Excavation & Trenching
The Competent Person
Role in Excavation
Role in Excavation
OSHA 1926.651 · 1926.652 · No Worker Enters Any Excavation Without CP Approval First
Excavation and trenching work kills more construction workers than any other underground activity in the United States. OSHA mandates that a Competent Person must classify soil, design the protective system, and inspect the excavation before any worker enters. On a NYC construction site, "good enough" and "seems solid" are not engineering judgments — they are guesses that bury workers alive.
What the Competent Person Must Do
- Classify the soil using visual test, manual test (ribbon test, moist clump test), or a penetrometer before any worker enters
- Select and verify the appropriate protective system: sloping, shoring, or shielding
- Inspect the excavation at the start of every shift, after rainfall, after freezing/thawing, and after any event that could affect stability
- Inspect for atmospheric hazards — carbon monoxide and oxygen-deficient atmospheres are common in NYC excavations near utilities and traffic
- Have the authority to remove workers from the excavation immediately when hazardous conditions are found
Who Must Not Enter Without CP Approval
- Every worker — without exception — must receive CP clearance before entering any excavation or trench on this site
- If the CP has not inspected that shift, the excavation is closed. No exceptions for "quick" tasks
- GC superintendents and owners do not override the CP's hazard determination — if the CP says out, it's out
NYC Sites — Increased Hazard Factors
- Adjacent structures (buildings, subway tunnels, utility vaults) add surcharge loads that change soil classification requirements
- NYC soil is often fill material over the original geology — fill may have low cohesion and unpredictable behavior
- NYC DEP and ConEd utility drawings are required before any excavation — NYC 811 ("Call Before You Dig") must be notified
Discussion Questions
- Who is the designated Competent Person for excavation on this site? How would you reach them?
- You arrive at an excavation and there is no CP inspection tag from today. What do you do?
- A GC project manager tells you to "just hop in for a second" before the CP arrives. What is the correct response?
- Name three conditions that require the CP to re-inspect the excavation mid-shift.
Sign-Off
Project Address
Date
Time
Foreman / Supervisor
SSM / SSC Name & License No.
Worker Attendance
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