
Struck-by accidents
Asphyxiation
Explosions
Falls
2b
Hazards of excavation
work
Electrocutions
Drowning
2c
Safety considerations
Excavation is one of the most
hazardous types of work in the
construction industry
Accidents result
from inadequate
planning
Build safety into
pre-bid planning
3a
Safety considerations
Plan safety into the job.
Consider:
• Traffic
• Nearness of structures
and their
conditions
• Soil
3b
Safety considerations
Plan safety into the job.
Consider:
• Surface and ground water
• Water table
• Overhead/
underground
utilities
• Weather
3c
Jobsite safety and
health programs
Establish and maintain a safety and
health program for the worksite
4a
Jobsite safety and
health programs
Safety and health programs should
reflect the unique characteristics of
the jobsite
4b
Jobsite safety and
health programs
Supervisors must understand
his/her degree of
responsibility/authority
4c
Locating utilities
Employers must determine the
estimated locations of utility
installations
Contact utility
companies before
starting excavation
Utility owners must attempt to
find exact location of utilities
5a
Locating utilities
Proceed with caution if the
exact location of utilities cannot
be found
6a
Safety starts at the
surface
Stay away from loads being
handled by lifting/digging
equipment
6b
Safety starts at the
surface
Use barricades, hand or
mechanical signals, stop logs to
keep operators safe
6c
Safety starts at the
surface
Warn mobile equipment
operators about the edge of the
excavation site
6d
Safety starts at the
surface
Take care when walking near
excavation sites
Barricade or cover
wells, pits, shafts
Use appropriate
PPE
6e
Protecting utilities
Exact locations of utilities must
be determined
Utilities must
be exposed
before digging
7a
Protecting utilities
Excavation sites must be
protected, supported to
safeguard
employees
Approach
utility lines as
if they are
land mines
7b
Employee access/egress
from excavations
Ramps must be designed by a
competent person
8a
Employee access/egress
from excavations
Trenches 4 or more feet deep
need a safe means of egress
• Stairway
• Ladder
• Ramps
from excavations
Means of egress must be within
25 feet of workers
8c
Hazardous atmospheres
Explosive
Flammable
Poisonous
Corrosive
9a
Hazardous atmospheres
Oxidizing
Irritating
Oxygen
deficient
Toxic
9b
Hazardous atmospheres
Operations inside an excavation
can introduce a hazardous
atmosphere
9c
Hazardous atmospheres
Take extra precautions when the
atmosphere has:
• less than 19.5 percent, or more than
23.5 percent oxygen
• a combustible gas concentration greater
than 20 percent of the lower flammable
limit
• concentrations of hazardous substances
that exceed threshold limit values
9d
Hazardous atmospheres
Conduct all operations within
OSHA requirements
9e
Hazardous atmospheres
Wear respiratory equipment
when required
9f
Emergency equipment
Emergency rescue equipment is
required when there is a risk for
hazardous atmospheres
10a
Emergency equipment
Respirators must be suitable for
the type of exposure
10b
Water accumulation
hazards
Employees are prohibited from
entering excavation sites with
accumulated water unless
adequate protection has been
provided
11a
Water accumulation
hazards
Methods for controlling standing
water include:
• special support/shield systems
• water removal equipment
• safety harnesses and lifelines
11b
Water accumulation
hazards
Workers should be prepared to
leave excavation sites if control
measures begin to fail
11c
Water accumulation
hazards
Competent person inspects
excavation sites subject to
water runoff
11d
Protect structures next to
excavation sites
Use support systems to keep
nearby buildings, walls stable
• Shoring
• Bracing
• Underpinning
12a
Protect structures next to
excavation sites
Excavation below the base of a
footing or retaining wall is
prohibited unless a support system
is provided
Excavations under
sidewalks/pavements are prohibited
unless a support system is used
12b
Protect structures next to
excavation sites
Workers must be prepared to
leave excavation sites if
support systems begin to fail
12c
Loose rock and soil as
hazards
Prevent loose rock/soil from
falling onto employees in
excavation sites
Use barricades to
contain material
13a
Loose rock and soil as
hazards
Keep surface materials at least
2 feet from the edge of
excavation sites
Keep employees
off of sloped
surfaces at levels
above other
employees
13b
Protective systems
Excavations where employees
are exposed to cave-ins must be
protected by:
• sloping or benching
• support systems
• shield systems
• other protective
systems
14a
Protective systems
Protective systems are not
needed if the excavation is:
• made in stable rock
• less than 5 feet deep
Employers are free to choose
the most practical design
approach for a particular
circumstance
14b
Protective systems
Designing a protective system is
complex
14c
Soil types
Classify the soil type:
• Stable rock
• Type A
• Type B
• Type C
15a
Sloping and benching
Slope the excavation’s sides to a
safe angle
16b
Sloping and benching
Benching systems have vertical
or near-vertical surfaces
between levels
16c
Support, shield, and
protective systems
Shoring systems support the
sides of the excavation with:
• timber
• aluminum
• hydraulic,
pneumatic, or
mechanical
systems
17a
Support, shield, and
protective systems
Shoring systems are made up of
cross braces, wales, and
uprights
Selection and
design involves
using tabulated
data
17b
Precautions when
protective systems are
being installed
Securely connect members of
support systems
18a
Precautions when
protective systems are
being installed
Install other structural members
to carry loads when temporary
removal of members is necessary
18b
Daily inspections
Inspect excavations for
possible:
• cave-ins
• failure of protective systems
• hazardous atmospheres
• other hazardous conditions
19a
Trench failure
Recognize hazardous conditions
20a
Trench failure
Things that can cause
immediate change include:
• bulldozers coming too close to the
trench
• a sudden downpour
• striking an underground utility line
20b
Trench failure
Tension cracks can cause
sliding, sluffing, or toppling
20c
Trench failure
Downward pressure can cause
bottom heaving or squeezing
20d
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