Page 14 - Arkansas 811 Magazine 2018 Issue 4

Trenching and excavation safety
Part one: The role and responsibilities of the “Competent Person"
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‘ B’ ‘ Ediful''s Nun’: Tins I5 Hm firs! U//our nmrlcs m fhia aerits that dlsrllssts spcufic
steps Hm! eotttmetars and rthhhes can take ta help msluf the safety llffivtlr
pcrsamtcl. Dllzlitmsly, N115 IS an aaemera lvffht salyeet It is mtaessthlc Iu pwpcrly
wwr the more in ]ll5;‘fU14r rclahuely shun‘ amcles. CLIrl;‘lt1C;‘Ul5 and ahlmcs lrlvulvcd
‘ in Illtdflgruurlfl work unit tread rldriiflumzl htzmlrlg ta m5Mr( worker safety.
uxklng |n trenches and exeavattons i~ pntenttallv one of the
mod hazardous types of woxk In the tondructlon and utthty
4 T; lndust V Acm» the 17.5., as mrmv as MU wozkch are killed and
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s. -P , ‘ several thousand are injured each year. Not surpnstng, most
‘ ' of these workers have recetved no trenching and excavation ~afety training.

what rs surpnsrng ts that most of the trenches are relattvely shallow (five to
15 teet deep).

Many eonstructton people don't appreciate the enormous welghl or sort one
cubrc toot at Mall weighs between 90 and 140 pouncls. Therefore, a cuhrc yard
of sotl can wetgh almml 4,000 pounds. As a result, there's usually a death or
very senous Injury when a treneh cavern occurs

ln an attempt to reduec the number at deaths and senous lnyunes that occur
each year in trenches and exeavattons, the federal oeeupattonal satety A:
Health Admlnhlratlon (CrSHA)IequlreHhr1la "Competent Pn:r~on" be onsite
whenever wolken are expomd in an excavannn OSHA clehnes a Competent
Person as one who

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