Excavation & Ground Disturbance
How to plan, permit and control excavation and ground-disturbance work so nobody is buried by a collapse or injured by striking a buried service. For anyone who digs, supervises digging, or authorises ground disturbance on an oil and gas site.
55m
Total time
4
Competency levels
12
Lessons
What you'll learn
- Explain why excavation collapse and buried-service strikes are the two dominant killers in ground-disturbance work
- Apply the service-location sequence: records, locating and scanning, then hand-digging or vacuum excavation within the tolerance zone of a service
- Select an appropriate protective system (sloping or benching, shoring, or a trench box) for the soil type, depth and water conditions
- Set out an excavation correctly: spoil and equipment set-back from the edge, ladder access within reach, barricading and edge protection
- Recognise when an excavation must be treated as a confined space and gas tested before entry
- Carry out and act on competent-person inspections daily, after rain, and after any change in conditions
Curriculum
Progress through each competency level in order.
1
Awareness
- 3mWhy Ground Disturbance KillsKnowledge
- 3mGround Rules Around an ExcavationKnowledge
- 7mAwareness Check: Ground Disturbance BasicsAssessment
2
Knowledge
- 3mLocating Buried Services Before You DigKnowledge
- 3mSoil, Collapse Mechanics and Protective SystemsKnowledge
- 8mKnowledge Check: Services, Soil and ProtectionAssessment
3
Skill
- 3mRunning a Safe Excavation Day to DayKnowledge
- 3mExcavation Walk-Down and VerificationAssignment
- 8mSkill Check: Controlling the Live ExcavationAssessment
4
Mastery
- 3mLeading Ground Disturbance WorkKnowledge
- 3mPlan and Supervise a Ground Disturbance JobAssignment
- 8mMastery Assessment: Ground Disturbance LeadershipAssessment
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