Excavation and Trenching Safety

Excavation is among the most dangerous construction jobs, causing four fatalities per month. Over a five-year period, 30 percent of worker deaths occurred in trenches five to nine feet deep; far fewer in trenches 20 or more feet deep. This video explains support systems such as benching, shielding and trench boxes, shoring and sloping. It describes how trench failures occur, symptoms of trench failure and cave-in progression. Employees learn they must be trained on personal protective equipment, access and egress, safe and unsafe soil conditions, protective systems, traffic and vehicle safeguards, hazardous atmosphere and buried utilities. The role of an OSHA-competent person and that individual’s responsibilities are outlined. This video training discusses the various soil types, classifications and testing of soils, and the slop angle appropriate for the soil type.

Construction and placement of access and egress ramps, stairways, ladders and walkways are explained. The training includes general safety measures to protect workers from falling loads, exposure to hazardous atmospheres and from loose rocks and soils. Guidelines for selecting an excavation protection system are explained. Applicable OSHA standards and appendices are referenced.

More than 3,000 OSHA citations are issued annually for excavation and trenching violations. Providing this Video On Demand training to employees who work in and around trenches and excavations will help protect their safety and make them aware of the dangers associated with this work. At the program’s conclusion, a quiz reinforces the key learning points.

   This course is in the Video On Demand format, to read about Video On Demand features click here.

Excavation and trench workers

• Understanding Excavation and Trenching
• General Requirements
• Specific Requirements
• Protective Systems
• Interpretations and Appendices

• Trenching and Shoring in Construction Environments
• Site Work Safety: Preventing Injuries Above and Below Ground
• OSHA Construction: Excavation Safety