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Data center excavation
Trench Safety & Competent Person Services
A cubic yard of soil weighs about as much as a car, and a trench wall can fail with no warning. AAAT3 provides competent persons, protective system plans and daily inspections so every trench on your data center campus is safe to enter.
- Competent person on site
- Daily trench inspections
- Shoring & trench box plans
- Soil classification
- Access & egress
By the numbers
What a trench failure costs
Trench and excavation deaths in 2022, up 160% from 15 the year before
CPWR via Safety+Health, 2023One year jump in trench and excavation deaths from 2021 to 2022
CPWR via Safety+Health, 2023Depth where OSHA requires a protective system unless the trench is in stable rock
29 CFR 1926.652What’s included
Trench safety, every shift
The competent person decides if a trench is safe. We make sure that person is qualified, present and documented.
Competent person services
OSHA requires a competent person who can spot hazards and has authority to stop work.
- Trained competent person on site
- Inspections before each shift
- Re-inspection after rain or changes
- Stop work authority
Protective systems
Sloping, benching, shoring or shields, matched to soil type and depth.
- Soil classification tests
- Trench box and shoring selection
- Tabulated data and PE designs past 20 ft
- Shield placement and stacking checks
Access, spoils and water
Most trench injuries come from the basics being skipped.
- Ladders within 25 ft of travel
- Spoils at least 2 ft from the edge
- Water removal and monitoring
- Barricades and edge protection
Project management and consulting
Project management and consulting for trench work
AAAT3 can staff your competent persons, write your trenching program or manage the excavation package.
Competent person staffing
Qualified AAAT3 competent persons for day, night and weekend trench work.
Best for: GCs and site contractors short on qualified staffTrenching program consulting
Written program, inspection forms and training plan built to OSHA Subpart P.
Best for: Contractors who need an audit-ready programCompetent person training
Training for your foremen to classify soil, inspect and choose protective systems.
Best for: Companies building in-house capabilityExcavation package oversight
Daily oversight of excavation subs for safety, quality and schedule.
Best for: Owners and GCs with many open trenchesTrench rescue planning
Rescue plans and coordination with local responders before work starts.
Best for: Deep or confined excavationsIncident investigation
Root cause and corrective actions after a cave-in, near miss or citation.
Best for: Any site after an eventHow it works
From plan to backfill
Plan
Depths, soils and protective systems.
Locate
Utilities marked and potholed.
Set up
Shields, access and spoils in place.
Inspect
Competent person checks each shift.
Monitor
Re-checks after rain or changes.
Backfill
Records closed and filed.
Rule of thumb: if no one on site can tell you the soil type and why the protective system fits it, no one should be in the trench.
Ways to work with us
Pick the level of support you need
Start small with a review, put a qualified person on site, or hand us the whole program. Every option is priced to your scope.
Quick start
Trenching program review
A review of your program, forms and field practice.
- Program and form review
- Field audit
- Fix list
- Report in days
Most popular
Competent person on site
A qualified AAAT3 competent person for your excavation work.
- Shift inspections
- Signed reports
- Stop work authority
- Daily photos
Full program
Excavation safety management
We manage trench safety across the whole site work package.
- Program and training
- Sub oversight
- Rescue planning
- Owner reporting
What you get
Deliverables
Trenching program
Written program to OSHA Subpart P.
Inspection forms
Simple daily forms with photos.
Protective system plans
Matched to soil type and depth.
Soil test records
Classification results for each area.
Rescue plan
Steps and contacts for trench rescue.
Weekly report
Inspections, findings and fixes.
Standards
Codes and standards we work to
Excavation
3- 29 CFR 1926.651
Specific excavation requirementsFederal
- 29 CFR 1926.652
Protective systemsFederal
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P App. A
Soil classificationFederal
Federal
2- EM 385-1-1
USACE safety and health requirementsFederal
- 29 CFR 1926.21
Safety training and educationFederal
Related data center services
Every phase of the build, one partner
Where we do this work
Opening trenches soon? Put a qualified competent person on site before the first worker goes in.
Get a Trench Safety QuoteFAQ
Common questions
What does a competent person do?
A competent person can identify existing and predictable hazards in an excavation and has authority to take prompt corrective action. They inspect trenches daily before work and after any event that could change conditions.
When is a protective system required?
For trenches 5 feet deep or more unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock. Trenches 20 feet or deeper need a system designed by a registered professional engineer.
How far must spoils be from the edge?
OSHA requires spoils and equipment to be kept at least 2 feet from the edge of the excavation.
When is a ladder required?
Trenches 4 feet or deeper need a safe way out, such as a ladder, within 25 feet of lateral travel for workers.
Can AAAT3 provide competent persons?
Yes. We provide trained competent persons for day, night and weekend excavation work.
Get a quote for Trench Safety & Competent Person Services
Tell us about your project, location and start date. We reply with a plan and pricing.
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