Excavations

Excavations done on or near roads, near buildings and other structures may put workers at additional risks from surface encumbrances. What is a surface encumbrance and why can they be a hindrance and a danger when excavating?

Trenching and excavation work poses many hazards such as cave-ins, equipment struck-by incidents, potential falls, and striking underground utilities. Hazards posed by striking buried underground utilities include property damage, injury, electrocutions and even explosions.

Trenching and excavation work poses many hazards such as cave-ins, equipment struck-by incidents, potential falls, and striking underground utilities.From putting a shovel into the ground to digging a trench, do you know all the OSHA standards that apply for excavations?

Colors send a message, and in this case they are important if you are putting anything bigger than garden trowel into the ground. Do you know what each color means? What about a white line? Does that apply to you and when should you do it?

Workers doing activities in and around excavations must be alert to the real possibility of a cave-in. In most situations, a cave-in is likely to happen if there is no protection and workers should be aware of the specific type of protection they need to keep them safe.