Excavations Regulations

According to Robert T. Mueller of the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), demonstrations conducted by the vendor have supported the premise that the cost to vitrify waste into nonleachable materials is substantially lower than the excavation and relocation of these materials to regulated landfills as a means of permanent disposal (D17164M,... 

Ex situ applications are processes that occur after the contaminated media have been excavated. Once excavated the media can be treated on-site or taken off-site for subsequent treatment. Composting is the oldest ex situ treatment that utilizes a mixture of meso-philic and thermophilic organisms. Windrows of soil are constructed to a height of 3-4 ft and length of 50-200 ft. Water is added weekly to provide the necessary moisture and regulate the internal temperature of the compost pile. Landfarming occurs on lined containers of various dimensions. The soil is applied at a maximum of 1 ft and is tilled one or two times a month to enhance aeration and nutrient delivery. Biopiles are 6 ft mounds of excavated soil that were premixed to provide a uniform dispersion of the contaminant. An array of air ducts is placed within the bottom of the pile to introduce the required TEA. Periodically, the piles are sprinkled with water and nutrients to... 

A permanent or portable structure designed to withstand a cave-in in excavations or trenches. These structures can be pre-manufactured or job-built in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation 29 CFR 1926.652 (c) (3) or (c) (4). It may also be called trench boxes or trench shields. See also Trench Shield. 

The OSHA rule applies to all open excavations made in the earth s surface, which includes trenches. The regulation is in the construction standards at Subpart P, and covers ... 

No specific employee training is mentioned in the excavation standard. There are, however, a number of places where implied training is required for competent persons and engineers. In addition, the general training reference for all construction workers (1926.21(b)(2)) applies. It says that employees must be trained to recognize and avoid rmsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to his work environment to control or eliminate the hazards. 

If you work for a utility that is covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are specific regulations (29 Code of Federal Regulations 1926 Subpart P) that govern most subsurface excavations. 

A complete and detailed rundown of all the rules and regulations for trench and excavation safety would be far too lengthy to tackle in a tailgate safety meeting. But the following are a few points to remember. (For specific regulations, refer to the OSHA standard referenced above.)... 

The chapter has endeavoured to cover the principal statutory inspection requirements in the UK that are likely to be of concern to occupational safety advisers. Certain areas have not been covered, such as the inspections of gasholders under the Factories Act, excavations and builders hoists under the Construction Regulations nor the slightly differing requirements in Eire, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. 

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