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Protect adjacent structures
  • Excavations below the base or footing of any foundation or retaining wall are not allowed unless certain criteria specified by OSHA are met.
  • Materials and equipment must be correctly maintained because defects and damages can create excavation hazards.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard requires an employer to provide support systems such as shoring, bracing, or underpinning to ensure that adjacent structures such as buildings, walls, sidewalks, or pavements remain stable. The standard also prohibits excavation below the base or footing of any foundation or retaining wall unless:

  • A support system such as underpinning is present,
  • The excavation is in stable rock, or
  • A registered professional engineer determines that the structure is far enough away from the excavation and that excavation will not pose a hazard to employees.

Excavations under sidewalks and pavements are prohibited unless an appropriately designed support system or another effective means of support is provided.

Install and remove protective systems

The standard requires the following steps to be taken to protect employees when installing support systems:

  • Connect members of support systems securely,
  • Install support systems safely,
  • Avoid overloading members of support systems, and
  • Install other structural members to carry loads imposed on the support system when individual members need to be removed temporarily.

In addition, the standard permits excavation of two feet or less below the bottom of the members of a support or shield system of a trench if the system is designed to resist forces calculated for the trench’s full depth. In addition, there must be no indications, while the trench is open, of a possible cave-in beneath the support system. Also, coordinate installation of support systems closely with excavation work.

As soon as work is completed, backfill the excavation when dismantling the protective system. After the excavation is cleared, remove the protective system from the bottom up, taking care to release members slowly.

Maintain materials and equipment

An employer is responsible for maintaining materials and equipment used for protective systems. Defective and damaged materials and equipment can cause failure of a protective system and other excavation hazards.

To avoid possible failure of a protective system, ensure that:

  • Materials and equipment are free from damage or defects,
  • Manufactured materials and equipment are used and maintained consistent with the manufacturer’s recommendations to prevent employee exposure to hazards and while in operation, and
  • A competent person examines any damaged materials and equipment. Unsafe materials and equipment must be removed from service until a registered professional engineer evaluates and approves them for use.