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US requires training, competence and authority to stop work
Each year some 100 construction workers die in excavation collapses across the USA and thousands more are injured. The Federal Safety Agency, OSHA, now require that every project involving an excavation must have at least one person certified as “competent in trenching and excavating”.
Competent-person training covers OSHA trenching regulations; identifying and controlling hazards; soil testing, types, and the requirements for working in each; understanding protective systems and safe work practices.
The competent person must be on site and have the authority to stop work if they deem OSHA detailed safety requirements are not being met. OSHA levy fines for even “small infractions”. For example, one contractor was fined $40k for having the top width of a trench 1m narrower than it should be.
Comment: This short 10 minute video provides a wealth of information and a useful summary of the US approach to excavation safety.