OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring Training

The OSHA Competent Person for Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring training course fulfills the obligations in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P Excavations and the OSHA Competent Person regulations. The course fully prepares participants with the authority and responsibility granted to them to assess and manage risks for any safety and health hazards for trenching and excavation work. Key issues such as soil types and classifications, protective and safety systems, hazards and safety challenges, safety and health inspections, and emergency response plans are as important as the responsibilities the Competent Person must perform on excavation sites.

Both trenching and excavation, which are essential activities in a construction project, are characterized by high danger. According to OSHA, a single cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a car, and trench collapses cause dozens of worker fatalities each year. Sadly, a rise in such incidents has been noted in the last few years. An example from the year 2022 took place in the state of Texas. Two people tragically lost their lives due to a trench collapse while working on a residential construction project. This incident, with all its devastation, cost the construction company $250,000 in fines as OSHA denouncing the employer for “not providing a Competent Person for the job and appropriate trench protective measures.”

This is why we offer this course as an essential training as it supports the prevention of such tragedies by empowering construction site personnel to become OSHA competent persons with the authority and knowledge to stop unsafe conditions before they lead to disaster.

Why Choose this Excavation Competent Person Training?

Our OSHA Competent Person Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring training:

• Meets OSHA safety standards so learners can take on the role of a competent person on the job site.
• Gives learners the confidence and authority to spot dangers and stop unsafe work before someone gets hurt.
• Helps prevent accidents and fines by teaching learners how to keep trenches safe and up to code.
• Provides real-life examples that make it easy to apply what you learn on the job.
• Makes the workplace safer while boosting an individual’s skills and credibility as a leader.

What You Will Learn

With our OSHA Competent Person for Excavation training course, you will learn the following.

• How to identify excavation and trenching hazards to take corrective action;
• OSHA requirements for protective systems, including sloping, shoring, and shielding;
• How to perform soil classification using manual and visual testing methods;
• Responsibilities of a competent person, including inspection, documentation, and emergency planning;
• Procedures for working safely near underground utilities and other site-specific hazards; and
• Steps for conducting daily inspections and responding to changing site conditions.

Who Should Enroll?

Anyone designated as a Competent Person for excavation activities, as well as professionals with safety oversight obligations, must hold this certification in Competent Person Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring.

• Contractors and subcontractors working on public and private sector construction projects that entail excavation, trenching, utility installation, shoring, or site preparation.
• Crew leads, foremen, and site supervisors who are directly in charge of daily trench inspections and worker safety.
• Safety officers and compliance staff who are responsible for assessing the risks associated with excavation and enforcing OSHA regulations on the ground.
• Construction engineers and project managers who supervise excavation activities and guarantee the proper installation of protection systems.
• Employees of local, state, and federal agencies who conduct audits, inspections, or surveillance of excavation operations on regulated construction sites.
• Utility and infrastructure maintenance teams that frequently perform ground disturbance work, particularly around live electrical, gas, or sewer lines. However, they may also require additional training in electrical and arc flash training under OSHA standards and NFPA 70E guidelines.