OSHA OFFERS POCKET CARD FOR EXCAVATION AND TRENCHING
Excavating is recognized as one of the most hazardous construction operations. OSHA recently revised construction excavation standards to make them easier to understand, permit the use of performance criteria where possible, and provide construction employers with options when classifying soil and selecting employee protection methods.

OSHA Trade Release
February 11, 2005
Contact: Frank Meilinger
Phone: (202) 693-1999

WASHINGTON -- A new OSHA safety information pocket card, Safety in Excavations or Trenches, will help workers and employers understand safe trenching practices and the federal requirements for construction excavation safety. The cards are printed in English on one side and Spanish on the other.

"This new card provides practical, yet critically important, information that can help save lives," said Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jonathan L. Snare. "We know that construction excavation can be dangerous work and that's why it important that we make every effort to provide these workers the tools they need to stay safe on the job."

The new pocket-sized card explains that excavations or trenches five feet deep or greater require a protective system. It also highlights OSHA's requirements that excavation or trench walls must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Sloped for stability
• Cut to create stepped or benched grades
• Supported by a system made with posts, beams, shores or planking and hydraulic jacks
• Supported by a trench box
• An exit ladder must be within 25 feet of workers