Features
Trenching and Excavation Safety: The role and responsibilities of the competent person
Part One: The role and responsibilities of the competent person
Working in trenches and excavations is potentially one of the most hazardous types of work in the construction and utility industry. Across the U.S., as many as 400 workers are killed, and several thousand are injured, each year. Not surprisingly, most of these workers have received no trenching and excavation safety training. What is surprising is that most of the trenches are relatively shallow (five to 15 feet deep).
Many construction people don’t appreciate the enormous weight of soil. One cubic foot of soil weighs between 90 and 140 pounds. Therefore, a cubic yard of soil can weigh almost 4,000 pounds. As a result, there’s usually a death or very serious injury when a trench cave-in occurs.
In an attempt to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries that occur each year in trenches and excavations, the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) requires that a “Competent Person” be on site whenever workers are exposed in an excavation. OSHA defines a Competent Person as one who:
1. is capable of identifying existing or predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who
2. has the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
OSHA goes on to stipulate that the Competent Person on a trenching and excavation site must have specific training in – and be knowledgeable of – soils analysis, the use of protective systems, and the requirements of the OSHA Standard (29 CFR 1926, Subpart P).
OSHA is very specific about the responsibilities of the Competent Person. Those responsibilities include:
- authority to stop work
- inspections of trenches or excavations
- testing for hazardous atmospheres when such atmospheres exist or could be reasonably expected to exist
- inspection of materials or equipment if damaged, to determine if usable
- monitoring of water removal equipment and operations
- visual and manual tests of the soil
Inspections are particularly important. The Competent Person needs to inspect daily for indications of possible cave-ins, failure of protective systems, hazardous atmospheres and other hazardous conditions. The inspections need to be conducted prior to the start of work, and also as needed throughout the shift, after rainstorms and after other potential hazard-increasing events.
A number of trade associations and private consultants offer Competent Person training, with classes lasting about eight hours. OSHA and most safety professionals also encourage periodic “refresher” training.
This is an important topic. When cave-ins occur, the result is usually one or more deaths or very serious injuries. To do trenching and excavation work safely, contractors and utilities need a person on site who has the knowledge of how to do the work safely, who regularly inspects the trenches or excavations and who has the authority to take immediate action to insure the safety of all workers.
