Trenching and Excavation Safety

The Trenching and Excavation Safety online PDH course is a part of the Health and Safety category of courses. Excavation and trenching are among the most hazardous construction operations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Excavation standards, 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1926, Subpart P, contain requirements for excavation and trenching operations. This course highlights key elements of the standards and describes safe work practices that can protect workers from cave-ins and other hazards.

This course is based on OSHA document OSHA 2226-10R 2015 “Trenching and Excavation Safety”.

This course is intended for use by all engineers, design and construction professionals, health and safety officers, students and others interested in learning about trenching and excavation safety.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the difference between trenching and excavation
• Describe the dangers of trenching and excavation operations
• Explain the importance of preplanning in trenching and excavation planning
• Describe the protective systems and measures that can be taken to prevent cave-ins during trenching and excavation operations
• List and describe additional hazard and protection measures available to mitigate these risks from trenching and excavation operations