Safety And Compliance
Course Pack: Field and Equipment Safety
Trench Safety (Coming Soon)
Course Description
Trench Safety provides water and wastewater personnel with essential training on preventing excavation and trenching-related injuries through proper soil classification, protective system selection, and hazard recognition. The course emphasizes OSHA-compliant trench safety requirements, including safe access and egress, spoil pile management, atmospheric testing, and daily trench inspections. Learners develop the skills to identify changing site conditions, coordinate utility locates, and implement effective control measures to prevent cave-ins, water intrusion, and equipment-related hazards, ensuring safer excavation operations and regulatory compliance.
Learning Objectives
1) Classify soils and choose protective systems (sloping, shoring, shielding).
2) Provide safe access/egress, spoil placement, and traffic control.
3) Inspect trenches and protective systems as conditions change.
4) Coordinate underground utility locates and permits.
5) Respond to hazards including water intrusion and vibrations.
Agenda
1) Standard requirements and competent person concepts.
2) Soil classification and stability assessment.
3) Protective systems selection and setup.
4) Access/egress, spoil piles, and atmospheric monitoring.
5) Inspection frequency, changing conditions, and incident response.
Target audience
Operators at intermediate level, responsible for excavation oversight, field operations, safety compliance, or coordination of trenching activities.
Level
I, II, III, IV
Learning material and method
Online on-demand
Assessment
Knowledge check and quiz (80% correct and above)
Instructor
Dave Burpeau