How do I determine whether a jobsite excavation meets OSHA requirements?

The following excavation jobsite checklist is excerpted from OSHA’s Technical Manual, Section IV, Construction Operations. The manual suggests that OSHA inspectors or a company’s safety officer or other competent person may find the following questions useful. The OSHA regulations state that daily inspections of excavations, the adjacent areas, and protective systems must be made by a competent person for evidence of a situation that could result in possible cave-ins, indications of failure of protective systems, hazardous atmospheres, or other hazardous conditions when employee exposure can be reasonably anticipated.

• Is the cut, cavity, or depression a trench or an excavation?
• Is the cut, cavity, or depression more than 4 feet deep?
• Is there water in the cut, cavity, or depression?
• Are there adequate means of access and egress?
• Are there any surface encumbrances?
• Is there exposure to vehicular traffic?
• Are adjacent structures stabilized?
• Does mobile equipment have a warning system?
• Is a competent person in charge of the operation?
• Is equipment operating in or around the cut, cavity, or depression?
• Are procedures required to monitor, test, and control hazardous atmospheres?
• Does a competent person determine soil type?
• Was a soil testing device used to determine soil type?
• Is the spoil placed 2 feet or more from the edge of the cut, cavity, or depression?
• Is the depth 20 feet or more for the cut, cavity, or depression?
• Has a registered professional engineer approved the procedure if the depth is more than 20 feet?
• Does the procedure require benching or multiple benching? Shoring? Shielding?
• If provided, do shields extend at least 18 inches above the surrounding area if it is sloped toward the excavation?
• If shields are used, is the depth of the cut more than 2 feet below the bottom of the shield?
• Are any required surface crossings of the cut, cavity, or depression the proper width and fitted with hand rails?
• Are means of egress from the cut, cavity, or depression no more than 25 feet from the work?
• Is emergency rescue equipment required?
• Is there documentation of the minimum daily excavation inspection?
• Does your competent person use a checklist?
• Are all possible areas covered? Maybe you want to review your checklist to ensure all possible situations are covered. Your competent person should know why each question above was asked and what the requirements are.