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Excavation Safety Tips

Excavations are vital to the construction sector and occur in other fields such as archaeology, too. These excavations are the scenes of occasional injury or death. The presence of machinery, unstable surfaces and materials, and potentially hazardous chemicals means that excavation sites are places where worker safety must be made a top priority.

  1. Materials Falling In

    • Once an excavation site opens, materials of varying kinds are removed and usually stored nearby; these can be dangerous if the materials then fall on those working in the excavation. Ensure that guard rails, trench sheets and toe boards are placed around the excavation; these will keep loose materials out.

    Safe Movement and Exit

    • Workers at an excavation site should take adequate measures to avoid injury. At a basic level, this involves wearing a hard hat and probably a visibility jacket at all times when on the site. When moving around the site, try to stay aware of your surroundings; avoid standing under the bucket of an excavator, for instance, and away from machinery which might shoot out projectiles. The site manager should ensure that ladders and other exit routes are near to all workers at all times. The Hard Hat News website suggests that all work take place within 25 feet of an exit route.

    Fall Prevention

    • A constant danger at excavation sites is the risk of individuals falling from platforms, ladders or the sides of the excavation. Guard rails and toe boards are useful in preventing this. Vehicles operating in the nearby area should be driven with care; stop blocks or barriers can be used to keep vehicles from running into the excavation.

    Nearby Structures and Potential Cave-ins

    • As the excavation is created, check any structures in the area; ensure that existing foundations are sufficiently supported so they don't fall due to the excavation. You may need to call in an engineer for this specific purpose. If the foundations of structures are found to be potentially unsafe, you'll want to arrange temporary support to prevent structures from collapsing.

      According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), many accidents at excavation sites involve cave-ins. The agency has therefore put safety regulations in place to prevent these, as well as to govern other aspects of excavation work. For instance, workers on excavations are permitted to use trench boxes --- steel or aluminum shields designed to protect individuals from cave-ins --- as long as these grant individuals protection equivalent to that afforded by fixed shoring systems.

    Fumes

    • Corrosive or otherwise dangerous fumes can become a problem for those working at an excavation site. You'll want to ensure that the fumes produced by diesel or gasoline-powered equipment, including generators, are ventilated or else directed away from the site. If you can't, make sure this equipment isn't placed at the edge of the excavation.

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