working in a crawl space

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- (a) cutting back the walls of the excavation to reduce the height of the remaining vertical walls, if any, to no more than 1.5 metres for 'hard and compact soil' and 'likely to crack or crumble soil', - (b) installing temporary protective structures, or - (c) using a combination of the methods in clauses (a) and (b). 450 (2) Subsection (1) does not apply if a trench is constructed in solid rock throughout the entire trench. ## Cutting back walls - 451 If the walls of an excavation are cut back, an employer must ensure that - (a) if the soil is classified as 'hard and compact soil', the walls are sloped to within 1.5 metres of the bottom of the excavation at an angle of not less than 30 degrees measured from the vertical, - (b) if the soil is classified as 'likely to crack or crumble soil', the walls are sloped to within 1.5 metres of the bottom of the excavation at an angle of not less than 45 degrees measured from the vertical, and - (c) if the soil is classified as 'soft, sandy or loose soil', the walls are sloped from the bottom of the excavation at an angle of not less than 45 degrees measured from the vertical. ## Loose materials 452 An employer must ensure that loose materials are scaled and trimmed from the sides of an excavation if workers may be on or near the sides. ## Spoil piles - 453 An employer must ensure that a spoil pile is piled so that - (a) the leading edge of the pile is at least 1 metre away from the edge of the excavation, - (b) the slope of a spoil pile adjacent to the excavation is at an angle of not more than 45 degrees from the horizontal, and - (c) loose materials are scaled and trimmed from the spoil pile. ## Power pole support 454 An employer must ensure that work that disturbs the ground in the vicinity of an overhead power line is performed in a manner that does not reduce the original support provided for power line poles. ## Safe entry and exit 455 (1) An employer must ensure that if a worker is required to enter a tren…

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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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## 29 CFR 1926 (OSHA) - (iii) Adequate precaution shall be taken such as providing ventilation, to prevent employee exposure to an atmosphere containing a concentration of a flammable gas in excess of 20 percent of the lower flammable limit of the gas. - (iv) When controls are used that are intended to reduce the level of atmospheric contaminants to acceptable levels, testing shall be conducted as often as necessary to ensure that the atmosphere remains safe. - (2) Emergency rescue equipment. (i) Emergency rescue equipment, such as breathing apparatus, a safety harness and line, or a basket stretcher, shall be readily available where hazardous atmospheric conditions exist or may reasonably be expected to develop during work in an excavation. This equipment shall be attended when in use. - (ii) Employees entering bell-bottom pier holes, or other similar deep and confined footing excavations, shall wear a harness with a life-line securely attached to it. The lifeline shall be separate from any line used to handle materials, and shall be individually attended at all times while the employee wearing the lifeline is in the excavation. - (h) Protection from hazards associated with water accumulation. (1) Employees shall not work in excavations in which there is accumulated water, or in excavations in which water is accumulating, unless adequate precautions have been taken to protect employees against the hazards posed by water accumulation. The precautions necessary to protect employees adequately vary with each situation, but could include special support or shield systems to protect from cave-ins, water removal to control the level of accumulating water, or use of a safety harness and lifeline. - (2) If water is controlled or prevented from accumulating by the use of water removal equipment, the water removal equipment and operations shall be monitored by a competent person to ensure proper operation. - (3) If excavation work interrupts the natural drainage of surface …