The OSHA standard for trenching and excavation requires protective systems for trenches that are 5 feet or deeper, unless the excavation occurs in stable rock. Types of protective systems include sloping, shoring and shielding.
In this post
What is used for protection in a trench?
To prevent cave-ins: SLOPE or bench trench walls. SHORE trench walls with supports, or. SHIELD trench walls with trench boxes.
When a trench is 4 feet or more in depth?
A stairway, ladder, ramp or other safe means of egress shall be located in trench excavations that are 4 feet (1.22 m) or more in depth so as to require no more than 25 feet (7.62 m) of lateral travel for employees.
What are the three main protection methods?
There are three primary protection methods that are used in excavation: shielding, sloping and benching.
1. Sloping
- The angle of the slope,
- The type of soil,
- The depth of the trench, and.
- The weather conditions all need to be taken into account.
What was the safest way to dig a trench?
The 10 Trenching Safety Tips That Can Save a Life
- Install Protective Systems.
- Use Alternative Trenching Methods.
- Conduct Atmospheric Testing.
- Beware of Falling Loads.
- Routinely Inspect Trenches.
- Install Safe Access and Egress Points.
- Locate Utility Lines Before Digging.
- Assign a Competent Person.
What are 3 protective measures that can be used in trenches?
Keep heavy equipment away from trench edges. Identify other sources that might affect trench stability. Keep excavated soil (spoils) and other materials at least 2 feet (0.6 meters) from trench edges. Know where underground utilities are located before digging.
What depth is a protective system required for a trench?
Trench safety measures
Trenches five feet deep or greater require a protective system unless the excavation is made entirely in stable rock. If the trench is fewer than five feet deep, a competent person may determine a protective system is not required.
What is shoring used for?
Shoring is the practice of building a temporary structure to support an unsafe structure on construction and excavation sites. Professionals use shoring to fix unstable walls, demolish structures, change existing walls, construct new walls and repair cracked or broken walls or foundations.
What is the basic types of shoring?
There are two basic types of shoring, timber and aluminum hydraulic.
What are trench boxes used for?
Trench boxes, also called trench shields or trench sheets, are one type of protective system. They aren’t designed to shore or prevent a trench wall from collapsing. Instead, they’re designed to protect workers from the pressure and weight of soil in the event of a cave-in.
How can you prevent a trench from collapsing?
Sloping or Benching of the Soil – The simplest method of protecting workers is to slope or bench the walls of the excavation. The maximum angle of the soil slope will vary depending on the soil type. If the excavated walls are composed of stable rock, then the trench can be dug with a vertical slope.
What are two ways to protect an excavation?
When figuring out what the best method is for protecting works in excavations there are four common methods. Those methods are sloping, benching, and shoring or shielding. Sloping: Sloping is a viable option as a protective system.
Which is the most commonly used form of worker protection in excavation and trenching?
Shielding. This method is the most common system used and protects workers with trench boxes or other types of supports to prevent soil cave-ins.
What to use for digging a trench?
There are four types of hand tools used for trenching. They are the SharpShooter Shovel (or Drainage Spade), a couple different types of Trenching Shovels, the new Bottom Digger clean-out scoop, and the surprising Trenching Hoe (also called a Grub Hoe).
What is a trench shovel?
A trenching shovel is used to clean out or dig narrow trenches—just 3 to 6 inches wide—for installing buried lines or sprinkler systems. They’re also among the best shovels for gardening because they create narrow trenches for transplanting rows of seedlings or bulbs.
How do you make an excavation safe?
Battering the excavation sides – Battering the excavation sides to a safe angle of repose may also make the excavation safer. In granular soils, the angle of slope should be less than the natural angle of repose of the material being excavated. In wet ground a considerably flatter slope will be required.
What are some types of protective systems that can be used in an excavation?
In this article, we will discuss the four different protective systems described in OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P, “Excavations”: engineered design, timber shoring, shield systems, and sloping and benching.
When would you use a trench shield?
The function of trench shields (also known as trench boxes) is to protect workers in case of a trench collapse. Trench shields should not be confused with trench shores. Shields are not usually intended to shore up or otherwise provide positive support to the walls of the trench.
Can you use a metal ladder in a trench?
Leaning a portable step ladder that has been folded closed against the side of a trench is a practice that is prohibited by most portable step ladder manufacturers, and must be avoided unless the manufacturer states their step ladder is designed to do that.
What is a shoring box?
It is a two sided support system used in a mechanical excavation. A trench box is an important shoring equipment which is a boon for excavators. It helps to increase job safety as well as productivity. Workers use them while they pour the foundations.
What is the most common type of shoring?
H or I-Beam Shoring also known as soldier pile walls are the most common type of shoring that we usually encountered in a construction project. It is constructed by driving prefabricated steel I or H sections into the ground.