Trench safety

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## R. WORKING AROUND UNDER GROUND UTILITY LINES During operation it is likely that you will be working around or near buried utility lines which may include, but are not limited to: - -Electrical Power Line - -Gas Line - -Water Line - -Communication Line: Telephone or Cable Television Before begining any trenching, drilling or other construction work it is your responsibility to be aware of all such utility lines buried in the area of your project and to avoid them. ALWAYS have all local utility companies mark the location of their lines. Check with local authorities for laws, regulations and/or strict penalties requiring you to locate and avoid existing utilities. ## S. RESTRICTED WORK AREAS In work sites with limited height and swing / traveling areas such as tunnels, bridges, around electrical power lines, other utilities, or inside structures. Use extreme caution on work sites with limited height and swing/traveling areas such as tunnels, bridges, around electrical power lines, other utilities or inside structure. Keep the machine and its attachment a safe distance to prevent injury, death or damage on equipment or structure. Use a flagman to guide the operators. ## T. DO NOT WORK UNDER PRECIPICE / OVERHANG Do not dig under the precipice. It may cause falling rocks or loosening of the precipice resulting in injury, death or machine damage. <!-- image --> <!-- image --> <!-- image --> １

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## OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, 2020 S-15.1 REG 10 - (6) If a worker is required to enter a trench, an employer or contractor shall: - (a) install ladders, stairways or ramps to provide a safe means of entrance to and exit from the trench; and - (b) ensure that the ladder, stairway or ramp is located not more than 8 metres from a worker working in the trench. - (7) An employer or contractor shall ensure that workers are instructed in and comply with the requirements of this section. 31 Dec 2020 c S-15.1 Reg 10 s17-7. ## Excavated shafts and tunnels - 17-8 (1) An employer or contractor shall ensure that: - (a) during excavating, the walls of an excavated shaft or tunnel are retained by temporary protective structures that are adequate: - (i) for the type of soil; and - (ii) to prevent collapse or cave-in of the walls of the excavated shaft or tunnel; - (b) during the excavating of an excavated shaft that is 3 metres or more deep or of a tunnel, the walls of the shaft or tunnel are retained by temporary protective structures designed and certified by a professional engineer to be adequate for the protection of workers in the shaft or tunnel and constructed, installed, used, maintained and dismantled in accordance with that design; - (c) a solid or wire mesh fence at least 1 metre high, or other equally effective means of preventing material from falling into an excavated shaft or the surface opening of a tunnel, is provided around that shaft or opening; and - (d) substantial gates that are not less than 1 metre high are installed in every opening in a fence provided pursuant to clause (c) and the gates are kept closed except when being used. - (2) A worker who opens a gate mentioned in clause (1) (d) shall close the gate after the worker no longer has a need to keep the gate open. - (3) An employer or contractor shall provide suitable equipment to keep a tunnel or excavated shaft free from any accumulation of water. 31 Dec 2020 c S-15.1 Reg 10 s17-8. ## Bor…

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- (b) where a trench cage is used, within the trench cage. - 168 An employer shall ensure that excavated material is - (a) kept at least 1 m away from the edge of an excavation or trench, unless an engineer certifies a shorter distance as adequate; and - (b) located a sufficient distance from the edge of the excavation or trench to ensure the excavated material does not re-enter the excavation or trench. Clause 168(b) amended: O.I.C. 2000-130, N.S. Reg. 52/2000. - 169 (1) An employer shall ensure that an excavation or trench in which a person works is kept reasonably free of water. - (2) Where a person may be exposed to a hazardous substance or to an oxygen rich atmosphere in an excavation or trench, an employer shall ensure that, before the person enters the excavation or trench, - (a) testing is performed to - (I) determine the concentration of any hazardous gas, vapour or dust, flammables, the concentration of oxygen and oxygen deficiency in the atmosphere in the immediate area of the excavation or trench where the work is to be performed, - (ii) ensure that the concentration of a chemical substance or a mixture of chemical substances in the excavation or trench does not exceed its occupational exposure limit under Part 2: Occupational Health of the Workplace Health and Safety Regulations made under the Act or 50% of its lower explosive limit, and - (iii) ensure that the level of oxygen in the atmosphere in the excavation or trench is not less than 19.5 % and not more than 22.5 %, unless the employer can demonstrate that an unsafe oxygen level is not possible in the circumstances; and Clause 169(2)(a) replaced: O.I.C. 2013-65, N.S. Reg. 53/2013. - (b) adequate precautions are taken to reduce the risk of injury to a person. Subsection 169(2) replaced: O.I.C. 2000-130, N.S. Reg. 52/2000. - (3 ) No person shall store hazardous substances in an excavation or trench. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\…

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## OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, 2020 - (3) An employer or contractor shall ensure that a temporary protective structure in an excavation more than 3 metres deep is designed and certified as safe by a professional engineer and installed, used, maintained and dismantled in accordance with that design. 31 Dec 2020 c S-15.1 Reg 10 s17-6. ## Protection against cave-in of trenches - 17-7 (1) If a worker is present in a trench that is more than 1.2 metres deep, an employer or contractor shall ensure that the worker is protected from cave-ins or sliding material by: - (a) cutting back the upper portion of the walls of the trench in accordance with subsection 17-4(2); - (b) installing a temporary protective structure; or - (c) a combination of cutting back the walls to the slope specified in subsection 17-4(2) and installing a temporary protective structure that extends at least 300 millimetres above the base of the cut-back. - (2) An employer or contractor shall ensure that a temporary protective structure required by clause (1) (b) or (c) is: - (a) designed and installed using shoring made of number 1 structural grade spruce lumber having the dimensions set out in Table 14 of the Appendix for the type of soil and the depth of the trench or made of material of equivalent or greater strength; or - (b) designed by a professional engineer and constructed, installed, used, maintained and dismantled in accordance with that design. - (3) An employer or contractor shall ensure that a temporary protective structure in a trench more than 6 metres deep in type 1, type 2 or type 3 soil or in a trench more than 4 metres deep in type 4 soil is designed and certified as safe by a professional engineer and installed, used, maintained and dismantled in accordance with that design. - (4) An employer or contractor shall ensure that: - (a) shoring is installed and removed in a manner that protects workers from cave-ins and structural collapses and from being struck …

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## Support where heavy equipment used near edge 181 (3) Where powered mobile equipment or a mobile crane is used near the edge of an excavation or trench, an employer shall ensure that any shoring, bracing or ca -ging for the excavation or trench is adequate to support the increased pressure. ## Certificate of engineer respecting support 181 (4) An employer shall ensure that shoring, bracing or caging for an excavation or trench is certified as ade -quate by an engineer and shall make the proof of the cer -tification available to an officer on request. 2001-33 ## Entering excavation or trench 182 (1) An employer shall ensure that an employee does not, and no employee shall, enter an excavation or trench 1.2 m or more in depth unless - (a) the walls of the excavation or trench are sup -ported by shoring, bracing or caging, the excavation or trench is cut in solid rock or the excavation or trench is sloped or benched to within 1.2 m of the bot -tom of the excavation or trench with the slope not ex -ceeding 1 m of vertical rise to each 1 m of horizontal run, - (b) subsections 181(2), (3) and (4) have been com -plied with, - (c) loose material that may fall into the excavation or trench has been removed, and - (d) a ladder that extends at least 1 m above the ex -cavation or trench is installed no more than 15 m from where the employee is working or some other safe means of access and egress is provided. - 182 (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), an employee may enter an excavation 1.2 m or more in depth to install bracing if the employee remains a distance from the face of the excavation equal to or greater than the depth of the excavation. ## Soutènement des parois si utilisation de matériel lourd 181 (3) Lorsqu'un équipement mobile à moteur ou une grue mobile est utilisé près du bord d'une excavation ou d'une tranchée, l'employeur doit s'assurer que tout étayage, tout étrésillonnement ou tout encagemen…