You are exposed to many hazards during a construction work day. If you work in excava¬tions, the chief hazard is the danger of cave-ins.
OSHA requires that all excavations, where employees are exposed to potential cave-ins, must be protected by:
• Proper sloping and/or benching of the sides of the excavation.
• Supporting the sides of the excavation with timber or aluminum hydraulic shoring.
• Placing a shield between the side of the excavation and your work area.
• Employers are free to choose the most practical design approach for a particular circum¬stance. Once an approach is selected, the required performance criteria for that system must be met.
The standard does not require protective systems when an excavation is:
• Made entirely in stable rock, or
• Less than 5 feet deep and a competent person has examined the ground and found no indication of a potential cave-in.
Protective systems — There are many factors involved in designing a protective system. Some of them are: soil classification, depth of cut, water content of the soil, changes due to weather and climate, or other operations at the work site. The OSHA rules provide several different methods and approaches.
Protective systems must be able to resist, without failure, all loads that are intended or could reasonably be expected to be applied or transmitted to the system.
Installation and removal of protective systems — The following steps are required for protect¬ing employees when installing support systems: (1) securely connect, (2) safely install, (3) never overload members, and (4) install other structural members to carry loads imposed on the support system when temporary removal of individual members is necessary.
As soon as work is completed, the excavation should be backfilled as the protective system is dismantled. After the excavation is cleared, workers should slowly remove the protective system from the bottom up, taking care to release members slowly.
Materials and equipment — Employers are responsible for the safe condition of materials and equipment used for protective systems. Defective and damaged materials and equipment can result in the failure of a protective system and cause excavation hazards.
This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.assuranceagency.com
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