Excavation and Trenching

What are the hazards associated with excavations?

Excavation work presents serious hazards to all workers involved. Cave-ins pose the greatest risk and are much more likely than other excavation-related accidents to result in worker fatalities. Other potential hazards include falls, falling loads, hazardous atmospheres and incidents involving mobile equipment adjacent to excavations.

What can I do to protect myself?

Employers are required to designate a competent person who has the knowledge and training to properly classify soil types, including how to determine if soil has been previously disturbed, and to specify the appropriate type of sloping or reinforcement necessary to prevent a cave-in while workers are working within an excavation, especially a trench. Identify the nearest means of egress from a trench. The employer must ensure that means of egress are available within 25 feet for workers in a trench.

What resources are available to assist employers?

Safety and Health Programs

Example safety and health programs are available for employers to download and adapt to their specific conditions. 

Training and Outreach Services

The excavation and trenching presentation can be downloaded and modified to address site-specific conditions and hazards. Other example presentations are available along with pre-recorded webinars which can be accessed at any time. 

In addition, the education, training and technical assistance bureau provides free online safety and health training and outreach services (i.e., speaker's bureau requests, safety booths) upon request. 

Lastly, the NCDOL Library offers free safety and health videos (including streaming video services) and related research assistance on consensus standards (i.e., ANSI, NFPA, NEC).

Safety and Health Topics

In addition, the safety and health topics page on confined spaces and competent person can provide additional resource information.

Consultation Services

The consultative services bureau provides free and confidential onsite consultation regarding worksite safety and health hazards.

Which standards apply?

OSH has adopted the following standards which are applicable to excavation and trenching in North Carolina. This is not all inclusive.

Note: Please also check the standards information and activity webpage to see if there has been any recent or upcoming regulatory activity on this topic. 

Construction Industry

• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart C - general safety and health provisions
  • 29 CFR 1926.20 – general safety and health provisions
  • 29 CFR 1926.21 – safety training and education
  • 29 CFR 1926.34 – means of egress
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart D - occupational health and environmental controls
  • 29 CFR 1926.51 – sanitation
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P - excavations
  • 29 CFR 1926.650 - scope, application, and definitions applicable to this subpart
  • 29 CFR 1926.651 - specific excavation requirements
  • 29 CFR 1926.652 - requirements for protective systems
    • Appendix A to 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P - soil classification
    • Appendix B to 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P - sloping and benching
    • Appendix C to 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P - timber shoring for trenches
    • Appendix D to 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P - aluminum hydraulic shoring for trenches
    • Appendix E to 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P - alternatives to timber shoring
    • Appendix F to 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P - selection of protective systems

Recordkeeping

• Refer to Recording and Reporting

Other Applicable Standards

The Which OSHA Standards Apply webpage can help identify other standards that may be applicable to your worksite.  

Where can I learn more?

Industry Guides

• Industry Guide 48 - OSHA Construction Industry Standards Requiring Programs, Inspections, Procedures, Records and/or Training provides requirements for standards related to trenching and excavations in construction.

Fact Sheets

• NCDOL Investigates Trench Collapse, discusses the investigation process for a fatality involving a trench collapse.

Compliance Documents

• Compliance Directive: CPL 02-00-161 - National Emphasis Program: Trenching and Excavation describes policies and procedures for implementing a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to identify, reduce, and/or eliminate the safety hazards associated with trenching and excavations.
• Compliance Directive: CPL 02-00-165 - Compliance Directive for the Excavation Standard, 29 CFR 1926, Subpart P establishes the inspection procedures and provides clarification to ensure uniform enforcement of the Excavation standards in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P.
• Compliance Directive: CPL 02-00-124 - Multi-Employer Citation Policy provides guidance to Compliance Officers regarding the issuance of citations for employers who exercise control in creating, controlling, exposing and correcting hazards for their employees and those of other employers on site.
• Standards Notice: SN 61 - Residential Construction - Foundation or Basement Excavations addresses the conditions in which 29 CFR 1926.652 (requirement for protective systems) will not be applied to house foundation and basement excavations in residential construction.
• OSHA Technical Manual (TED 01-00-015) provides technical information about workplace hazards and controls to OSHA’s Compliance Safety and Health Officers.
• CFR 109 - Excavations: Final Rule provides the promulgation of the rule.

Technical Assistance

• Inquiries about workplace safety and health requirements can be submitted to Ask OSH online or by phone at 919-707-7876.