Safety Engineering Expert On Excavation & Trenching - Part 2

Competent Person

The competent person has the responsibility to examine the area of the excavation to determine that no recognizable conditions exist which would expose employees to injury from possible moving ground before work is permitted in or adjacent to the excavation. The excavation must not be opened until the competent person has determined that it is safe to do so. The competent person must inspect the excavation at the beginning of each day before workers are exposed to ensure that no changed condition, such as water entering the excavation, has increased the danger. Excavations must be inspected by the competent person after every rainstorm or other hazard-increasing occurrence and the protection against slides and cave-ins increased, if necessary, before excavation activities resume.

Below Grade Hazards

Before opening the excavation, the location of all underground installations such as sewer, water, fuel, electric lines, telecommunication lines, tanks, etc., must be located and marked so that they may be avoided or approached with caution. Many regions have a single telephone number that will alert the owners or managers of underground installations that an excavation is intended that may impact their facility or equipment. The operator of that underground installation then is required to mark on the ground their approximate location.