Did you know that the fatality rate for excavation work is 112% higher than the rate for general construction? With the proper safety training in place, this number would be drastically reduced. That is why OSHA requires a competent person be present at every job site. OSHA defines a competent person as someone that “by way of training or experience, is knowledgeable of applicable standards, is capable of identifying workplace hazards relating to the specific operation, and has the authority to correct them.”
Many OSHA training classes provide basic or introductory information for workers. Since the competent person is required to make important decisions, their training must go beyond the introductory level, to a level which provides enough information to be useful in their decision making process.
eTraining’s Trenching & Excavation for the Competent Person course goes beyond the basic awareness level of introductory courses and into the details necessary to create a safe environment for workers, as outlined in OSHAs standard 29 CFR 1926.650. It helps a competent person answer important job site questions like: Are there adequate means of access and egress? Are adjacent structures stabilized? Does the procedure require benching or multiple benching? Shoring? Shielding? Are means of egress from the cut, cavity, or depression no more than 25 ft from the work?
These, and many more, are the kinds of questions a competent person on an excavation or trenching site needs to be asking. And, while there is no substitute for hands on, real world experience, this Trenching & Excavation Course for the Competent person will go a long way in providing a good foundation of knowledge from which a worker can create a safer excavation work environment.
If you don’t need a Competent Person designation or would rather a more basic level excavation course, we also offer an Excavation Safety course that does not cover as much detail as this course – click here for more information.
