Excavations & Trenching

Safety
29 CFR 1926 650
29 CFR 1926 - 652
SUBPART P

Introduction
OSHA issued its first excavation and trenching
standard in 1971 to protect workers from
excavation hazards (Cave-ins).
OSHA recognizes excavating as one of the
most hazardous construction operations.
Between 1992 to 2001, 542 fatalities were
associated with trenching and excavation.

What Is a Cave-in?
Soil or rock falls
into an excavation
Occurs when soil
gravitates
downward
Occurs when
bottom third of a
trench wall fails
Image Credit: OSHA

Consequences of a Cave-in

Soil is dense and heavy

Cave-ins can entrap, bury, injure, or immobilize
Suffocationsoil prevents chest expansion
The worker becomes immobilized

Excavation Hazards
Surface
encumbrances
Utilities
Access/Egress
Vehicle traffic
Falling loads
Mobile equipment

Hazardous
atmospheres
Water
accumulation
Adjacent
structures
Loose rock or soil
Falls

Cave-in

Surface Encumbrances
Need to be removed or supported
e.g. fencing, piping, structure,
materials

Utilities
Underground
Locate prior to digging
Certify deactivation
Protect, support, or remove

Utilities
Aboveground
De-energize or
Isolation from
power lines

Access/Egress
Egress provided

25 travel distance
ladders
ramps
stairs

Vehicle Traffic
Traffic Control
Traffic Safety Vests

Exposure to Falling Loads

No work under loads
Operators remain in cab

Mobile Equipment
Warning system

Barricades
Hand signals
Mechanical signals
Stop logs
Grade away from excavation

Hazardous Atmospheres
Test if suspected
LEL
Oxygen
CO
H2S
Petroleum
Other toxics

Ventilation
Displace hazardous gases and
vapors
Considerations
Heavier than air or lighter
than air contaminant
Exhausting or blowing in
Volume/time required to lower
concentrations to acceptable
levels

Water Accumulation
Protection from hazards
associated with water
accumulation

Protection against cave-in

Water removal (pumping)
Run-off protection
Consider temporary shut-off of
water lines

Adjacent Structures
Ensure structure stability

Shoring
Bracing
Underpinning
Or evaluation by P.E.

SPOIL

Fall Protection
Any surface 6 feet or more
above a lower level shall be
protected by:
walkways with guardrail
systems
personal fall arrest systems

Other options include:

warning lines systems
safety monitoring systems

Cave-in
Protection from cave-in
requires a systematic
approach including:
Soil classification
Protective systems
Inspection
Employee training

General Requirements
Before any excavation actually begins, the
standards requires the employer to
determine the estimated location of utility
installations: Sewer, telephone, fuel,
electric, water lines, or any other under
ground installations that may be
encountered during digging.
Ribbon 2 feet above service lines

Locates

Red = Power
Blue = Water
Orange =

Communications
Yellow = Gas

General Requirements
The standard requires that a competent
person inspect, on a daily basis, excavations
and adjacent areas for possible cave-ins,
failure of protective systems and equipment,
hazardous atmospheres, or other hazardous
conditions.
Takes prompt corrective measures to
eliminate hazards.

What is a
competent person?
Capable of identifying
Existing and predictable hazards
Unsanitary, hazardous, dangerous conditions

Authorized to take corrective measures

1a

General Requirements
Adequate protective systems will be
utilized to protect employees. This can be
accomplished through: Sloping, Shoring,
or Shielding.
Workers must be supplied with and wear
any PPE deemed necessary to assure
their protection.
Spoil should be kept away from the edge
of the excavation by at least 2 feet

General Requirements
If a trench is 4 feet or deeper, stairways,
ramps, or ladders will be used.
The employees must not have to travel any
more than 25 feet to reach the stairways,
ramps, or ladders.
4 feet and more trenches Toxic and
hazardous atmosphere will be tested daily.

Soil Classification
The OSHA Standards classify soil into four
categories:
Stable Rock
Type A Soil
Type B Soil
Type C Soil
Stability is greatest in stable rock and
degreases through Type A and B to Type C,
which is the least stable.

Soil Stability
Soil stability affected by:

Grain sizesmall is better

Water saturation
Cohesivenesshow well soil sticks together
Unconfined compressive strength (UCS)how
easily the soil will shear

Stable Rock
Is defined as natural solid mineral matter
that can be excavated with vertical sides and
remain intact while exposed.
Example:
Granite or Sandstone

Soil TypesType A
Type A is:
The most stable soil type
Cohesive soil with UCS of 1.5 tons per square
foot (tsf) or more
Cohesive soil that is predominantly clay
Not fissured or subject to vibrations
Not previously excavated or disturbed

Soil TypesType B
Type B is:
Cohesive soil with UCS > 0.5 but < 1.5 tsf
Granular non-cohesive soil
Mixtures of clays, sands, and silts, where clay
or sand are not dominant
An A soil that is fissured or subject to
vibration

Soil TypesType C
Type C is:

Cohesive soil with UCS less than 0.5 tsf

Granular soil, including gravels
Sandy soil where sand is dominant
Submerged soil or seeping water
A downgrade of Type B

Soil Test & Identification

Pocket Penetrometer: Are direct-reading
spring-operated instruments used to
determine the unconfined compressive
strength of saturated cohesive soils.
Once pushed into the soil, an indicator
sleeve displays the reading.

Pocket Penetrometer

Protective Systems

Options Include:

1. Sloping and
benching
2. Shoring/sheet piling/
3. shielding (e.g.trench
boxes)
4. Designed by P.E. if
deeper than 20

Sloping and Benching Systems

Sloping Systems
Maximum allowable slopes for excavations less
than 20 feet (6.09 m)
Soil Type

Slope

Slope Angle

Stable Rock

Vertical

90 deg.

Type A

:1

53 deg.

Type B

1:1

45 deg.

Type C

1 : 1

34 deg.

Benching Systems
Two types of benching
systems, simple and
multiple.
The bottom vertical
height of the trench
must not exceed 4 feet
for the first bench,
subsequent benches 5
feet.

2- Shoring Systems
Support system for
trench faces used to
prevent movement of
soil, underground
utilities, foundations.
There are two basic
types of shoring, timber
and aluminum
hydraulic.

Timber Shoring Installations

Appendix C of OSHA
regulations
Requires soil
classification
Based on depth and
width of trench
Consult tables for specs
on

Safety Excellence

Cross braces
Wales
Uprights

Example

A trench dug in Type A soil is 13 feet

deep and five feet wide. From table
C-1.1, for acceptable arrangements
of timber can be used.

Safety Excellence

Safety Excellence

Arrangement # 1

Space 4 x 4 crossbraces at 6 feet

horizontally and four feet vertically
Wales are not required
Space 3x8 uprights at six feet
horizontally.
This arrangement is commonly called
Skip Shoring

Safety Excellence

Arrangement # 2

Space 4x6 crossbraces at eight feet

horizontally and four feet vertically.
Space 8x8 wales at four feet vertically
Space 2x6 uprights at four feet
horizontally

Safety Excellence

Arrangement # 3

Space 6x6 crossbraces at 10 feet

horizontally and four feet vertically.
Space 8x10 wales at four feet vertically
Space 3x8 uprights at five feet
horizontally

Safety Excellence

Arrangement # 4

Space 6x6 crossbraces at 12 feet

horizontally and four feet vertically.
Space 10x10 wales at four feet
vertically
Space 3x8 uprights at five feet
horizontally

Safety Excellence

Example # 2

A trench dug in Type B soil is 13 feet

deep and five feet wide. From Table C2.1 Three acceptable arrangements of
members are listed.

Safety Excellence

Safety Excellence

Example # 3

A trench dug in Type C soil is 13 feet

deep and five feet wide.
From Table C-3.1 two acceptable
arrangements of members can be used.

Safety Excellence

Example # 4
A trench dug in Type C soil is 20 feet
deep and 11 feet wide.
The size and spacing of members for
the section of trench that is over 15 feet
in depth is determined using table C1.3.
Only one arrangement of members is
provided.
Safety Excellence

Safety Excellence

Tables # C-1.1 & C-1.2 and C-1.3 are

used with actual dimensions.
Tables # C-2.1 & C-2.2 and C-2.3 are
used with nominal dimensions.

Safety Excellence

Hydraulic Shoring

Pneumatic Shoring

SHORING SYSTEMS
Continued

PNEUMATIC/
HYDRAULIC
JACKS

SCREW
JACK

Aluminum Shoring
Installations
Appendix D of OSHA
regulations
Requires soil classification
Based on depth and width of
trench
Consult tables for specs on
Hydraulic cylinders
Wales
Uprights

3- Shielding Systems
A- Trench Boxes:
The space between the
outside of the trench
box and the face of the
trench should be small
as possible, and
backfilled to prevent
lateral movement of the
box.

Trench Shield

A trench shield was

built around this
work area

SHIELD SYSTEMS
Continued

COMMON TRENCH SHIELD

Is this allowable?

YES! If the Trench boxes are

designed to be stacked and are used
in accordance with their tabulated

Continued
SHIELD SYSTEMS

Systems may be connected

Systems may be stacked
Configuration must by consistent with the
recommendations of the manufacturer
Must be examined by a competent person if
damage occurs

Combined Use
Trench boxes may also be used in
combination with sloping and benching.
The box should extend at least 18 inch (0.45
m) above the surrounding area if there is
sloping toward excavation.
This can be accomplished by providing a
benched areas adjacent to the box.

Type A Soil

Type B Soil

Type C Soil

Excavation Inspections

Daily Inspections of ALL excavations by

Competent Person
Start of shift, as needed, following rainstorms
or other hazard-increasing event

Possible cave-ins
Protective system failure
Water accumulation
Hazardous atmospheres

Competent person has authority to remove

workers from the excavation