Trenching and Excavation Safety

Our OSHA Competent Person For Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course is designed for individuals seeking certification for trenching and excavation operations in compliance with OSHA regulations specified in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P.

While excavating and trenching have a number of important applications (such as in mining, environmental restoration, and exploration), their use in the construction industry is one of the most common. These operations are used in the construction industry for pipe laying, building foundations, utility work, and more.

Working in and around trenching and excavation operations is inherently dangerous. Hazards include cave-ins, exposure to falling loads, electrocutions, oxygen deficiency, falls, and hazardous atmospheres (among many others).

As part of a safety and health program, the OSHA excavations and trenching regulations specified in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P require employers to implement specific practices that will help reduce the risk of on-the-job injuries and illnesses at trenching and excavation sites.

One of the safety practices required by OSHA is assigning a Competent Person to oversee operations at the excavation site. The Competent Person is responsible for classifying soil, inspecting protective systems, and monitoring the site for new or additional hazards.

These roles make the Competent Person a crucial player in workplace safety. If your job requires you to work in and around excavations and trenches as a part of your job duties, then it is important that you receive additional on-site training from your employer in addition to this OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course.

Course Objectives

After completion of the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course, the learner will be able to:

• Understand OSHA excavations and trenching regulations as defined in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P and the safe work practices and procedures specified by this standard;
• List site conditions that must be evaluated before excavation operations begin;
• Distinguish between type A, B, and C soil;
• Explain what a competent person is responsible for in trenching and excavations operations;
• Explain what OSHA’s unconfined compressive strength measurement determines;
• Differentiate between the two basic methods used for soil classification: visual testing and manual testing;
• Understand the dynamics involved in a cave-in; and
• Explain OSHA regulations related to protective systems in excavated areas and the exceptions to these regulations.