Safe Excavation Access and Egress
Excavation OHSA Definition “An excavation is any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the Earth's surface formed by earth removal .” A trench is considered an excavation. Employees working on or near construction sites must be protected from cave-in when the excavation is 4 ft or more in-depth. If excavations are made entirely of stable rock, then Cave-In protection is not required or If no potential cave-in is found after examination by a competent person In less than 4 ft in depth. There are numerous hazards associated with excavation and including the weight of nearby vehicles, equipment, vibration, underground utilities, water, and soil erosion. All the factors must be taken by the competent person into consideration when evaluating an excavation. (it should be kept in mind that the hazards and/or conditions can change frequently and should be continuously re-evaluated. The materials removed from the excavation (spoils pile) and surcharge loa...