Under California Title 8 Section 1532.1, at what depth must an excavation be inspected by a competent person before workers enter?
Correct Answer
A) 5 feet
Cal/OSHA requires excavations 5 feet or deeper to be inspected by a competent person daily and after any occurrence that could have changed conditions.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
California Title 8 Section 1532.1 (Excavations) requires that any excavation 5 feet or deeper must be inspected by a competent person before workers enter and after any event that may have changed conditions (such as rain or vibration). This daily inspection requirement is mandatory.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: 4 feet
4 feet is below the 5-foot threshold established by Cal/OSHA. Excavations shallower than 5 feet may still require protective measures in some circumstances, but the mandatory competent-person inspection requirement is triggered at 5 feet.
Option C: 6 feet
6 feet is the minimum depth for fall protection requirements (guardrails, personal fall arrest systems) on walking/working surfaces — not the excavation inspection trigger. Confusing these two thresholds is a common error.
Option D: 3 feet
3 feet is too shallow to trigger mandatory competent-person inspection under the regulation. No specific Cal/OSHA excavation inspection requirement is tied to the 3-foot depth.
Memory Technique
Think: '5 feet down, competent person around.' The number 5 triggers underground safety inspection. 6 feet is for falls from height — one number higher for falling down, one number lower for being buried.
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