Employer & Employee Responsibilities

Employers are responsible for the following:

• Planning the excavation, including selecting the site, classifying the soil, determining slope configurations, and implementing rescue procedures.
• Maintaining equipment in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations and ensuring that equipment is in proper working order throughout the project.
• Designating a company-selected competent person to conduct inspections each day before work begins, throughout the shift, and after other occurrences, such as heavy rain, which may alter conditions. Inspection should identify any possible cave-ins, failure of protective systems, dangerous atmospheric conditions, and other hazards.
• Creating and implementing a comprehensive safety training program for all employees. This program must cover all equipment used on the job, proper usage, potential hazards, safeguards implemented, and so forth. The training must also be available in the primary language of the employees to ensure their understanding of site preparation, protective systems, and hazards.

Employees are responsible for the following:

• Understanding safety at an excavation site
• Bringing hazardous situations to the attention of the employer
• Taking appropriate measures to keep themselves safe by using the necessary protective clothing and equipment while on the job

To learn more about Trenching and Excavation visit our Trenching and Excavation Safety Online Training web page.