Trenching and Excavation Safety Excavation and trenching are among the most hazardous construction operations The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Excavation standards, 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1926, Subpart P, contain requirements for excavation and trenching operations
Trenching and Excavation Safety - Occupational Safety and Health . . . OSHA standards require that employers provide workplaces free of recognized hazards The employer must comply with the trenching and excavation requirements of 29 CFR 1926 651 and 1926 652 or comparable OSHA-approved state plan requirements
Trenching and Excavation - Additional Resources | Occupational Safety . . . Excavations in Construction: Trenching OSHA Prevention Video (vTools) Also available in Español This OSHA video shows how quickly cave-ins lead to workers' deaths The video will also show what employers must do to assure that the work can be done more safely
eTool : Construction - Trenching and Excavation | Occupational Safety . . . The primary hazard of trenching and excavation work is employee injury from a cave-in Before workers enter a trench, a soil analysis should generally be conducted to determine the appropriate employee protection methods such as sloping, benching, shoring or shielding
1926. 651 - Occupational Safety and Health Administration The estimated location of utility installations, such as sewer, telephone, fuel, electric, water lines, or any other underground installations that reasonably may be expected to be encountered during excavation work, shall be determined prior to opening an excavation