Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Trenching &
Shoring Safety
Susan Miller
Safety Training Coordinator
Soil is Heavy
A cube of soil measuring 1
ft. on a side weighs at
least 100 lb (more in many
cases). A cubic yard of soil
(3 ft. on a side) contains
27 of these, or 2,700 lbs.
total.
This weighs about as
much as a mid-sized
automobile.
Dangers
On average, 50 workers are
killed at excavation sites yearly.
Cave-ins account for 76% of
fatalities.
Being struck by or crushed by
equipment, dropped loads,
equipment rollovers,
electrocutions, and other events
account for the remainder.
Competent Person
One who can identify existing and predictable
hazards in the surroundings, or unsanitary,
hazardous, or dangerous working conditions,
and who has the authority to stop work until
they are fixed.
Stable Rock
Natural solid mineral matter that can be
excavated with vertical sides and remain intact
while exposed.
Usually identified as granite or sandstone.
Probably not going to be on MSU campus.
Type A Soil
TYPE A SOILS are cohesive soils with an unconfined
compressive strength of 1.5 tons per square foot (tsf)
or greater.
Examples of Type A cohesive soils are often: clay, silty
clay, sandy clay, clay loam and, in some cases, silty
clay loam and sandy clay loam.
No soil is Type A if it is fissured, is subject to vibration
of any type, has previously been disturbed, is part of a
sloped, layered system where the layers dip into the
excavation on a slope of 4 horizontal to 1 vertical
(4H:1V) or greater, or has seeping water.
Type B Soil
TYPE B SOILS are cohesive soils with an unconfined
compressive strength greater than 0.5 tsf but less than
1.5 tsf.
Examples of Type B soils are: angular gravel; silt; silt
loam; previously disturbed soils unless otherwise
classified as Type C; soils that meet the unconfined
compressive strength or cementation requirements of
Type A soils but are fissured or subject to vibration; dry
unstable rock; and layered systems sloping into the
trench at a slope less than 4H:1V (only if the material
would be classified as a Type B soil).
Type C Soil
TYPE C SOILS are cohesive soils with an unconfined
compressive strength of 0.5 tsf or less.
Type C soils include granular soils such as gravel,
sand and loamy sand, submerged soil, soil from which
water is freely seeping, and submerged rock that is not
stable.
Also included in this classification is material in a
sloped, layered system where the layers dip into the
excavation or have a slope of four horizontal to one
vertical (4H:1V) or greater.
Whats Next?
Once the soil type at an excavation is
determined, the next task is to select what
protective system will be used.
Sloping or benching of the sides
Supporting the sides with shoring
Placing a trench shield between the sides
Height/Depth
Ratio
Stable Rock
Vertical
Slope Angle
(in degrees)
Vertical 90o
Type A
:1
53o
Type B
1:1
45o
Type C
1:1
34o
Type A Bench
Simple
Bench
Multiple
Bench
Type B Bench
Simple
Bench
Multiple
Bench
Shoring Systems
Shoring systems consist of posts, wales, struts
and sheeting.
Two basic types of shoring:
Timber
Aluminum hydraulic
Hydraulic Shoring
Hydraulic shoring is a prefabricated strut
and/or wale system made of aluminum or
steel.
Hydraulic shoring offers a critical advantage
over timber shoring because you do not have
to enter the trench to install or remove it. Most
systems are light enough to be installed by one
worker.
Shielding
Trench boxes are different from shoring
because, instead of shoring the trench face,
they are intended primarily to protect workers
from cave-ins and similar incidents.
The excavated area between the
outside of the trench box and
the face of the trench should
be as small as possible.
Box should extend 18 inches
above surrounding area if
sloping toward excavation.
Jobsite Hazards
Hazardous Atmospheres
Emergency Rescues
Respirators may be required, you must be
trained and in the MSU respirator program.
Lifelines must be provided and attended to at all
times if you enter bell-bottom pier holes, deep
confined spaces or other similar hazards.
If you enter a confined space, you must be
trained to recognize and deal with the hazards.
Normally, trenches are not considered confined
spaces because they are well ventilated.
Inspections
No means of egress
Spoil pile too close to edge
Shoring not complete
Missing backfill
No edge stabilization
No hard hats
No air monitoring
Summary
Cave-ins account for most fatalities
Four-foot rule must have means of egress
within 25 feet of all workers in trench
Five-foot rule protection from cave-ins must be
provided by using shoring, sloping or trench box
Soil classifications Solid rock, A, B, C
Hazards