Excavating and trenching are important parts of most projects of construction. Both are dangerous as failure may occur at any time. The failures are mostly too quick as they often don't allow the workers to escape from the collapse. Sometimes, it's not only dangerous for workers but also for outsiders at construction sites because the falling earth piece can crush and bury any person, which results in suffocation, injuries and eventually death. To prevent all these incidents, trench excavation safety measures are necessary at construction sites. Let's see what are actual hazards in excavation management are and how we can prevent them and protect our workers.
What is Excavation Safety?
In order to control risks and eliminate hazards in excavation management and trenching, a standardized set of safety precautions is introduced which is known as excavation safety. People know it by the name of Trenching and Excavation Safety which is given by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).
Difference Between Trenching and Excavation
According to OSHA's given definition, any human-made cut in the earth's surface to create a trench, cavity, or depression that involves soil or earth removal is excavation. As trenches are part of excavation, it means it's a type of excavation and the latter is an umbrella term.
Basically, a trench is narrow in length with greater depth than width. A trench is mostly known as trench excavation.
What are the Hazards in Excavation?
As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2011 to 2018, humanity lost 137 lives in various excavation accidents at private construction sites, especially in the trenching cave-in mishaps. The various hazards construction workers in a trench face during excavation are
Cave-ins: The most common hazard is cave-ins, which occur when the trench is left unprotected. When people enter it, its walls collapse, causing serious issues.
Struck-by objects: Most death-causing hazards at construction sites are due to struck-by various objects. Such incidents occur due to falling loads or people, moving or falling vehicles, and masonry walls collapsing.
Hazardous atmospheres: Sometimes, trenches or excavated areas have less oxygen than required, which can cause suffocation. Moreover, sometimes, the environments of trenched areas are contaminated by chemicals and toxic gases, which can also be life-threatening.
Utility lines: In negligence, sometimes workers hit the utility lines unknowingly, which are either above or below the earth's upper surface. These incidents of damaging underground services often cause leakage of natural gas and electrocution. Flooding, blasts, and explosions often occur due to these incidents.
OSHA trench safety solutions are the best preventive measures to protect construction workers from these hazards.
6 Important Excavation Safety Ways
Need Safe Entrance & Exit
OSHA mandates that employers provide safe ways, like stairways, ladders, or ramps, for workers to exit an excavation or trench within 25 feet. For trenches 4 feet deep or more, these exit points must be within the cave-in protection system to ensure worker safety.
In case of hazardous conditions, all workers have to get out of the excavation site as soon as possible. If the construction worker uses a ramp for entering and exiting excavations, OSHA recommends that the ramp must have a non-slip surface and be made by a competent person. Also, keep in mind that all connecting runway components or cleats of the ramp must be fastened correctly so that no incident of tripping occurs.
What Are The Three Main Protection Methods Against Cave-Ins
Excavation sites have soil that means instability and hazardous conditions. So, proper planning is important to keep all workers safe. First, evaluate the soil condition so that you can choose or build the right protective system as per OSHA standards. A worker in a five-foot or more deep trench must need proper equipment and a protective system; otherwise the chances of him being trapped in a cave-in and crushed by it are increased.
Next is taking proper planning activities. You have to locate underground utility lines by contacting one Call center or 811. You must also have a plan for traffic control and assess nearby structures to help determine the appropriate protective system.
Keeping the environment of the trench and excavation clean is also important. So, don't forget to divert or remove water in case of accumulation. After rain or any possibility of hazard occurring, you must properly inspect the construction and excavation site and check the protective systems prior to each shift. Try to keep the excavations open for a short time to keep the chances of injuries and accidents lower.
Keep Environment Clean
The atmosphere at construction sites often gets hazardous due to excavation and trenching, like in the case of water accumulation. In hazardous atmospheres, inhaling toxic material, suffocation, drowning or burning by fire may occur often. So, to prevent these issues, a qualified professional is important for the inspection of the construction site.
Keep The Edge of an Excavation Clear
Unclear edges of excavation also result in troubling incidents. For example, spoils, which are excavated material, can become dangerous if it is placed too close to the excavation edge. The spoils and equipment are heavyweight, so the chances of their rollback on workers increase, resulting in serious injuries and even death.
To protect from spoils, keep equipment and spoils at least two feet away from a properly protected excavation. You can also use retaining devices, like a trench box, to prevent materials from falling in. If a two-foot setback isn't possible, haul the spoils elsewhere.
Inspection By Professionals
All trenches and excavations are different and have different hazards. So, it's important that a competent professional inspect each excavation to understand the hazards. Without inspection, a trench or excavation is full of dangers. That's why OSHA is strictly against anyone entering an uninspected trench and warning people.
Trained Team
Before excavation work begins, employers must train their workers. You must check that your workers are trained enough to escape from unexpected situations at construction sites. Regarding hazards in excavation management and safety measures, you should train your team from basic to advanced levels to create a safe workplace.
Other Safety Measures for Excavation
According to OSHA, workers should not work in an unprotected trench as it mostly collapses at construction sites. A person has to implement protective systems; excavation four types of protective systems are:
Some other safety measures for excavation are
Daily inspect the excavation area before starting work.
Keep checking weather updates so you are well aware of storms and rain.
The whole construction team should wear proper protective equipment.
Don't let your workers work beneath raised loads.
You can prevent the collapse of excavation or trench by supporting its sides by either using sheet support or battering them.
Keep all the material away from ethe excavation site to prevent the falling of objects onto people.
Also, try to add barriers so you can make people avoid falling into trenches and excavations.
You should keep vehicles out of the trench and excavation area. However, if it's inevitable, you can add stop blocks and barriers to prevent vehicles from falling into the excavation.
Underground pipes, cables, and other service must be marked so that workers keep these services safe and avoid hazards altogether.
You should use shovels and spades in areas where you find underground services in an excavation area instead of using mechanical equipment.
Also, don't use forks or picks, as both can easily pierce the pipes and cables.
Flooding should be avoided in an excavation site. You can avoid it by using appropriate pumping equipment which makes the seeped water pumped out of the excavation to a safe area.
You can make a checklist for daily inspection of the excavation site.
Examples of Excavation Protection
OSHA requires protective measures for workers around excavations. Examples include:
Structural Ramps: Must be built as per a competent person’s design for employee or equipment use.
High-Visibility Vests: Workers near excavations and exposed to traffic must wear reflective vests.
Warning Signs: Barricades or signs should alert mobile equipment operators about nearby excavations.
Testing: Test air conditions in and around excavations to ensure safety before work begins.
Emergency Equipment: Have stretchers, harnesses, and other emergency gear available.
Regular Inspections: Competent persons must inspect the site daily to catch safety issues before shifts begin.
Conclusion
How to minimize hazards in excavation management requires proper safety measures. Not only safety measures but daily inspection and trained teams are also necessary for safe working at excavation sites.
Your message must be between 20-3,000 characters!
