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Site Health and Safety Plan <br />19133 East Liberty Road, Clements, California <br />August 16, 2022 <br />Page 18 <br /> <br />Sharp Environmental Technologies, Inc. <br />5.5.15 Excavation and Loading <br />Operation of excavation and loading equipment during site activities presents potential physical <br />hazards to personnel. During all site activities, personal protective equipment (PPE) such as steel-toed <br />shoes, safety glasses or goggles, and hard hats should be worn whenever such equipment is present. <br />Personnel should be aware of the location and operation of excavation and loading equipment at all <br />times and take precautions to avoid obstructing operation of the equipment. <br />During setup of the excavation and loading equipment, overhead power lines pose a danger of shock <br />or electrocution if the power line is contacted or severed during site operations. Before work is <br />conducted in areas where overhead lines could be encountered, the appropriate utility company will be <br />notified, and information will be obtained regarding the minimum separation distance required for <br />work in this area. <br />Water exposure to construction activities is a potential hazard. Heavy machinery, moving traffic and <br />foot traffic need to be watched out for. Workers on-site need to wear hard hats and steel-toed boots. <br />The construction will be surrounded by barricades and caution tape. Adequate areas will be marked <br />for traffic. <br />Excavation and trenches are commonly found on hazardous waste site investigations or cleanups. <br />Trenches are narrow excavations made below the surface of ground, generally deeper than they are <br />wide and less than 15 feet in width. They are used in the risk assessment/feasibility study phase of a <br />project and in the construction or cleanup phase. Activities in the trenches may include sampling <br />buried containers; sampling subsurface soil, sludges, and other materials; and establishing control <br />areas around extremely hot areas to prevent further contamination. <br />Employees working in trenches may be exposed to many hazards other than the chemicals that are to <br />be removed in the cleanup operation. Workers may come in contact with underground utility lines or <br />pipes, which can cause a potentially fatal electrical or fire hazard. Typical hazards include cave-in of <br />trench walls, oxygen-deficient atmospheres, accumulations of heavier-than-air gases or vapors, and <br />objects falling on workers from a higher elevation. Slips and falls are also prevalent inside the trench or <br />from ground level into the trench. Heavy equipment in operation around the trench can cause serious <br />accidents if all employees are not observant of heavy equipment safety rules. <br />Injuries associated with trenching on hazardous waste sites can be minimized by following OSHA <br />Construction Standards contained in Title 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P and Title 8 CCR, Sections 3203 and <br />1509 and Article 3, Sections 6507 and 6760. <br />Prior to excavation, the following precautions will be observed: <br />• Check the area to be excavated for any underground pipelines, transmission lines, etc. <br />Consult with utility companies as needed. <br />• Determine soil composition (e.g., through soil sampling, soil maps, etc.) and other relevant <br />site conditions, with special emphasis on conditions conducive to cave-ins. <br />During excavation and work in trenches, the following precautions will be observed: <br />• Follow standard construction safety procedures: