- While the excavation is open, protecting, supporting or, if necessary, removing underground installations. Also, NAHB advises employers to train and designate someone in the company as a competent person who can determine if a trench is safe before employees are allowed to enter it. Following all pertinent OSHA regulations, the competent person must choose whether sloping, shoring or benching is needed to ensure that all employees are adequately protected in an excavation.
If a pipeline is damaged during an excavation, the OSHA bulletin recommends notifying the pipeline operator immediately and calling 911 or other emergency response numbers if the damage results in a release of natural gas or other hazardous substances that could endanger life, health or property.
The bulletin cites a 1999 report from the Department of Transportation that recommends following the same procedures “if the protective coating of an electrical line is penetrated.”
Prior to any excavation, the bulletin cautions, excavators need to establish a detailed work plan and train their employees on the proper procedures for determining the locations of underground utilities.
For a copy of the safety and health information bulletin, click here.
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