Page 12 - Best Practice for Construction Projects

Working in excavations

• All excavation works must have an approved Method
Statement/SOP, risk assessment and excavation
permit.

• Excavation protection using trench boxes / grading /
stepping back the excavation to 45˚,must be in place
1. Safe Access and Egress
at all times.
• No plant or materials to be close to excavation edge.

• All trenches to have suitable hard barriers and
signage in place.

• Excavations must be inspected by a competent
person:

• Before any person enters the excavation (this
includes daily inspections)

• At the start of every shift

• After any event likely to have affected the strength or
stability of the excavation i.e. heavy rainfall, any
accidental fall of rock, earth or other material.

• Every 7 days when there is no work taking place.

• AF3 must be filled out by the competent person
carrying out the inspection and held at the workplace.

4 Visual Standards | Feb. 2019