In this article, we highlight OSHA soil standards and the need to provide worker protection during excavations by discussing some complicating factors that contractors may encounter and providing a quick reminder of field test methods used to identify the OSHA soil classes.
Among complicating factors to be aware of, soil composition may vary significantly from one area of a project to another. As the soil composition changes during an excavation, the safe slope for trench wall excavation also changes. The slope of the bank may need to be different.Sliding and other failures can also occur in soils that are not densely
