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Working in Excavations-Frequently Asked Questions

 What precautions must be taken to protect employees during excavation work?
 How deep must an excavation be before such precautions need to be taken?
 When does an excavation have to be inspected?
 Do any inspection form(s) have to be filled in?
 What particulars should be inspected in relation to shoring?
 I have heard the HSA have a publication that simplifies what has to be done when carrying out groundwork and excavation work. What is this?
 What hazards are associated with excavation work?
 What precautions can be taken to avoid contact with underground services and/or overhead lines?
 What measures should be taken to prevent excavation collapse?
 What measures should be taken to prevent materials falling onto workers in excavations?
 What measures should be taken to prevent people and vehicles falling into the excavation?
 What if an excavation is likely to reduce the stability of a nearby structure?
 Do all excavations have to be fenced off?
 How can I ensure there is safe access to and egress from an excavation?
 What measures should be in place to avoid exposure to hazardous atmospheres?
 Before beginning work in an excavation what should you do?
 What measures should be in place to avoid accumulation of water in the excavation?
 What Publications are available?

What precautions must be taken to protect employees during excavation work?

According to the Construction Regulations, precautions must be taken that are adequate to:

 Guard against danger to persons at work from a fall or dislodgement of earth, rock or other material by suitable shoring or otherwise
 Guard against dangers arising from the fall of materials or objects or the inrush of water into the excavation, shaft, earthworks, underground
works or tunnel
 Secure adequate ventilation at all workplaces so as to maintain an atmosphere fit for respiration and to limit any fumes, gases, vapours, dust or
other impurities to levels which are not dangerous or injurious to health
 Enable persons at work to reach safety in the event of fire or an inrush of water or materials
 Avoid risk to persons at work arising from possible underground dangers such as underground cables or other distribution systems, the
circulation of fluids or the presence of pockets of gas, by undertaking appropriate investigations to locate them before excavation begins
 Ensure that a safe means of access to and egress from each excavation

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How deep must an excavation be before such precautions need to be taken?

The Construction Regulations require contractors to guard against the dangers from a fall or dislodgement of material in an excavation. The Safety,
Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires a risk assessment to be performed by contractors before undertaking excavation work. The risk
assessment must:
• identify those hazards that are likely to be encountered;
• determine the control measures; and

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• determine the safe system of work required to protect employees and persons affected by the activities taking place.
Control measures selected could be in the form of shoring (support for the excavation), battering (sloping the excavation) or other suitable means.
Note: The risk assessment may indicate the need to install trench supports (or other alternative protective measures) even in relatively
shallow excavations less than 1.25 m deep, particularly if ground conditions are particularly poor or the nature of the work requires
workers to lie or crouch in a trench.
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When does an excavation have to be inspected?

A competent person must inspect excavations:

 At least once in every day during which persons are at work there
 If more than 2 metres deep, at the start of each shift before work begins
 After any event likely to have affected the strength or stability of the excavation or the shoring
 After any accidental fall of rock, earth or other material
 At least once every 7 days where persons are not at work there

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Do any inspection form(s) have to be filled in?

An AF3 form (/eng/Publications_and_Forms/Forms/AF_3_form.pdf) is filled out by the competent person who carries out the inspection.
What should be included in these inspections?
Aspects/parts of the excavation works that should be inspected, include, but are not limited to:

1. Surface Conditions
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 Cracks
 Spoil heaps not set near or close to excavations
 No equipment or materials stored near edge
pports/)
 No standing water in excavation

2. Banks and sides of slope/bench

 Cracks
 Change in soil type
 Slope of side/bank

3. Access and egress

 Stairs, ladders, ramps as appropriate

4. Shoring and Shielding

 In place properly, functioning correctly

 Wedges tight

5. Existing utilities

 Support adequate
 Loose materials

6. PPE

 Hi-visibility vests, hard hats, steel-toe shoes, etc. as specified

7. Weather

 Rain
 Overnight freezing

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ation to shoring?
onsidered when inspecting shoring.

eets?
ets?
racks?

adequate?

t simplifies what has to be done when carrying out groundwork and excavation work. What is

industry, have formulated a practical system to assist employers and employees comply with their
construction and construction related activities.
WP) (/eng/Publications_and_Forms/Publications/Safe_System_of_Work_Plan_SSWP_/). The SSWP links
rectly to the work activity. One SSWP is completed at the start of each activity, and can be reviewed at
s to consider a range of options to deal with the risks. The SSWP uses pictograms in large part which
arriers as currently being experienced on Irish sites. It is also is user friendly requiring a tick rather

on work?
work include:

verhead power lines

working in the excavation
ng into the excavation
nt

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ntact with underground services and/or overhead lines?

t be diverted, then the following steps should be taken to avoid contact:

SB, Bord Gáis, etc.) and ask their advice.

nd services, e.g. valve covers or patching of the road surface.
the ground accordingly. Make sure persons using these scanners are trained and understand their

vation work has service plans and knows how to use them.
w about safe digging practices and emergency procedures.
uch as electricity lines.

proximity to overhead lines, contact the ESB for advice.

derground services, see the HSA Code of Practice 'Avoiding Danger from Underground Services
Construction/CoP_Avoiding_Danger_from_Underground_Services_.pdf)', available from the HSA
ct 1890 289 389.

excavation collapse?
tion collapse include:

.
e walls with timber, sheeting or proprietary support systems.
t have not been battered to a suitable slope.
ar an edge of an excavation that may be likely to cause collapse.
ed or stacked at a suitable safe distance from the edge of the excavations.

es can be dangerous. You may need to provide support if the work involves bending or kneeling in

ken even in rock cut excavations.

materials falling onto workers in excavations?

o the sides of excavations. The spoil may fall into the excavation and the extra loading will make the

rotected against falling materials. Provide toe boards where necessary

avations
ble, netting should be used

people and vehicles falling into the excavation?

prevent pedestrians and vehicles falling into them.

hours precautions should be taken such as backfilling or securely covering excavations.
eets should be backfilled or covered over at night to minimise the risk of accidents to the public.
of work if not required for imminent use beside the excavation.

e stability of a nearby structure?

:

s of scaffolds or the foundations of nearby structures. Walls may have very shallow foundations that

e in close proximity to excavation.

port before digging starts. Surveys of the foundations and the advice of a structural engineer may be

stalled in such a way that the stability of the structure is not compromised at any stage of the

gineer may be required to determine that excavation work will not pose a hazard to employees

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requires every accessible part of an excavation near to which persons are working and where
y covered unless fencing is not present to allow access of persons/equipment.

d egress from an excavation?

gress should be allowed in case of emergencies. The size of the openings should be adequate and
e for persons wearing the necessary PPE and allow access to rescue personnel. An alternative
es, ventilation ducts, power lines and other cables required for work.
safety warning sign should be used to prevent unauthorised entry into a confined space.
gs) are necessary in the case of a confined space with a design deficiency whose openings are too
cessive distances to the point of escape.
as well as designers engineers and architects should ensure that entry and exit can be achieved from
sion of manholes close to the bottom of the tank/vessel and fixed ladders from top manholes should
where the need for persons to enter a confined space is unavoidable. Manufacturers and designers
ant to what they are constructing as there may be minimum sizes set out for hatches or manholes.

exposure to hazardous atmospheres?

tion so that the potential for a dangerous atmosphere can give rise to typical 'confined space'
lth. Dangerous atmospheres can occur in excavations due to lack of oxygen or the presence of toxic
e leakage or seepage of a toxic gas into an excavation must be avoided by ventilation.

at should you do?

esent or liable to be present?

intain adequate oxygen content and prevent the accumulation of harmful substances?
ation of work is when carrying out risk assessment. Buried underground pipe work or a leakage in
d.
tentially present; the excavation must be treated as a confined space.
nd put in place, including the making of appropriate emergency arrangements. The safe system of
ventilation, testing of atmosphere, or other precautions, as devised by a competent person.

accumulation of water in the excavation?

to prevent this from happening. Employers should have addressed this hazard in their risk
hould be in place. A plan for evacuation of personnel and equipment in case of emergency and

r website;

aces (/eng/Publications_and_Forms/Publications/Codes_of_Practice/COP_Confined_Space.pdf)

Safe_System_of_Work_Plan_SSWP_/SSWP_Ground_Works_Pictograms_PDF.pdf)

Construction/CoP_Avoiding_Danger_from_Underground_Services_.pdf)

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Call: 0818 289 389 (tel: 0818289389)

9:00am to 3:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Overseas callers should call +353 1 614 7000.
mplaint about a workplace, please use our online complaints form
ne_complaint_form/online_complaint_form.html) to ensure your complaint is
as possible or email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]).

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© 2023 Health & Safety Authority

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