Trenching and Excavation
Overview
Trenching and excavation work presents serious hazards to all workers involved. Cave-ins pose the greatest risk and are more likely than some other excavation-related incidents to result in worker fatalities. One cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a car. An unprotected trench can be an early grave. Employers must ensure that workers enter trenches only after adequate protections are in place to address cave-in hazards. Other potential hazards associated with trenching work include falling loads, hazardous atmospheres, and hazards from mobile equipment.

What You'll Learn
The primary goal of this course is to teach workers safe procedures for working in and around a trench environment on a construction site. The user will learn:

How to identify possible excavation and trenching hazards

How to respond to an excavation or trenching emergency

Practice proper safety procedures

See the consequences of improper actions

The role of the Competent person

How to test a trench for Low oxygen levels