To identify and manage hazards in areas where excavation work is being performed to pre-vent collapses that could result in personal injuries, property damage, community impacts, environmental impacts, or business impacts.
Considerations when developing an Excavation SWP:
1. Excavation is necessary in construction and in running industrial facilities. Excavations and trenches are unstable by nature, and many types of serious hazards exist when do-ing this type of work, such as hitting underground services. In addition, hazards associ-ated with working within trench exist, including cave-ins from collapse of shor-ing/trench materials, confined space entry incidents, and hazardous fluid collecting at low points in areas where workers will be positioned.
2. Excavations may also be required to access existing underground services, piping, duct-ing and cables, or install new/additional services. While excavations are being per-formed it is paramount to install controls to prevent incidents that could result in per-sonal injuries, property damage, community impacts, environmental impacts, or busi-ness impacts.
3. Regulations require many of us to prevent danger to workers in or near excavations. To maintain the required precautions, a competent person must inspect excavation sup-ports, sloping or shoring at the start of the working shift and at other specified times. No work should take place until the excavation is proven safe.