Under Cal/OSHA regulations, what is required when a construction project involves excavation deeper than 5 feet?
Correct Answer
A) A competent person must inspect the excavation daily
Cal/OSHA requires a competent person to inspect excavations daily and after any condition that could have changed the excavation's stability, particularly for excavations 5 feet or deeper.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Cal/OSHA Title 8, Section 1541 requires that a competent person inspect all excavations, adjacent areas, and protective systems at the start of each work shift, as needed throughout the shift, after every rainstorm or other hazard-increasing occurrence, and for excavations 5 feet deep or more. This daily competent-person inspection is a specific mandatory requirement.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: All workers must wear hard hats
While hard hats are generally required on construction sites, the question asks specifically about the requirement triggered by excavations deeper than 5 feet. Hard hats are a general PPE requirement, not the specific excavation-depth trigger.
Option C: A registered engineer must design the shoring system
A registered engineer is only required to design the shoring system when the excavation is 20 feet or deeper, or when the competent person cannot classify the soil and determine an appropriate protective system. For excavations between 5 and 20 feet, a competent person — not necessarily a registered engineer — can determine the protective system.
Option D: Work can only be performed during daylight hours
Cal/OSHA does not restrict excavation work to daylight hours. Work may occur at night provided adequate lighting and other safety measures are in place. Time-of-day is not the trigger for the 5-foot excavation rule.
Memory Technique
Remember '5-Foot = Competent Person' and '20-Foot = Engineer.' Picture a 5-foot tall person standing in the trench — at exactly their height, a competent person must check in daily. Double that (10 ft) is still a competent person; quadruple (20 ft) requires an engineer.
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