Excavation and shoring safety procedures are essential to protect employees from cave-ins, falling materials, and structural collapses. OSHA regulations require a comprehensive approach to ensure a safe working environment.

Key safety procedures include:

• Competent Person: A competent person must be on site to identify existing and predictable hazards and who is authorized to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
• Protective Systems: Implement appropriate protective systems such as sloping, benching, shoring, or shielding to prevent cave-ins. These systems must be designed by a registered professional engineer or in accordance with OSHA standards.
• Soil Classification: Classify soil types to determine appropriate sloping and shoring requirements. Soil types include stable rock, Type A, Type B, and Type C soils, each requiring different protective measures.
• Sloping and Benching: Slope excavation sides to the angle of repose or utilize benching techniques, ensuring the vertical rise does not exceed 5 feet with adequate step back.
• Shoring Systems: Use shoring systems like timber, aluminum hydraulic, or mechanical shoring to support excavation sides. These systems must be properly installed and maintained.
• Shielding (Trench Boxes): Employ trench boxes or shields for worker protection, ensuring they are designed and maintained to provide protection equal to or greater than shoring requirements.
• Adjacent Structures: Protect adjacent structures from settlement, lateral movement, undermining, or washout by providing support systems such as shoring, bracing, or underpinning.
• Inspections: Conduct daily inspections of excavations, support systems, and adjacent areas by a competent person for any potential hazards.
• Water Accumulation: Prevent water accumulation in excavations or implement water removal equipment monitored by a competent person.
• Fall Protection: Provide fall protection measures, especially when employees work above other employees in sloped or benched excavations.
• Utility Location: Locate and mark underground utilities before excavating, using hand digging when near utility lines.
• Walkways and Ramps: Provide walkways, runways, or bridges where employees or equipment cross excavations.
• Emergency Procedures: Develop and post warning signals for evacuation in case of emergency.