OSHA Competent Person for Excavation Trenching and Shoring Training

Overview
Learning Objectives
Syllabus
Accreditation & Requirements
Group Training
SCORM Package
Q&A

Español Versión Disponible / Spanish Course Version

Our OSHA Competent Person For Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course is designed for individuals seeking certification for trenching and excavation operations in compliance with OSHA regulations specified in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P.

While excavating and trenching have a number of important applications (such as in mining, environmental restoration, and exploration), their use in the construction industry is one of the most common. These operations are used in the construction industry for pipe laying, building foundations, utility work, and more.

Working in and around trenching and excavation operations is inherently dangerous. Hazards include cave-ins, exposure to falling loads, electrocutions, oxygen deficiency, falls, and hazardous atmospheres (among many others). As part of a safety and health program, the OSHA excavations and trenching regulations specified in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P require employers to implement specific practices that will help reduce the risk of on-the-job injuries and illnesses at trenching and excavation sites.

OSHA mandates the appointment of a Competent Person to supervise activities at excavation sites as a safety measure. The Competent Person assumes the responsibility of soil classification, inspection of protective systems, and ongoing monitoring for potential new or additional hazards at the site. These roles make the Competent Person a crucial player in workplace safety. If your job requires you to work in and around excavations and trenches as a part of your job duties, then it is important that you receive additional on-site training from your employer in addition to this OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course.

Some of the benefits of HAZWOPER OSHA Online Training

When you complete your required study time, you can attempt the final exam for the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course. After passing the final exam, we will immediately email you an electronic certificate of completion.

Our online support is available 24/7, 365-days a year.
Our telephone support is available Monday to Saturday 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Pacific time).

Please reach us via:

Email: info@HAZWOPER-OSHA.com
Toll-free: (866) 429-6742
Local: (310) 498-0546

Our OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course supports a customized, user-focused experience from beginning to end. Not only do we try to make the learning interesting and engaging, but we strive to keep it as up-to-date and relevant to the contemporary workplace as possible. We do this by continually updating the course with new videos, graphics, and scenarios that keep the training fresh and easily applicable to a variety of work environments. Updates to OSHA regulations applicable to trenching and excavation operations are reviewed and incorporated into our safety training course.

Our OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course is narrated by professional narrators who bring the educational content to life. We believe the right voice talent can make training more enjoyable and engaging for the learner, and to that end, we use narrators who bring a pleasant, conversational tone to every project.

Please click here to view demo.

This course is taken entirely online and can be accessed from a computer, iPad, iPhone, or Android device. The training program has been developed with responsive design, which means it can be accessed on mobile devices, this allows for greater flexibility, enabling you to complete the course from any location with internet connectivity.

Our cloud based Learning Management System tracks your progress, allowing you to switch between your computer and mobile devices without retaking any training content. You can stop your training in the middle of a lesson on one device and pick it up at the same spot on another. There is no need to complete an entire lesson in order to move from one device to another.

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The core objective of the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training is to provide a basic understanding of OSHA’s excavations regulations as specified in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P. This trenching and excavations operations course will also examine the concepts of OSHA’s unconfined compressive strength measurement, soil classification, protective systems, and safe work practices in an excavation zone.

Course Objectives

After completion of the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course, the learner will be able to:

Understand OSHA excavations and trenching regulations as defined in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P and the safe work practices and procedures specified by this standard;
Explain what a competent person is responsible for in trenching and excavations operations;
List site conditions that must be evaluated before excavation operations begin;
Distinguish between type A, B, and C soil;
Explain what OSHA’s unconfined compressive strength measurement determines;
Differentiate between the two basic methods used for soil classification: visual testing and manual testing;
Understand the dynamics involved in a cave-in; and
Explain OSHA regulations related to protective systems in excavated areas and the exceptions to these regulations.

OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training Syllabus

The OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course consists of five lessons. Students are required to take each lesson in sequential order as listed below.

Course Content

Lessons

OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training: Introduction

Lesson 1: Introduction to Excavations

Lesson 1 of the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course covers the following information:

The definition of the terms excavation and trenching;
Responsibilities of a Competent Person including soil classification, designing structural ramps, inspecting protective systems, monitoring water removal equipment, conducting site inspections, and more;
How to access and egress from trenches or excavated sites;
Types of site conditions to be examined before work begins such as overhead and underground utilities, emergency rescue equipment, stability of structures, and more; and
The atmospheric testing procedures and ventilation required on a worksite.

Lesson 2: Soil Classification

Lesson 2 of the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course covers the following information:

The different types of soil (A, B, and C);
Components of a visual test for soil classification;
Three types of manual testing that can be done for classifying soil; and
An explanation of OSHA’s unconfined compressive strength measurement.

Lesson 3: Protective Systems

Lesson 3 of the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course covers the following information:

OSHA regulations concerning protective systems;
Discussion of the two general types of protective systems;
The distinction between sloping and benching systems;
The difference between shoring and shielding; and
Options for shoring or shielding, including timber shoring, aluminum hydraulic shoring, trench boxes, or the use of a combination.

Lesson 4: Requirements for Protective Systems

Lesson 4 of the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course covers the following information:

Cave-ins, and how they typically occur;
Factors to consider when designing protective systems, including when to hire a Registered Professional Engineer;
OSHA requirements related to the installation and removal of protective systems; and
Dewatering and water removal equipment.

Lesson 5: Safe Work Practices

Lesson 5 of the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course covers the following information:

Hazards associated with excavations and trenching operations, such as exposure to a hazardous atmosphere, exposure to falling loads, oxygen deficiency, and others;
The importance of using proper protective systems and protective equipment on worksites;
Safe work practices associated with excavations and trenching operations; and
The conditions under which a Competent Person should inspect excavations and trenches.

Final Examination

certificate of completion - OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching and Shoring Training

This course has been created by OSHA-certified outreach trainers, and it is updated as OSHA releases new or modified requirements or regulations. This OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course meets and exceeds compliance requirements as outlined in OSHA’s 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P standard.

Safety Training Certification

Once you pass the final exam, you will receive an emailed PDF of your course completion certificate for the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training.

Training Requirements

There are no prerequisites for this OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course.

A Final Note

It is important to remember that attending this OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course will not make a worker competent. Competence develops over time by consistently implementing knowledge that’s been acquired through training courses like this one to various on-the-job work situations. Therefore, in addition to this online course, it is important that employees receive additional on-site training from employers.

As an employer, do you want to train your employees as a team? Do your employees want to learn from a qualified instructor?

HAZWOPER OSHA offers customized group instructor-led training (ILT). We facilitate virtual training for groups of all sizes, led by OSHA-authorized trainers who guide individuals through the key topics of the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training as per OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P standard.

We can customize this OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course with your workplace-specific requirements so you can quickly and easily meet your workplace safety and health training goals.

Instructor-Led Training

Rates for the ILT course depends on the number of participants and changes required (if any) to the course content.

Email (info@hazwoper-osha.com) or call (1-866-429-6742) us with the:

Course(s) of your choice,
Preferred date for scheduling the training, and
Number of employees expected to be trained.

To learn more about group instructor-led training, click here.

We will get you a quote within 24 Hours!

In-Person Group Training

To get a quote for in-person group safety training, email (info@hazwoper-osha.com) or call (1-866-429-6742) us with the following details:

Course(s) of your choice,
Preferred date(s) for the training,
Location for the training, and
Number of expected participants.

For more information about in-person on-site safety training, click here.

We will get you a quote within 24 Hours!

‘Large corporations often operate and manage in-house learning management systems (LMS).’

We understand this statement and are ready to support employers in fulfilling their safety training goals by providing you with SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004 compatible safety training course files.

If you are in search of SCORM compliant safety training courses developed in compliance with OSHA, HAZWOPER, NFPA 70E, DOT Hazmat, and RCRA safety regulations, then you are at the right place!

As experts in the field of safety training, we at HAZWOPER OSHA Training are aware of the various methods employers use to train their employees. Therefore, we are prepared to develop customized SCORM packages to suit your organization’s safety training needs. As such, we can convert this online OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training course into a SCORM package to enable you to train your employees using your company’s LMS, making training accessible and hassle-free.

For information on rates, email (info@hazwoper-osha.com) or call (1-866-429-6742) us, and we will get you a quote within 24 Hours!

To learn more about SCORM Packages, click here.

0
votes

Answer: All our courses are designed to take a specific amount of time. However, some students may get through the course more quickly, while others may take longer to complete their training. This course will take around 3 hours to complete.

0
votes

Answer:

OSHA does not specify how often someone needs to attend the competent person for excavation, trenching, and shoring training. However, OSHA does indicate that in order to perform the duties of a Competent Person, an individual must be trained and knowledgeable in the subjects of Soils, Protective Systems, and the Requirements of the Excavation Standard. It is up to the employer to determine the employee's capabilities and to designate trained and knowledgeable persons.

We are ‘recommending’ that employees undergo refresher training once every three years as regulations are frequently updated, and in line with those changes our courses are also regularly updated. However, the final decision about the frequency of retraining rests with your employer.

3
votes

Answer:

According to OSHA, a competent person is an individual, designated by the employer, who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to workers, and who is authorized to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
Under the Excavation standards, tasks performed by the competent person include:
- Classifying soil;
- Inspecting protective systems;
- Designing structural ramps;
- Monitoring water removal equipment; and
- Conducting site inspections.

2
votes

Answer:

Employees who work in and around excavations and trenches as they must be aware of measures to protect themselves from cave-ins, falling loads, electrocutions, explosions, falls, and hazardous atmospheres.
Personnel designated by their employers as a ‘Competent Person’ would benefit from the OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training to meet the requirements of local, state, and Federal U.S. laws.
Individuals who wish to refresh their knowledge and understanding on excavation and trenching operations and the responsibilities of a competent person, may also enroll for this safety training course.

2
votes

Answer: This course meets and exceeds the compliance requirements of OSHA’s Excavations Regulations as specified in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P.

0
votes

Answer: OSHA defines an excavation as any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the Earth’s surface formed by earth removal. A trench is defined as a narrow excavation (in relation to its length) made below the surface of the ground. In general, the depth of a trench is greater than its width, but the width of a trench (measured at the bottom) is not greater than 15 feet (4.6 m).

0
votes

Answer: Once you’ve successfully completed your final examination of the excavation and trenching operations training course, you will immediately be able to download, save, or print your Course Completion Certificate in PDF format.

Overview

Español Versión Disponible / Spanish Course Version