Page 27 - Louisiana 811 Magazine 2019 Issue 2

lrenching and Excavation Safety
Part one: The role and responsibilities of the “Competent Person"
Edifur’.< Nam rm; Z5 Hm firs: a/rear ameles m H115 Sarita that dlaruases spmne Eww V Dew
stops Hm! cutlfrrvrfura and ammes mm Ilzkc la hClpIl(5MI('H1L'5/Iffly s/mm
pcrsulmti. mnzoasly, H115 lslm nzlcn/ieul nffivtsulyccf II/5/illflL755lN([LI}Y1L7p('V[y . Has .},a a.,.},,,,..y .0 mpg pmmp,
turn me Iupit in }M5»‘ /our rtlnflvcly shm f nmrlcs. Curitlncfurs and rmlmas lm/nlvcli m,,mm mcmm. ,0 d,,,,.,,m
in iitldmgruwid ulmk will ruwd add/Ilulml fmmlng la msurt wurkcr safcfy. mam
OSHA gee. an to snpulnle that lhl:
1 cornpeleru person on a lrenelnng and
J excavation sue mus: have specific
training m 7 and be knowledgenlole
of— sorls analysrs, Lhc use of prureeuve
~y~Icms, and llre requrremenrs of llre
_ ‘ OSHA srandard <29 em me, Subpan 1’)
OSHA rs very speerne about the
respunsrbrlrnes of llre curnpelenl Pcxwn.
r «O =“ Tlruse respunsrlarlrnes rnelude:
1 Authority to flop wark
2 lnspeenons ol lrenelres or ex:r1vatl0n~,
3 Testing for hazardous aunusplreres
when suelr aunusplreres exrsl or euuld be
reasunalaly expected to exrsl,
4 lnspeenon of malenal. ur equrprnenl li
damaged, to dulcxmmn ll usalale,
5 Momtunng of waler mmuval
equipmnnt and rrpernnuns, and
6 vrsual and manual resls of the sell.
lnspeenuns are parueularly important.
Tlre curnperenl Fcxwn need. to Iruputl
daily for mdltatlon~ ul possrlrle eaveans,
izulum of protective syslems, hazardolls
aunusplreres, and ullrer lraanrdous
eondrnuns. The rnspeeuons need to be
conducted prior to the slarr of wurk,
and also as needed lhmughout tlm slurl,
after rarnsnarms, and aftnr other pnlcniml
orldng rn lmnthm and exenvanon. rs pulcnlmlly une of Line mosr hazard-|ncm~-us nvmh»
hazardous type. of work in the eunslruenun and utility rnduslry. A numb” 0, mac flg,.0m,,um and
Across the u s, as many as 400 nrrrlrers are ldlled and several P,,m.c Con,ulm.... um comwm.
llrousand are lnyumd each year. Not surpnsrng, mml of llrese wurkers mm ,mm,,,g Md, dwcs Wmg

have reeerved no lreuelnng and excavation sarery lmmlng. wlral rs surpnsrng rs Lhat mu, mg,“ hm,” OSHA and mm “my

rnusl of tlm lrenelres are mlauvely ~hr1llow (live to 15 [net deep) P,o;m,um1, a;.,_, a..mm5a ,x.,,od,C

Many conslrunlun people don't apprennle the enurmuus weight of sorl. one cubic "'=m‘~h=I" (‘Muns-

foul of sad wughs bnlwcun 90 and no pounds. Thcmiore, a cubic yard of sorl can T1“5 ,3 an ,,,,p,,m,,, mpm when (mm.

werglr alrnusl -1,000 pounds. A~ n resull, there's u~ually a death ur very senuus rn,ury DEM ‘he M,“ B uwll). am. 0, mm.

Whm a "CNN caved" mu!» deallrs or verv sernsus rnrurres. To do

In an ancmpl to reduce lhe number of dealhs and serraus rnprrres that occur lrmthlnzz and cxcavatmn work wiely,

eaelr year rn lrenelres and c><cr1vam.m~, the redernl Occupational Snicty er Health mt-lrm°r~ and -mime» I-Nd a pawn on

Administration (OSHA) requues Lhal n "Competent Person" be ensue whcnevcx "I0 who ‘W the 1<n°W'°dg= of how '0 do

workers are expused rn an Excavation. OSHA dcfinm n Compclcnt Persun ns une the work aaiclyr who rclzuhrly lnslxcts

Wm the trenches or exeavanuns, and wlru lm~
Lhc authority lo takl: rmrnedrnle neuron to

- ls capable of rdenmyrng exrsnng oz predictable hazaxd~ ln (ht surraundrngs er “‘S||rc the ,am,, of all w,,,ga,.. .

wurldng condmon~ that are unsanrlary, lraanrduus, or dangerous to employees,
and wlru
2019 issue 2 Lnulslaru 511 . 25