Excavation Training

Excavating is recognized as one of the most hazardous construction activities. Trenching and excavation work presents serious risks to all workers involved in the process. After providing an overall understanding of excavation and its hazards, this course details the general and specific requirements when excavating and trenching in accordance with OSHA construction regulations.

Anyone working with or around excavation or trenching activites.

• Understanding Excavation and Trenching
  • Excavation and trenching basics
  • Excavation and trenching fatalities
  • Anatomy of a cave-in
  • Fatality facts
• General Requirements
  • Planning
  • Evaluation elements
  • Inspections
  • Employee safety
  • Type A soil
  • Type B soil
  • Type C soil
  • Soil weights
  • Soil classification
  • Determining Slopes
• Specific Requirements
  • Surface encumbrances
  • Utility hazards
  • Underground installations
  • Access and Egress
  • Exposure to vehicle traffic
  • Exposure to falling loads
  • Warning systems
  • Hazardous atmospheres
  • Water accumulation
  • Stability of adjacent structures
  • Protection from loose rock or soil
  • Fall protection
  • Rescues
• Protective Systems
  • Employee protection
  • Sloping and benching systems
  • Support system design
  • Shield systems
• Interpretations and Appendices
  • Letter of interpretation
  • Subpart P Appendices

• Know the hazards of working inside trenches and excavations.
  • Define types of cave-in protection.
  • Describe indications that a trench may be near cave-in.
• Follow general requirements to work safely at excavations.
  • Evaluate workers in danger.
  • Distinguish soil types.
  • Differentiate maximum allowable slopes for soil types.
• Know the general requirements of a Competent Person.
  • Identify the evaluation requirement to be conducted by an OSHA competent person.
• Abide by specific requirements when working excavations.
  • List ways to ensure utilities are not damaged while excavating.
  • Recall the distance required for a means of access and egress from a trench.
  • Select an indication that an excavation atmosphere may be dangerous.
  • Agree to never use power equipment to rescue a worker from a cave-in.
• Properly use protective systems.
  • Select exceptions to excavations needing an adequate protective system.
  • Agree to never exceed the load limits of individual members of a support system.
  • Identify the maximum distance an excavation can go below the support system.
  • Explain the purpose of classifying soil.
  • List instances when a worker is not allowed in a shield.

Mastery awards 0.150 CEUs to participants who successfully complete this program.

Mastery Technologies, Inc. has been reviewed and approved as an Authorized Provider by: The International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET)

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McLean, VA 22102