OSHA Excavation Safety Training for Competent Persons (2 Hour)

Excavation, trenching and shoring practices are commonplace in many industries, especially in construction. They are often used to lay pipes, create foundations and work on underground utility lines. These types of work often come with various potential hazards, including cave-ins, falls, electrocutions and oxygen deficiencies.

Ensuring your workers remain safe no matter what jobs they are tasked with is paramount to your operations. To accomplish this goal, your excavation site should have a dedicated, competent person there to maintain a secure environment. Employers choose these individuals based on existing knowledge, but comprehensive training is recommended to ensure they can recognize potential hazards and take necessary action.

OSHA Competent Person Excavation Training Online

The Competent Person on an excavation site is responsible for overseeing the entire operation, acting as the eyes and ears of the manager. They are crucial to the environment’s safety, ensuring your work site is free from hazards and that reliable protective systems are in place.

Hazmat School’s online competent person excavation training courses are online programs designed to train individuals to become certified  excavation safety personnel according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. This course gives workers a deeper understanding of OSHA’s excavation regulations while providing additional insight into soil identification, safety precautions and ramp integrity.

Traveling for work? No problem. Our OSHA excavation training focuses on user flexibility to create a hassle-free and informative experience. This online competent person training course takes students approximately two hours to complete and is accessible from your choice of internet-connected device. You’ll have 30 days after you register to complete these excavation training courses, giving you the power to learn whenever and wherever possible.

What Is Competent Person Training?

OSHA defines a competent person as someone with the knowledge and skills to identify and predict current or future hazards representing danger to employees. Specialized training is required to help these selected individuals recognize and address risks, evaluate working conditions and equipment integrity, and exercise the power to shut down operations when necessary.

Every employer should designate a competent person at each site based on experience, and these persons should undergo extensive training to further their knowledge on safety precautions and procedures. Competent person training is specific to a person’s role on the site and teaches workers about recognizing clear dangers and how to handle them. This instruction is vital for work involving specific risks such as:

• Confined spaces
• Excavation
• Ladders
• Scaffolding
• Fall protection

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS CLASS?

Any employees who enter excavations and trenches are required to receive excavation and trenching safety training. This online OSHA Competent Person Excavation Safety training course is self-paced and has interactive exercises and quizzes to meet the OSHA excavation safety training requirement for competent persons under 29 CFR 1926.650-652. Complete your OSHA excavation safety training obligation online in your spare time and receive an OSHA Excavation Safety certificate and 0.2 CEU’s.

INDUSTRIES THAT REQUIRE THIS COURSE

OSHA defines an excavation as any cut, cavity, trench or depression formed by intentional earth removal, whereas a trench is a narrow excavation (in relation to its length) below the ground’s surface. Both excavating and trenching are used primarily in construction for purposes such as pipelaying, foundations and utility work. They’re also among the most dangerous tasks on the construction site, since collapses and cave-ins from loose soil can lead to severe injury and even death.

Where does the competent person come in? They have a responsibility given to them by their employer and the capability to identify soil conditions and establish protective systems to safeguard other workers. A competent person also assesses and monitors the site for any additional physical or environmental hazards, making them key players in workplace safety.

WHAT REGULATIONS DOES THIS COURSE SATISFY?

This course satisfies the guidelines outlined by OSHA within Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1926.650-652. These codes specifically encapsulate excavation safety within the construction industry. The course satisfies the necessary training for a worker to assume the role of a competent person on the job.

Employers must offer excavation safety training to employees on initial assignment or when there are new or modified tasks. This training must be completed on at least a yearly basis. This course will meet an annual refresher requirement.

TOPICS COVERED

Our online excavation safety course provides awareness training and certification to those who need to access or work around trenches, including competent persons who must ensure conditions are safe for all personnel. You’ll learn different ways to classify excavations and soil types, procedures for entering and leaving an excavation, and how to conduct rescues.

The course also covers potential hazards, including soil instabilities and water accumulation or drainage issues. Finally, it offers best practices for determining the protective and support systems to deploy (i.e., shielding, sloping, shoring) given the on-site conditions.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this excavation safety training course, you should be able to do the following:

• Find the excavation and trenching regulations in 29 CFR 1926.650-652..
• Understand the background and importance of excavation techniques. Give examples of different types of excavations found on the worksite.
• Be able to define the different types of excavations. This can include, but is not limited to excavation, trench, sloped excavations, and the importance of maximum allowable slope.
• Know the relationship between different types of soils. Know what is meant by competent soil, incompetent soil, and stratigraphy.
• Know the potential hazards posed by excavations. This includes, but may not be limited to, cave-ins, falls and equipment, water accumulationand standing water, electric shock, structural stability, and hazardous atmospheres.
• Know the different types of soils. This includes stable rock, Type A soils, Type B soils, Type C soils, and layered soils.
• Know basic procedures on how to determine soil type.
• Know how and when shoring system are to be put in place. Be able to identify the right type of materials to be used for shoring systems.
• Know how and when shielding is used in excavations.
• Know how to remove support systems and what to do with spoils.
• Know the responsibilities of those who work with excavations. This includes awareness-trained personnel and the Competent Person. The need and importance of an inspection program is also included.
• Learn procedures necessary to safely work around excavations on the job. This includes how to cross trenches, proper entry and exit from excavations, exposure to vehicles, exposure to falling loads, warning systems, and emergency response.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Students may have to complete review sections along the way and a final exam at the end of the course. You will need a computer or iPad with Internet access and an email account. No text is required; all course materials are available online. The course will take approximately 2 hours to complete.

GRADING POLICY

Passing this course requires completing the multiple choice or true/false exam with a grade of 75% or better. If you do not receive a grade of at least 75% on the final quiz, you may retake the quiz up to a total of three (3) times.

COURSE SCHEDULE AND DEADLINES

The course is designed to be self-paced. You will have 30 days to complete it and can come and go as you need. After one month, you will need to re-enroll. Upon successful completion of the course you will receive a pdf certificate right away.

ACCREDITATION, CERTIFICATION AND CUES

Your certificate in excavation safety will be delivered to your email account. You can download, print and send the certification to employers and state regulators as proof of your training. This course also counts as 0.2 Continuing Education Units if you select it as part of your continuing education.

WHY CHOOSE HAZMAT SCHOOL?

OSHA creates rules and regulations to protect workers from harm, requiring you to comply with their standards on excavation safety. While you’re the one with the final say on choosing the competent person for your excavation site, how your workers are trained makes all the difference in achieving these standards. Plus, with Hazmat School by your side, you’ll save money by eliminating noncompliance fines — a win-win.

Hazmat School offers certified and 100% online safety courses in excavation and other OSHA-mandated training requirements. These courses are guaranteed to satisfy OSHA guidelines, helping you create a safer and more efficient work environment with greater convenience and at a more affordable price.

Our experienced remote instructors are available around-the-clock to assist students with any questions. Corporations can set up accounts and enroll multiple employees at once, plus receive access to individual progress reports. You can take advantage of our group and government discounts to get quality training at an even better price.

REGISTER TODAY

To register for our OSHA excavation safety course or receive more information, call us at 877-OSHA-NOW (674-2699) or contact us online today.

Why Choose Hazmat School?