Excavation Training: Getting Certified

Does your business often need to perform work that involves excavation? There are many reasons this may be necessary. Usually, excavations must be conducted when hazardous materials are detected in the soil of work sites. Safely removing these materials is key to ensuring your workers remain healthy and your business complies with OSHA requirements.

Failure to comply with the applicable regulations can have many consequences. You will have a far greater chance of avoiding them if your workers are trained in basic excavation safety practices. Being able to show your workers are adequately certified may also help you avoid fines and other such penalties. Our team can offer the excavation and trenching safety training and certification programs your team needs to operate safely and responsibly.

Step-by-Step Guide to Excavation Certification

The following is a step-by-step guide to obtaining excavation certification. Excavation training is a crucial element of workplace safety that should not be overlooked.

1. Research and Select a Program: Look for OSHA-approved training providers that specialize in excavation and trenching safety. Verify the accreditation of the program to ensure it meets industry standards. Programs may vary in focus, such as residential construction, commercial projects, or specialized types of excavation work.
2. Meet Prerequisites: Some programs might require attendees to have a basic first aid certification, a minimum amount of on-site work experience, or previous completion of certain safety courses. Typically, prerequisites may include a high school diploma or GED, a minimum age requirement (often 18 years), basic English proficiency for understanding course materials and safety instructions, and sometimes a physical examination.
3. Enroll in the Program: Registration processes can differ; some may require submission of professional references or proof of previous experience. Check if the program offers flexibility in scheduling to accommodate working professionals.
4. Complete the Training: Training duration can range from a few days to several weeks, depending on the program’s depth. Engage in both theoretical learning and practical exercises. Topics might include soil analysis, protective systems design, and emergency response planning.
5. Pass the Certification Exam: The certification exam may cover a wide range of topics, from identifying potential hazards to implementing safety measures. Passing scores are predetermined by the certifying body and might require a comprehensive understanding of OSHA regulations.
6. Receive Your Certification: Certifications are usually issued by the training provider and might be recognized by industry bodies. They can include a digital badge or a physical certificate. Some organizations also list certified individuals on their websites.
7. Maintain and Renew Certification: Staying current with the latest safety practices and regulations is crucial. Recertification might involve attending updated courses or passing a new exam. Keep track of certification expiration dates and renewal requirements.

By following these steps, employees and employers can ensure that their teams are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to perform excavation work safely and in compliance with regulatory standards.

How Often Do Excavation Certifications Need To Be Renewed?

To ensure excavation certifications remain valid and professionals are up-to-date with the latest safety practices and regulations, renewal typically occurs every three years. This process often involves completing a specified number of continuing education units (CEUs) or a refresher course that revisits key concepts and introduces new safety standards or techniques that have emerged.

Some certifying bodies also require passing a renewal exam to test current knowledge. It’s essential for professionals to verify specific renewal requirements with their certifying organization to ensure compliance and maintain their qualification for work in excavation projects.

Excavation Process

The specifics of the excavation process can vary to some degree from one job to another. Generally, though, it involves the following steps:

• Determining where the excavation will and won’t take place at a site
• Identifying whether there are water lines, gas lines, etc. in the area where the excavation will happen
• Establishing barriers to ensure unnecessary excavation work isn’t performed
• Surveying ground levels
• Drawing up detailed plans for excavators
• Completing the excavation work and securing the land for future work/needs

That final point is essential. Again, how an excavation is performed will depend on the reason it is being performed. For example, the excavation process that may be required to lay the foundation for a future home will not necessarily be the same as the process for removing hazardous waste. Proper training can boost the odds of your workers knowing which steps they must take during any given excavation project.

What Is The Greatest Risk With Excavations?

Excavation work can put your employees in danger if they aren’t thoroughly prepared. Cave-ins are among the most common causes of injuries among workers involved in excavation projects. Other common causes include falls from heights, accidents involving machinery, striking utility lines, and exposure to materials that can result in health problems. In 2022, 39 people died doing trench or excavation work in the U.S. Excavation training can help to reduce these risks and prevent fatal accidents.

Importance Of Excavation Safety

The previous section of this article highlights what is perhaps the most significant reason you should prioritize training any employees who will be involved in excavation work. A reputable training program will be designed to acquaint your employees with the various regulations that apply to excavation projects. These programs are thus helpful because those very regulations are themselves designed to optimize worker safety. If your employees abide by the regulations, their chances of being harmed in avoidable accidents will be significantly lower than they otherwise might be.

Your main goal is to protect your workers from harm simply because doing so is among your most important duties as an employer. However, it is worth noting that guarding against excavation accidents will also help your business avoid financial losses resulting from fines and lawsuits.

Additionally, research consistently shows that workers tend to be more engaged on the job if they know their employers are taking steps to prevent them from being injured. Minimizing the chance of accidents occurring by ensuring all your workers are trained and certified will lead to greater retention and effectively attract new job-seekers in the future – giving your business a major competitive edge.

How Do You Work Safely In An Excavation?

An online article cannot provide all the information you need regarding excavation safety. You must consult with experts and stay on top of changes to key regulations to remain in compliance. That said, the following basic excavation safety tips will help your team guard against accidents:

• If employees will be working more than one day in trenches that have been excavated, make sure you have inspected all trenches for signs of hazards every day before work starts. A trenching safety training program can help you better understand how to inspect a trench as thoroughly as necessary.
• Ensure all workers are fully aware of the presence and location of any underground utilities.
• Equip your workers with necessary safety equipment, including equipment that can protect them from illnesses that could result from exposure to hazardous materials. It can also include reflective clothing. Even if your employees are working during the day, excavation work can still involve working in conditions that make it difficult to spot some employees.
• Provide employees with reliable communication tools and systems to respond as efficiently as possible when accidents resulting in injuries do occur.
• Shore your trenches up – often an essential step in the trenching and excavation process. Using supports like aluminum hydraulics to stabilize the area can reduce the chances of cave-ins happening.
• Assess work conditions and make decisions about the type of work being performed on a given day accordingly. For example, you might have planned to complete a task on Friday, only for Friday to end up being a day in which heavy rains make doing so unsafe. Instead of rigidly adhering to a schedule, be willing to change your plans if conditions require doing so.

Remember that this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the excavation safety tips you can follow to reduce the chances of accidents. There is still no substitute for ensuring all workers involved in these projects have an official OSHA trenching and excavation certification.

OSHA Trenching And Excavations Certificate

OSHA trenching and excavation certifications don’t merely boost your workers’ safety. They can also provide them with the right to perform some tasks that they might otherwise not be able to perform if they weren’t certified. For example, a certification can officially identify someone as a “competent person” according to OSHA standards. That means they will be able to supervise other workers during excavation projects. When teams are properly certified, OSHA also tends not to require regular inspections as often as necessary for uncertified teams.

Remember, you have an ethical and legal duty to take essential safety steps when your work involves excavation. Having your workers complete an excavation safety training program is one way to fulfill this duty.