Blog
Safety Focus of the Week: Excavation Sloping & Benching
Following on our excavation theme, this week are are focusing on the required slope for trenches and excavations. The standards for excavation slopes are set by OSHA:
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10932
In general, the standard trench/excavation slope should be 1.5H:1.0V, which is the steepest slope allowed for Type C soil conditions. Type A and B soils would justify using steeper slopes. However, these soils involve a greater level of attention to changes in soil conditions and documentation of those conditions. At ECI, we require that the Safety Department be consulted whenever Type A or B soils are used as a basis for selecting a steeper than 1.5H:1.0V slope.
Another consideration is that benching is not allowed for Type C soils since vertical faces are not stable.