EXCAVATION & TRENCHING

Scope:  This training is required by OSHA for all employees who work in or around excavations greater than five feet deep.

Overview:  Excavation and trenching cave-ins result in more than one hundred fatalities annually in the United States. With little or no warning, an unsupported, improperly shored or sloped trench or excavation wall can collapse, trapping workers below in seconds. In addition to human losses the financial costs can be enormous--property damage, work stoppage, and workers' compensation. The purpose of this program is to protect employees from hazards that may be encountered while working in trenches and excavations. The training program includes information about the OSHA Program, hazard identification and control, safe work practices and emergency procedures that must be followed while working in an excavation or trench. Information on sloping, shoring, and shielding of trenches is also presented.