802 Trench and Excavation Safety

Introduction

This course addresses requirements of the excavation and trenching standards, as set forth by OSHA 1926.651 and 1926.652 for equipment operators, workers and all others associated with trenching and excavating.

Students will learn how to recognize and mitigate hazardous conditions, use safe work practices, and employ preventive measures to prevent injuries and fatalities. Soil mechanics and characteristics, trenching protective systems, and employer, competent person, and employee requirements are also covered.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, you should be able to:

ID	Objective
TO 1.0	Achieve a minimum score of 70% on the final course assessment.
LO 1.1.1	Identify and describe the OSHA standards that apply to excavations.
LO 1.1.2	Identify and describe the basic strategies to prevent excavation cave-ins.
LO 1.1.3	Define "competent person" (CP) and describe CP responsibilities.
LO 1.2.1	List and describe soil characteristics and types.
LO 1.2.2	Discuss soil mechanics including soil weight and soil type.
LO 1.3.1	Describe the reasons soils fail, including sliding and soil instability.
LO 1.4.1	Describe the four types of excavation protective systems and how they are selected.
LO 1.5.1	Describe employer responsibilities to ensure the safety of employees working in excavations.
LO 1.6.1	Describe contractor responsibilities and site safety requirements for excavation and materials while employees are exposed to associated hazards.

Key: Terminal Objective (TO), Learning Objective (LO)