Excavation and trenching - Florida

Florida is under federal OSHA jurisdiction which covers most private sector workers within the state. State and local government workers are not covered by federal OSHA.

Underground facility

Florida’s Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act is intended to provide access for excavating contractors to provide notice to a notification system of their intent to engage in excavation or demolition. This notification system will provide the member operators of the system with an opportunity to identify and locate their underground facilities. This notification system will aid the public by preventing injury to persons or property and the interruption of services resulting from damage to an underground facility caused by excavation or demolition operations. These rules are found in Fla. Stat. §§ 556.101 -- 556.116.

Trench safety

Florida’s Trench Safety Act is designed to provide increased worker safety by requiring compliance with sufficient standards for trench safety.

State standard. The federal OSHA excavation safety standards, 29 C.F.R. § 1926.650 Subpart P, are incorporated by reference into the state trench safety standard.

Trench excavations more than 5 feet deep. On all specific contracts for trench excavation in which the excavation will exceed a depth of 5 feet, the contract bid submitted by the contractor who will perform such excavation must include:

• A reference to the trench safety standards that will be in effect during the construction of the project.
• Written assurance by the contractor performing the trench excavation that such contractor will comply with the applicable trench safety standards.
• A separate item identifying the cost of compliance with the applicable trench safety standards.

The contractor performing such trench excavation must:

• As a minimum, comply with the excavation safety standards which are applicable to a project.
• Adhere to any special shoring requirements, if any, of the state or other political subdivisions which may be applicable to such a project.
• If any geotechnical information is available from the owner, the contractor, or otherwise, the contractor performing trench excavation must consider this information in the contractor’s design of the trench safety system which it will employ on the project. The owner is not required to obtain geotechnical information.

Certain requirements for contract bids. The separate item identifying the cost of compliance with trench safety standards must be based on the linear feet of trench to be excavated. The separate item for special shoring requirements, if any, must be based on the square feet of shoring used. Every separate item must indicate the specific method of compliance as well as the cost of that method.