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OSHA: Excavation & Trenching Safety
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Avg score: 80% Most missed: “(Difficulty: hard) Type A soil is being excavated at 10 feet deep. The morning c…”
What this quiz covers This quiz is about trench and excavation hazards, especially cave-ins, soil conditions, spoil placement, protective systems, inspections, and safe entry rules. It tests whether you can spot when a trench is unsafe even if it looks normal at first glance. On the job A trench can look solid in the morning and fail later because of vibration, rain, nearby traffic, or disturbed soil. Workers are often hurt when a trench is treated like routine digging instead of a high-risk confined excavation. How to think about it Begin with depth, soil type, protective system, ladder... Show more
OSHA: Excavation & Trenching Safety
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8 Questions

1. (Difficulty: hard) Type A soil is being excavated at 10 feet deep. The morning competent person inspection reveals tension cracks in the trench wall. What action is required?
2. (Difficulty: hard) A trench was classified as Type A soil. During inspection, the competent person observes tension cracks along the trench wall. What is the best next step?
3. (Difficulty: medium) How far must excavated material or spoil generally be kept back from the edge of a trench?
4. (Difficulty: medium) Which soil classification requires the steepest (most restrictive) slope for excavation?
5. (Difficulty: easy) At what trench depth does OSHA require a protective system (sloping, shoring, or shielding)?
6. (Difficulty: medium) Which soil type requires the greatest horizontal setback when using sloping as the protective method?
7. (Difficulty: easy) In general, OSHA requires a protective system for a trench when it reaches what depth?
8. (Difficulty: medium) What is the minimum distance that spoil piles and equipment must be kept from the edge of an excavation?