- Cave-ins. Trench collapses kill an average of two workers every month, making this a serious threat to worker safety. …
- Falls and falling loads. Workers and work equipment can fall into an excavated area. …
- Hazardous atmospheres. …
- Mobile equipment. …
- Hitting utility lines.
What are the hazards in trench excavation?
The hazards of excavations include:
striking buried services; people, objects or materials falling in; collapse of sides; collapse of adjacent structures
; flooding; contaminated ground; toxic and asphyxiating atmospheres; and mechanical hazards. Consideration should be given to overhead hazards, including power lines.
What are some hazards associated with trenches?
- Cave-ins or collapses that can trap workers.
- Equipment or excavated soil falling on workers (e.g., equipment operated or soil/debris stored too close to the excavation).
- Falling into the trench or excavation.
- Flooding or water accumulation.
What is the most common hazard during an excavation?
Probably the most common hazard at any work site is
the threat of cave-in
. A cave-in occurs when walls of an excavation collapse. Cave-ins can be deadly. Wall failures often occur suddenly, with little or no time for the worker to react.
What are the safety precautions for excavation?
- Inspect trenches daily before work begins. …
- Check weather conditions before work, be mindful of rain and storms.
- Keep heavy equipment away from trench edges.
- Be mindful of the location of utilities underground.
- Always wear proper protective equipment.
- Don’t work beneath raised loads.
What are the safety precautions in excavation work?
Excavations shall have at least one ladder per 15 m of length in case of hazardous work and per 30 m of length in case of less hazardous works. Every part of a trench, in public areas, fences, guards or barricades shall be provided to prevent any accidents.
Excavation areas shall be adequately lighted for night work
.
What is the primary concern for excavation?
The main hazards associated with excavation work include:
Surface encumbrances
.
Excavation collapse
.
Loose rock or soil
.
What are the types of excavation hazard?
- falls into trenches or excavations.
- tripping over equipment, debris and spoil.
- excavated material or other objects falling on workers.
- exposure to underground services or overhead electrical cables.
- unstable adjacent structures.
- mishandled or poorly placed materials.
What are the methods of excavation?
- Archaeological Mapping.
- Archeological mapping.
- Archaeological Sites.
- Archeological sites.
- Survey and Excavation.
- Artifacts and artifact classification.
- Stratigraphy (Archaeology)
- Marine Archaeology.
What is hazard in excavation?
The hazards and risks are usually:
Collapse of the sides of the excavation
. Materials falling onto the people working in the excavation. People and vehicles falling into the excavation. … Damage to underground services during excavation work causing electrocution, explosion, gas escape, flooding etc.
How deep can you excavation without shoring?
How Deep Can a Trench Be Without Shoring? Trenches with a
depth of 5 feet (1.5 meters) or
greater need a protective system unless the entire excavation is in stable rock. If there is anything less than 5 feet, it is up to a competent person’s discretion to determine if there is a need for a protective system.
What is the difference between excavation and trenching?
What is the difference between an excavation and a trench? OSHA defines an excavation as
any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the Earth’s surface formed
by earth removal. A trench is defined as a narrow excavation (in relation to its length) made below the surface of the ground.
What are two safety concerns regarding excavation work?
- Cave-ins or collapses that can trap workers.
- Equipment or excavated soil falling on workers (e.g., equipment operated or soil/debris stored too close to the excavation).
- Falling into the trench or excavation.
- Flooding or water accumulation.
What are the important precautions for confined space?
- any hazardous fumes or material.
- access and exit locations.
- the lighting to properly conduct the task.
- and the types of safety alarms and rescue procedures in the event of a problem.
What is scaffolding in safety?
A scaffold is a
temporary structure erected to support access or working platforms
. Scaffolds are commonly used in construction work so workers have a safe, stable work platform when work cannot be done at ground level or on a finished floor. … Scaffolding is classified as plant under Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act.
How do you protect deep excavation?
Those methods are
sloping, benching, and shoring or shielding
. Sloping: Sloping is a viable option as a protective system. Sloping is often the most cost-effective way to protect employees from potential trenching and excavation hazards.