Excavation Safety# What are the hazards of excavation?

Dear viewers,
This Video Based on Excavation or Trench Hazards and Safety Measures.
Definition of Excavation:
Excavation is the process of digging into earth, soil or rock in order to create a space or a structure. It can also refer to the removal of material from a site, such as rubble or soil. Excavation may be done with hand tools or heavy equipment; it is most often a commercial activity.

Excavation work is done by excavators and engineering construction contractors. Building structures such as roads, bridges and buildings require excavation for the foundations and basement floors. In some cases, large-scale projects can involve the use of strip mining techniques for coal and ore mining. In mining and quarrying operations, excavation refers to the process of removing underground waste (tailings) from beneath active workings as well as from mined-out areas in preparation for backfilling (reinstatement). Excavation may also refer to the process of removing a layer of rock or soil from the surface.

Hazards Associated With Excavations:
There are about seven deaths each year due to work in excavations. Many types of soil, such as clays, are self-supporting, but others, such as sands and gravel, are not. Many excavations collapse without any warning, resulting in death or severe injury. Many such accidents occur in shallow workings. It is important to note that, although most of these accidents affect workers, public members can also be injured.

The specific hazards associated with excavations are as follows:

1- The collapse of the sides.
2- Materials falling on workers in the excavation.
3- Falls of people and/or vehicles into the excavation.
4- Workers being struck by plant.
5- Specialist equipment such as pneumatic drills.
6- Hazardous substances, particularly near the site of current or former industrial processes.
7- The influx of ground or surface water and entrapment in silt or mud.
8- The proximity of stored materials, waste materials or plants.
9- The proximity of adjacent buildings or structures and their stability.
10- Contact with underground services.
11- Access and egress to the excavation.
12- Fumes, lack of oxygen, and other health hazards (such as Weil’s disease).
13- Contaminated ground.

Precautions And Controls Measures For Excavations:

1- At all stages of the excavation, a competent person must supervise the work, and the workers must be given clear instructions on working safely in the excavation.
2- The sides of the excavation must be prevented from collapsing either by digging them at a safe angle (between 5º and 45º, dependent on soil and dryness) or by shoring them up with timber, sheeting, or a proprietary support system.
3- Falls of material into the workings can also be prevented by not storing spoil material near the top of the excavation.
4- The workers should wear hard hats with Proper PPE's.
5- If the excavation is more than 2 m deep, a substantial barrier consisting of guard rails and toe boards should be provided around the surface of the workings.
6- Vehicles should be kept away as far as possible using warning signs and barriers. Stop blocks should be placed behind wheels when a vehicle is tipping materials into the excavation.
7- The excavation site must be well lit at night.
8- All plant and equipment operators must be competent, and non-operators should be kept away from moving the plant.
9- Hazardous substances or health hazards should become apparent during the original survey work and, when possible, removed or suitable control measures adopted.
10- Exhaust fumes can be dangerous, and petrol or diesel plant should not be sited near the top of the excavation.
11- The presence of buried services is one of the biggest hazards, and the position of such services must be ascertained using all available service location drawings before work commences. As these will probably not be accurate, specifically trained people should use service location equipment. The area around the excavation should be checked for service boxes. If possible, the supply should be isolated. Only hand tools should be used in the vicinity of underground services. Overhead services may also present risks to cranes and other tall equipment. If the supply cannot be isolated, then ‘goal posts’ beneath the overhead supply and suitable bunting and signs must be used.
12- As are crossing points for pedestrians and vehicles, safe access by ladders is essential. Whenever possible, the workings should be covered entirely outside working hours, particularly if there is a possibility of children entering the site.

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