Development Command Center 17 items
Excavation & Trenching Competent Person Inspection Checklist
A daily competent-person inspection checklist for verifying excavation and trenching operations are protected against cave-in and atmospheric hazards under OSHA Subpart P.
OSHA 1926 Subpart POSHA 1926.651OSHA 1926.652
Free PDF · enter your email to download.
Pre-Excavation Planning
- Have underground utilities been located and marked before digging (811)? *
- Has a competent person been designated for this excavation? *
- Has the soil type been classified (A, B, or C)? *
- Is the excavation depth and the required protective system determined? *
Protective Systems
- For excavations 5 ft or deeper, is a protective system (sloping, benching, shoring, or shielding) in place? *
- Do slope/bench angles match the soil classification? *
- Are trench boxes/shields rated and installed per the tabulated/engineered data? *
- Is spoil, equipment, and material kept at least 2 ft from the excavation edge? *
Access & Atmospheric Hazards
- Is a ladder/ramp/stairway provided within 25 ft of workers in trenches 4 ft or deeper? *
- Has the atmosphere been tested where hazardous atmospheres could exist (>4 ft)? *
- Is water accumulation controlled and are workers protected from water hazards? *
- Are surcharge loads and adjacent structures evaluated for stability? *
Daily Inspection & Sign-Off
- Was an inspection made by the competent person before each shift and after any hazard-increasing event? *
- Have workers been removed if hazardous conditions were found? *
- Photo of excavation and protective system
- Competent person signature
- Inspection date
Download the full Excavation & Trenching Competent Person Inspection Checklist checklist
Get it as a clean, printable PDF — free.
