Ground Disturbance and Excavation Safety
For crews, operators, foremen and supervisors who break ground: why trenches collapse, duties and the competent person under the OHSA, O. Reg. 213/91 Part III and Alberta OHS Code Part 32, one-call locates through the Ontario Dig Authority and other provincial centres, tolerance and hand expose zones, hydrovac and strike response near gas lines, cables and CER-regulated pipelines, soil classification into Types 1 to 4, sloping and benching calculations, timber and hydraulic shoring and trench boxes, access, spoil and edge controls, water, atmospheres and confined spaces, inspections after rain and thaw, trench rescue planning, and a capstone utility trench plan.
HSE-217 12 lessons · 5 h 38 min
Offered by HSM University · Safety Training
This is the Canadian version of this course. See the American version.
What you'll learn
- Explain how and why excavation walls fail and why shallow trenches can still kill.
- Identify the duties of owners, constructors, employers, supervisors and workers, and the main excavation requirements in Ontario and Alberta.
- Describe the qualifications and authority of a competent person for excavation work.
- Request, check and maintain locates through the provincial one-call centre, including private locates.
- Expose buried facilities safely within the tolerance zone and respond correctly to gas, electrical and other strikes.
- Classify soil using visual and manual tests and recognize conditions that downgrade it.
- Calculate required slopes, top widths and benching geometry for each soil type.
- Select, check and use shoring and trench boxes within their tabulated data.
- Provide safe access, control spoil, mobile equipment and falling loads, and protect the public and adjacent structures.
- Control water, test and ventilate the atmosphere, and recognize when an excavation is a confined space.
- Inspect excavations before each shift and after changes, and plan and lead an emergency response to a trench incident.
- Plan a utility trench excavation from locates to close-out with every hazard controlled.
Course content
12 lessons · 5 h 38 min total · final exam
- 1 Why excavations kill 27 min · quiz
- 2 Law, responsibilities and the competent person 27 min · quiz
- 3 Buried facilities, one-call centres and locates 27 min · quiz
- 4 Safe digging near buried facilities and strike response 27 min · quiz
- 5 Soil mechanics and soil classification 27 min · quiz
- 6 Sloping and benching 30 min · quiz
- 7 Shoring and shielding 29 min · quiz
- 8 Access, egress, spoil and edges 28 min · quiz
- 9 Water, atmospheres and confined spaces 29 min · quiz
- 10 Inspections and changing conditions 29 min · quiz
- 11 Emergency response and trench rescue 27 min · quiz
- 12 Capstone: planning a utility trench excavation 31 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
For crews, operators, foremen and supervisors who break ground: why trenches collapse, duties and the competent person under the OHSA, O. Reg. 213/91 Part III and Alberta OHS Code Part 32, one-call locates through the Ontario Dig Authority and other provincial centres, tolerance and hand expose zones, hydrovac and strike response near gas lines, cables and CER-regulated pipelines, soil classification into Types 1 to 4, sloping and benching calculations, timber and hydraulic shoring and trench boxes, access, spoil and edge controls, water, atmospheres and confined spaces, inspections after rain and thaw, trench rescue planning, and a capstone utility trench plan.