Trenching and Excavation Training

Increasing excavation related fatalities and serious injuries over the last few years prompted OSHA to create a National Emphasis Program (NEP) on Trenching and Excavation (see OSHA CPL-02-00-161).  If you’re not aware, a NEP is a temporary program that focus OSHA’s resources on specific hazards and high-hazard industries and generally means more inspections. (Read more on OSHA’s required trench inspections here.) That’s why it’s critical to have a competent person onsite who can identify existing and predictable trenching and excavation hazards and is authorized to eliminate these hazards. The competent person must be familiar with the practical aspects of trenching and excavation dangers and activities, and appropriate protective measures that can be put in place on the jobsite.It’s the employer’s responsibility to designate a component person to perform these duties and inspections prior to the start of work, throughout the day as needed and after rainstorms or other natural events.Our 8-hour excavation competent person training will get your competent person up to speed on what they need to do to fulfill this OSHA requirement. We’ll teach participants how to conduct soil classification tests to determine if soils are Type-A, Type-B or Type-C. Additionally, we’ll review inspection requirements for trenches and excavations. Attendees will review current OSHA letters of interpretation relating to trenching and excavation activities and engage in group discussion.At the completion of training employees will be provided with a certificate of completion for Trenching and Excavation Competent Person Training and will have a generic letter that can be completed by the employer officially designating them as having the authority as a competent person for trenching and excavation.