Excavation and earthwork JHA: hazards, controls and PPE.
Start from this template, add what's different on your site today, and have the crew sign.
| Hazards · Excavation and earthwork |
|---|
| Slope or wall collapse |
| Undermining nearby buildings, roads and sidewalks |
| Utility strike |
| Falls into the excavation |
Controls
- Competent person classifies the soil. Slope to the table: Type A 3/4:1, Type B 1:1, Type C 1-1/2:1. Over 20 ft deep, an engineer designs it.
- Shore or underpin next to buildings, walls and roads.
- Call 811 and find the exact utility location before digging close.
- Guardrail, fence or barricade edges 6 ft or deeper where people can't see them.
All 5 hazards and 6 controls → · 29 CFR 1926.651
Toolbox talk: Cave-in warning signs
A starting point, not a finished JHA. Walk the site and have the competent person sign it.
Hazards
- Slope or wall collapse
- Undermining nearby buildings, roads and sidewalks
- Utility strike
- Falls into the excavation
- Struck-by excavators and haul trucks
Controls
- Competent person classifies the soil. Slope to the table: Type A 3/4:1, Type B 1:1, Type C 1-1/2:1. Over 20 ft deep, an engineer designs it.
- Shore or underpin next to buildings, walls and roads.
- Call 811 and find the exact utility location before digging close.
- Guardrail, fence or barricade edges 6 ft or deeper where people can't see them.
- Warning system (barricades, stop logs or a signal person) when operators can't see the edge.
- Competent person inspects daily and after rain.
PPE
- Hard hat
- High-vis vest (Class 2; Class 3 at night)
- Steel-toe boots
- Safety glasses
OSHA rules
29 CFR 1926.651 · 29 CFR 1926.652 and Appendices A-B · 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(7)
Toolbox talk: Cave-in warning signs
- Cracks along the top edge.
- Bulging or sloughing walls.
- Water seeping in, or rain overnight.
- Vibration from traffic or equipment nearby.
- See any of these: get out and tell the competent person.
The full talk, with questions for the crew →
A starting point, not a finished JHA. Walk the site, add what's different today, and have the competent person sign it.
Tomorrow, the crew signs it on one phone.
Dozer writes the JHA and the toolbox talk from what you say and what the cameras saw yesterday. The crew signs on the foreman's phone, and it files itself in the site's day.
- One JHA per task, per day, in under a minute
- The toolbox talk that matches the work
- Signatures on one phone, no clipboard
- Filed with the daily log, ready for an inspector
LIVE Toolbox talk · trench safety · 12 signed Photo is an AI-generated stand-in, not a customer site.
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Questions crews ask
What are the hazards of excavation and earthwork?
Slope or wall collapse. Undermining nearby buildings, roads and sidewalks. Utility strike. Falls into the excavation. Struck-by excavators and haul trucks.
What controls go in a excavation and earthwork JHA?
Competent person classifies the soil. Slope to the table: Type A 3/4:1, Type B 1:1, Type C 1-1/2:1. Over 20 ft deep, an engineer designs it. Shore or underpin next to buildings, walls and roads. Call 811 and find the exact utility location before digging close. Guardrail, fence or barricade edges 6 ft or deeper where people can't see them. Warning system (barricades, stop logs or a signal person) when operators can't see the edge.
What PPE is needed for excavation and earthwork?
Hard hat, High-vis vest (Class 2; Class 3 at night), Steel-toe boots, Safety glasses. Add what your site and the task's SDS call for.
Which OSHA rules cover excavation and earthwork?
29 CFR 1926.651; 29 CFR 1926.652 and Appendices A-B; 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(7).
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