Osha Trench Barricade Requirements

25 nov Osha Trench Barricade Requirements

If fall protection is required near ditches, a controlled access area is not an acceptable means of fall protection. Controlled access areas may only be used when personnel are performing aerial masonry and related work; or as part of a fall protection plan for advanced work, precast concrete assembly or residential construction. See §1926.501(b)(2) (preliminary work); (b) (9) (masonry and related work); §1926.502(k) (fall protection plan option); CPL 3-0.1A Compliance Guideline (housing); Appendix E (Prefabricated Assembly Plan). 2The fall protection requirements set out in point (b)(7)(ii) would not normally apply, as trenches are generally narrow and long and are therefore not normally comparable to `a well, pit or well`. [back to text] Tests and controls. In addition to the requirements of Subdivisions D and E of this Part (29 CFR 1926.50 – 1926.107) to avoid exposure to harmful concentrations of air pollutants and to ensure acceptable atmospheric conditions, the following requirements apply: If the trench is not readily visible due to plant growth or other visual barriers, fall protection is required.2 So if the trench you describe is not visible, no fall protection is required. OSHA has made reducing excavations and excavation risks a priority for the agency. Trench collapses or burglaries pose the greatest danger to workers` lives. To prevent burglary: Warning system for mobile devices. If mobile equipment is used in the vicinity of an excavation or if this equipment is to approach the edge of an excavation pit and the operator does not have a clear and direct view of the edge of the excavation, a warning system such as barricades, manual or mechanical signals or stop logs must be used. If possible, the slope should be outside the excavation. Whereas adequate protection must be provided to protect workers against loose rock or soil which could present a danger in the event of a pit falling or rolling; This protection consists of scaling to remove the bulk material; installation of protective barricades at the necessary face intervals to stop and contain material falls; or other means providing equivalent protection. (i) Every employee at the edge of a construction pit 6 feet (1.8m) or more deep shall be protected against falls by guardrails, fencing or barricades if excavations are not readily visible due to plant growth or other visual barriers;1 These barricades are divided into three main grades: Type 1, 2 and 3 barricades.

Type 1 and Type 2 barricades must be at least two feet long, while Type Three barricades must be at least four feet long. Likewise, at least thirty-six inches for the height of the first two barricades and five feet minimum height for the second. Stripes on a portable barricade must be orange and white with retroreflective markings (meaning light returns in the direction it came from), and these stripes must be at an angle of forty-five degrees downwards, depending on the direction of traffic. The angle and direction of the strips depends on the location of the entire track, the position of the shoulders or other different situations. I am writing in response to your letter of April 22, 2002 requesting that you interpret fall protection requirements when driving around trenches. Specifically, ask if fall protection is needed around vertical-walled trenches 6 feet deep or more. where there are implicit or specified exceptions to fall protection around trenches; and whether a controlled access area is used instead of fall protection. Describes how soil testing should be performed to determine appropriate inclinations, benches and shoring to prevent collapses, and how employees should be trained on all trench hazards before starting work. In general, barricades must always be properly supported and positioned so as to be visible and explosion-resistant. According to OSHA, “construction areas in hazardous locations must be equipped with legible traffic control signs and protected by traffic control devices.” Exit routes from trench excavation. A staircase, ladder, ramp or other safe exit option must be in trench excavation work with a depth of 4 feet (1.22 m) or more, so that no more than 25 feet (7.62 m) of side path is required for employees.

OSHA requirements are defined by laws, standards, and regulations. Our interpretative letters explain these requirements and how they apply to particular circumstances, but they cannot create additional obligations for employers. This letter represents OSHA`s interpretation of the requirements under discussion. Please note that our enforcement guidelines may be affected by changes to OSHA rules.