Excavations

From putting a shovel into the ground to digging a trench, here is a review of some of the OSHA standards that apply to trenching and excavation.

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.

Excavations done on or near roads, near buildings and other structures may put workers at additional risks from surface encumbrances.

A cave-in is a real possibility if there is no protection and workers should be aware of the specific type of protection they need to keep them safe.

Colors send a message, and they are important if you are putting anything bigger than garden trowel into the ground. Do you know what each color means?