Excavation and Trenching Training

Administration
• Emergency Procedures

• Mobile phones

• Break, Tea, Toilets, Smoking

• Finish time

• Questions

• Safety Moment

• Incident Reporting

C
 Critical to Life Activities
– Road transportation
– Personal Protective Equipment
– Lifting One of the main potential
– Working at Height causes of injury at the
Worksite
– Scaffolding
– Trenching and Excavation
– Confined space
– Lighting
– Falling objects
– Health and welfare
– Electrical Safety

CCEP 3
 Training Objectives
By the end of this session you will understand:

 Terms used in Excavation

 The Hazards associated with excavation
 PTW requirements for Excavation
 What Control measures are required to overcome
these hazards
 Soil & Soil classification
 How excavations should be constructed
 Earth Moving Equipment & Safety
 Types of Barricades
 Daily Excavation Inspection Checklist

CCEP
 Definitions of Trench?
A narrow excavation. The depth is greater than
the width.

Otherwise, it is an excavation…

CCEP
 Definition of Excavation?
Width
EXCAVATION
• A man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression
formed by earth removal.
• Digging away or removing ground cover to expose,
verify, remove, repair, modify or construct facilities.
Depth

CCEP 6
 Underground Services
Before your begin any excavation work, you must
always check for the location of any underground
services:

• High voltage electrical cables

• Telephone and communication cables
• Water pipes
• Gas pipes
• Sewerage pipes
• Underground fuel tanks and pipes

CCEP 7
 Hazards associated with
Excavations
 Damage to Underground Services
 Access / Egress
 Vehicle / Equipment Movement
 Falling Personnel / Materials
 Atmospheric Hazards
 Water Accumulation / Flooding
 Excavation Collapse / Cave-In
 Entrapment with Moving Equipment
 Electrical / Electrocution

CCEP
Damage to Underground Services
Digging into underground
services can lead to:

- Loss of communication
- Loss to electric power
services
- Electrocution
- Fires and explosions from
ruptured gas pipe
- Flooding from ruptured
water and sewerage pipe
- Soil contamination from
burst fuel pipes

CCEP
 Damage to Underground Services-
Precautions
Control measures

 Excavation PTW-Check all safety precautions indicated.

 Communication about cables in ground JSTI & Pre Task

Briefing – ensure everyone knows hazards.

 Mark area with chalk or paint. Double check the drawing for
location of existing underground utilities.
 Area scanning by C-Scope cable scanner and mark the
area.

 Dig trial holes, using hand tools to confirm position of

buried cables and pipes.

 Use an observer/guide for heavy

CCEP
equipment 10
Damage to Underground Services-
Precautions
PTW

MEP SCANNING

TRAIL TRENCH
 Excavation Access & Egress
Improper Access / Egress may lead to:
• Fall
• Injury
• Entrapment

CCEP
 Excavation Access & Egress
Buckets of excavators, backhoes, etc. are not to be used as a
means of Access & Egress.

CCEP
Excavation Access & Egress - Controls
Use ladders, stairs or ramps to access & egress into
excavations.

Ladders should be:

- set at no more than 75 degrees angle from base;
- extended at least one metre above the
excavation.
- Located at intervals of no more than 7.6m in
trenches, where practicable.

Ramps should be no steeper than one (vertical) in

six (horizontal) and fitted with cleats. SWL must be
checked.

Use walkways or bridges, with guardrails, for access

across the excavation. Do not jump into an
excavation or over.

CCEP
 Excavation Access & Egress - Controls
• If the excavation is very wide and long, one access
point every 7.6m must be provided , where
practicable..

7.6m
Barricade 1m
from the
edge

CCEP 15
 Vehicle / Equipment Movement Hazards
• Vehicles being driven into the
excavation due to driving errors,
inadequate barriers, or the absence
of stop blocks.

CCEP
 Vehicle / Equipment Movement Hazards
• Do not Drive or operate too close to the edge of the
excavation.

CCEP
 Mobile Equipment Near Excavation
• Collapse of excavation due to heavy equipment

movement beside the excavation.

CCEP
Vehicle / Equipment Movement Control Measures

• Ensure proper barricading, sign boards and warning

lights or adequate illumination at work site.

• Keep safe distance to a minimum of 1m from the edge

of excavation ,while placing any equipment or
barricade.

• Assign a trained banks man for traffic control, with the

equipment.

• Appropriate sloping, benching or shoring shall be

done.

CCEP
Vehicle / Equipment Movement Control Measures

Barricade 1 metre
from edge
Falling Materials onto Personnel
Causes Injury to Personnel

CCEP
 Preventing Injuries from Slips,
Trips & Falling objects
• Keep tools and equipment away from the edges
• Keep the floor of the excavation free of tools,
equipment & timber
• Remove loose stones and large rocks from the floor
• Keep at least 2 meters away from other workers,
when using a pick or shovel
• All rebar must have rebar caps

• Never work alone in an excavation. Make sure there

is another person close by, who can help in an
emergency.
CCEP
 Electric Cable Management
Protect all exposed electric cables from damage by:
• Cables >1m long must be supported with slings or
props

• Cables lying in the bottom should be covered with

wooden planks or troughing

• Not tipping anything into the excavation, that could

damage the cable

• Protect plastic pipes from heat damage, if welding or

gas cutting equipment nearby

CCEP
 Excavating Over Cables
PLEASE FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING SAFETY STEPS BEFORE
EXCAVATION

1 2 3
PLAN DRAWING /
PTW
ACTIVITY RA / MS

JSTI /
HAND DIG SCAN
PRE-TASK

EXCAVATE
& OBSERVE,
IF SAFE TO
TILES/ DO SO
TAPE

CCEP
Hazards: Underground Electrical Cable
Excavation PTW must pinpoint the exact location of
underground services before doing the actual digging.
Remember…

High Voltage-more than enough to fry a

person or group of persons when safety
procedure is ignored during excavation
works

CCEP
Risk Assessment, PTW & Supplement Certificates
All Excavation works shall be:
 A task specific Risk Assessment and JSTI shall be
conducted for all personnel entries into open excavations.
 Carried out under Excavation Work Permit , supported
where necessary by:
 Area drawings with Clearance from all related facilities
for Excavation
 Isolation Confirmation Certificates
 Confined Space Entry Permit – where an excavation
exceeds1.2 meters (4 feet) in depth
 Any other Work controlled Work Permit must have a
Permit

NO NIGHT SHIFT EXCAVATION IN AREAS WITH EXISTING LIVE

SERVICES
 Permit To Work Requirement

An Excavation PTW is required for all Excavations and

Trenches >30cm deep.

CCEP
Guidelines for gaining access to Excavations
adjacent to utility trenches
• Obtain a specific Excavation Permit for the area to be
excavated (No generic block permits allowed)
• Marked up Utilities Trenching Drawing with the exact
location of the Excavation
• If the service Trench is adjacent to the excavation,
measurements should be mentioned in the drawings
• If the service trench is to be breeched or crossed, reflect
full details
• A Method statement, Risk Assessment, JSTI and detail of
the work are to be attached with the excavation permit
• Use of machines can only be allowed when trial excavation
is made and location of underground services identified

CCEP
 Excavation adjacent to utility trenches
cont’d…
• Use of machines can only be allowed when trial
excavation is made and location of underground
services identified
• Any Excavation within the confines of the trench
MUST be hand excavation only
• If any time the cables are to be exposed or are to be
exposed, MEP Dept. are to be notified
• If the cables are exposed, protection MUST be
installed in the form of sand bags or plywood
• On completion of the excavation, the cables are to be
re-covered and MUST be reinstated and finally
inspected by MEP Dept.
CCEP
 Permit To Work Requirement
Excavations 1.5m or deeper requires a Confined Space Entry
and a Gas Test PTW .
• Gas test must be conducted prior entry
• O2 level required to sustain life is 20% . 21.5%
• Flammable <10% of the LEL
• Toxic Gases
– H2S 10 PPM – Maximum 8 hrs (long term exposure)
– H2S 15 PPM – Maximum 15 minutes (short term
exposure)
– CO 10 PPM – Maximum 8hrs.
• Entry / Exit log sheet will be maintained by the Hole
Watcher.

CCEP
Break

CCEP 33
Atmospheric and Environmental Hazards

Atmospheric
• Oxygen Deficiency
• Oxygen Enrichment
• Toxic
• Flammable

Environmental
• Sand storm
• Rain
• Humidity

CCEP
 Atmospheric Hazards
• Excavations must be kept free of
toxic and explosive gases and conditions.
• Don’t use portable petrol or diesel
equipment inside excavations.
• Store compressed gas cylinders outside
the excavation and safe distance.

Install artificial lighting where:

- daylight does not provide enough lighting; or

- work needs to be carried out at night.

CCEP
 Water Accumulation & Flooding

• Water accumulation in a trench is hazardous. You must take

measures to ensure that water does not accumulate in the
trench.

• Diversion ditches and dike must be used for natural drainage

of streams interrupted by the excavation or in anticipation
of heavy run-off from rains.

• Caution: The de-watering pump should be placed at a safe

distance from the edge of excavation to prevent it from
falling into the trench or pit. Make sure water doesn’t fill
into another excavation.

CCEP
Water Accumulation & Flooding

• Entrapment
• Personnel Injury /
Death
• Pre planning (JSTI,
RA)
 Excavation Collapse and Cave-in Hazards

• Personnel Injury
• Property damage
• Engulfment

CCEP
 Excavation Collapse and Cave-in Hazards
Protection from Collapse and Cave-in requires a systematic
approach including:
•Soil Classification
•Protective System
•Inspection Collapse
•Employee Training

Cave-in

CCEP
 Illumination

Off limit

Pile sheet

Watch man
Wale Banksman

Strut TYPICAL EXCAVATION SITE

TYPES OF
TYPES OF SOIL
SOIL COLLAPSE
COLLAPSE
Rotation Slough-in (Cave-in) Side wall Shear
Preventing Collapses of an Excavation
• Store excavated soil at least 1.5m from the edge
• Keep vehicles and heavy equipment away from the
edges
• Pump ground water out
• Use ditches or bunds to divert surface water away
• Do not throw any tools or materials out from inside
the excavation or vice versa .
• Use the daily checklist to check for any signs of
faces collapsing

CCEP
 Soil Classification
Classify the type of soil you will be
working on:
Silty Loam • Type A- Cohesive soil with an
unconfined compressive strength of 1.5
tons per square foot (TSF)…Clay / Salty
Clay / Sandy Clay / Clay Loam /
Cemented soil.
• Type B- Cohesive soil with an
Loam unconfined compressive strength greater
than 0.5 TSF but less than 1.5 TSF…
Granular Cohesion less Soils including
angular gravel (similar to crush rock) Silt,
Silt Loam, Sandy Loam.

Angular gravel
CCEP
 Soil Classification

• Type C- cohesive soil with an

unconfined compression
Sand strength of 0.5 TSF or less…
Granular Soils including
Gravel, Sand & Loamy sand

Gravel

Loamy sand
CCEP
 Sloping or Angle of Repose
SOIL TYPE SLOPE DEGREES
• Type “A” Soil 3/4:1 53

• Type “B” Soil 1:1 45

• Type “C” Soil1 1/2:1 34

CCEP
 Benching
• Type A

• Type B (Cohesive Soil)

• Type C N/A

CCEP
 Battering (Sloping) & Benching
Bench (cutback)
BATTERING (SLOPING)
Digging the faces so that they
are sloped, rather than
vertical. Suitable for up to 3m
deep excavations. battered

face
BENCHING
Is applied for excavations
deeper than 1.5m,where the
sides of the excavation are
taken down in steps(3/4
horizontal to ¼ vertical).

CCEP
 Shoring
SHORING
Applied when battering (sloping) or benching is impractical.
Various types of timber and steel sheeting systems are used
with support frames and hydraulic arms, to stop faces caving
in.

CCEP
 Battering (Sloping) ,Benching & Shoring
Requirements
• All shoring & benching requirements must be
submitted in Excavation PTW by Supervisor.

• Civil Engineer must have input for safety or

stability is required in the case of soft soil.

• You must not work in excavations deeper

than 1.5 metres ,which have not been
battered, benched or shored.

CCEP
Entrapment with Moving Equipment

Personnel Injury / Death , Property damage

CCEP
 Barricading and Signs

Set up barriers or barricades around the edges of excavation (>1.5m from edge).

Place warning signs to warn people of the excavation.

Divert traffic away from the excavation area

Install flashing amber lights for night-time warning.

CCEP
 Barricading and Signs
Black and Yellow Barricading REPRESENTS - CAUTION - RISK OF HAZARDS

Used where hazardous work is being done or unsafe conditions exist.

Examples of when black and yellow barricading should be used

include:
- around the perimeter of excavations less than 500mm deep;
-material storage

Before entering an area that is cordoned off, you must obtain

authorization from the person in charge of the area.

CCEP
 Using Barricading
- Ensurethe barricading perimeter extends far
enough out to prevent contact with the
hazard.

- Position the barricading at approx. 1 meter

height so it is clearly visible.

- Tie off soft barricading to posts so it is kept

in position.

- Posts should be fitted with a heavy base.

- Rebars must be fixed with the rebar caps.

- Position safety signs around the barricade

perimeter.

- Position flashing warning lights around

barricaded areas, such as excavations,
CCEP during
 Rebar Caps
• This is an example of Rebar Caps and how rebar needs
to be covered.

CCEP
 Supervisors Responsibility , Excavation
Check List

• The Competent Person for Excavation:

• Inspects the excavation and signs the
daily inspection sheet of the Excavation
PTW;
• Ensures that shoring details are
followed;
• Inspects and monitors systems to
prevent undermining;
• Must be done EVERY day.

CCEP
 Backfilling Excavations
• Excavations should be backfilled as soon as possible,
after the required work has been completed.

When backfilling you should:

• Gas Pipes: properly compact the backfill to prevent any

settling and damage to the pipe

• Never tip anything into an open excavation that could

rupture a pipe or damage a cable

CCEP
Excavation Safety Brief Summary
Obtain Excavation
Permit

Stay away from moving

Machinery
Barricading, Guardrails &
Proper Access is required

Spoils piled 1.5m away from the Sloping, Shoring or Bench is

edge of excavation CCEP required to prevent collapse
Video

CCEP 60
Thank you for your attention.
Have an Excavation safe Day.

CCEP