Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Excavations - The OSHA Competent Person Course 4
Excavations - The OSHA Competent Person Course 4
Person Course 4
Hazards of Excavations 2
Legal Stuff
• If an excavation is likely to
collect or retain water of such a
depth as will constitute a
drowning hazard to children, or
persons, the excavation must be
covered or fenced off during
times when employees are not
present.
Sources of Vibration
• Traffic
• Railroad Operations
• Heavy Equipment
Operations
• Jack hammer’s
• Tamping compacting
operations
Sources of Vibration
• Pile driving
• Gangster car stereos that make you want to
pull out your hair and … oh…never mind…
Vibration
• Surcharges on the
edge of excavation
• Spoil Pile
• Vehicles or equipment
Surcharges
Life Vest!
Water
• Water or hydrostatic
pressure weights more than
soil and can cause system
failure.
Water
• Hazard:
Employees working in
excavation, filling with
water, without a
protective system and
precautions from hazard
of water.
Employer should install
trench box and
appropriate system to
remove water.
Water is Hazardous
When water is
present in an
excavation it is
extremely
hazardous to
enter.
Note that these workers are
not wearing hardhats to
protect them from materials
falling into the trench
Georgia Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
Water
The action of water in excavations
can cause undermining and cave-ins.
Standing water at the bottom of the
trench absorbs upward and saturates
the trench sidewalls. The trench wall
will slough off when there’s too much
saturation.
Drying of soil
• Must be grounded
• GFCI Protected
• Assured Grounding Program
• Continuous inspection of cords
for damage.
1926.405(a)(2)(ii)(J)
Extension cord sets used with portable electric tools and appliances
shall be of three-wire type and shall be designed for hard or extra-hard
usage. Flexible cords used with temporary and portable lights shall be
designed for hard or extra-hard usage.
Many
generators
do not
have a
GFCI.
GFCI and Generators
A
portable
GFCI
will
need to
be
used.