Inspections

Daily inspections of excavations, nearby areas, and protective systems must be made by a competent person. The goal of such inspections is to identify hazardous atmospheres, risks of cave-ins, indications of failure of protective systems, or any other hazardous conditions that may threaten the well-being of site workers. An inspection must be conducted by the competent person prior to the start of work and as needed throughout the shift. Inspections must also be made after every rainstorm or other hazard-increasing occurrence. These inspections are only required when employee exposure can be reasonably anticipated.

Where the competent person finds evidence of hazardous conditions, exposed employees must be removed from the hazardous area until the necessary precautions have been taken to ensure their safety.

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