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Essential for planning, management, design and supervision of excavations

The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) has published Management of Shoring in Excavations Part 1 – Management Process CPA (June 2013).

The good practice guide is written specifically for all the duty holders identified in the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM 2007).

The guide refers to and adopts the guidance given in BS 5975:2008+A1:2011 – Code of Practice for Temporary Works Procedures etc and BS 6031:2009 – Code of Practice for Earthworks and is described as:

“essential reading for anyone involved in the planning, management, design and supervision of excavation works during any stage of the construction process, including site investigations. Guidance is given in the form of a review of current practice, including a simple to follow management flowchart and advice on assessing the competency of the duty holders.

By adopting the guidance contained within this document it is considered that duty holders will generally be doing enough to manage the planning and execution of excavation works in order to meet their health and safety obligations.”

Imperative that risks are fully assessed

The guidance has been produced in partnership with HSE and represents current best practice. The HSE Chief Inspector has provided the forward which states:

“Ground conditions around excavations present an unpredictable hazard with the ever-present risk of unacceptable ground movement, collapse or cave-in. These risks have the ability to impact far beyond the footprint of the excavation to affect adjacent works, structures and the public.

Most injuries occur in and around excavations less than 2.4m deep when either little or no temporary shoring has been provided. Prior to proceeding with any excavation, it is imperative that the risks are fully assessed and that consideration is always given to the need for temporary shoring to support the ground, even in excavations as shallow as 1.0m.

Notwithstanding the legal requirement to control risks to workers in or near excavations, there are strong commercial arguments supporting the view that the careful planning and design of temporary works will lead to greater certainty of cost and programme. Even where no one is injured, the collapse of excavations inevitably causes substantial site delays and additional costs in managing and safely retrieving the situation.

This guidance has been prepared by a Working Group representing all parts of the industry, including the Health and Safety Executive. The guidance is straightforward, comprehensive and easy to adopt. Please read the publication and turn the advice into action”

This article was posted on 1st July 2013