OSHA requires that each employee in an excavation be protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system designed in accordance with specific regulations [1]. However, this requirement is waived when excavations are less than 5 feet in depth and a competent person's examination of the ground provides no indication of a potential cave-in 1, 4. Protective systems must be able to resist all expected loads [2].

If an excavation is 5 feet or deeper, employees must be protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system [1]. Protective systems include support systems, sloping and benching systems, shield systems, and other systems that provide the necessary protection [3].

Daily inspections of the excavation, adjacent areas, and protective systems must be conducted by a competent person for any evidence of potential cave-ins, failure of protective systems, hazardous atmospheres, or other hazardous conditions 4, 5. Inspections are required before the start of work and as needed throughout the shift, as well as after every rainstorm or hazard-increasing event, but only when employee exposure can be reasonably anticipated [4].

If a competent person finds evidence of a situation that could result in a cave-in or other hazardous conditions, exposed employees must be removed from the hazardous area until the necessary precautions have been taken to ensure their safety 4, 5.