When Protection Against Cave-ins Is Required in Excavations When Protection Against Cave-ins Is Required in Excavations Company Harlan McPhee North McPhee South Powerhawke Ravex Richards Company Using the Form Job Name * Job Name and/or Number Date * When Protection Against Cave-ins Is Required in Excavations Here’s something for you to think about; just one cubic foot of undisturbed soil weighs at least 100 pounds, or even more if the soil has a high moisture content. That means that just one cubic yard of soil, which contains 27 cubic feet of material, weighs well over 2,700 pounds. That’s as much as a small car weighs! Now imagine you are working inside of a trench when some soil breaks loose from one of the sides and strikes you . . . or traps you up against the other side . . . or buries you up to your chest . . . or covers you up completely. As you can imagine, the ramifications could be disastrous. Often, the person trapped in the caved in soil suffocates very slowly, because the weight of the soil prevents them from expanding their diaphragm and taking a breath. But other non-fatal injuries could also occur when someone gets trapped in a cave-in, such as broken bones, ruptured internal organs, and muscle damage due to blood flow being restricted by the pressure exerted by the weight of the soil. So hopefully the thought of being seriously injured, or even dying, in a cave-in will motivate us all to be mindful of when we are required to have some form of protection from cave-ins when we enter excavations. Federal OSHA, as well as most State OSHA programs, requires us to utilize some form of approved protective system any time we enter any excavation that is five foot or deeper. It’s really that simple, if the excavation is five or more feet deep, then we must utilize a protective system . . . no ifs, ands, or buts about it! In some cases, the soil may be so unstable that the Competent Person might even have us utilize a protective system even if the excavation is less than five foot deep. But once again, under no circumstances is anyone ever allowed to enter any excavation that is five feet or deeper unless there is some form of approved protective system in place. Be aware that it’s NOT your job to figure out what kind of protective system to use, or if it is properly built or installed; that job belongs to the Competent Person. But usually, it will take one of the following forms: • Sloped sides • Benched, or stair-stepped, sides • Timber shoring • Aluminum shoring • A trench box, shield, or other manufactured protective system In addition to these methods of protection against cave-ins, there are others allowed, if they are designed or approved by a registered engineer and installed per their directions. The message is simple; DO NOT for any reason enter any excavation that is five foot or deeper unless there is an appropriate protective system in place. And if there is any doubt, ask your Competent Person. Additional Comments Trainer Name * Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Picture Upload Drop a file here or click to upload Choose File Maximum upload size: 52.43MB reCAPTCHA If you are human, leave this field blank. Submit Δ
