Courses

The walls of a trench can collapse without warning, one cubic metre of soil can weigh more than a tonne and a half, and below ground there are electrical cables, gas and fuel lines that cannot be seen. In this theory course for site supervisors, operators and HSE technicians in construction and mining, you follow a team from a fictitious construction company extending a warehouse and carrying out drainage works at a mine. Identify the hazards of excavations: burial, falls of people, machines and materials, buried services, water, hazardous atmospheres and neighbouring structures. Prepare the excavation: service drawings, reading the ground, cable detection, hand-dug trial holes, the permit to dig, soil type and the competent person. Learn the systems that protect the walls and the people: battering, benching, shoring and trench boxes, with spoil kept back from the edge, stop blocks, barriers, access and egress. Finally, learn to inspect the excavation every day and after rain, to recognise the warning signs and to respond to emergencies without jumping in. Aligned with ILO Convention C167 and UK HSE guidance HSG185. Includes a "before you dig" checklist, a guide to protective systems and an inspection sheet. This course is theoretical and does not replace certified practical training. The course is delivered in Portuguese.

What you will learn

• Identify the hazards of excavations and trenches, including burial, falls, buried services, water and hazardous atmospheres.
• Explain why walls collapse and why there is no depth that is "safe" by definition.
• Prepare an excavation with drawings, service detection, hand-dug trial holes, a permit to dig and soil assessment by the competent person.
• Explain the systems that protect the walls (battering, benching, shoring, trench boxes) and the controls around the excavation.
• Inspect an excavation and recognise the warning signs, especially after rain.
• Respond to emergencies in excavations without creating new victims and recognise the limits of a theory course.

Modules

1. The hazards of excavations58 min
2. Before you dig62 min
3. Protecting the walls and the people60 min
4. Inspections and emergencies60 min

Who it is for

Site supervisors, operators and HSE technicians in construction and mining