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For information related to construction, see OSHA's Trenching and Excavation  - Construction page.

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to "furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act".
 

Note: Twenty-four states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart D, Walking-working surfaces
  • 1910.23, Guarding floor and wall openings and holes [related topic page]
    • 1910.23(e)(7)(i)
• 1910 Subpart H, Hazardous materials
  • 1910.120, Hazardous waste operations and emergency response [related topic page]
    • 1910.120(b)(1)(iii), Site excavation

Marine Terminals (29 CFR 1917)

• 1917 Subpart F, Terminal facilities
  • 1917.125, Guarding temporary hazards

• Special Emphasis: Trenching and Excavation. CPL 02-00-069 [CPL 2.69], (1985, September 19). Establishes a National Emphasis Program (NEP) for the programmed safety inspection of trenching and excavation operations.
• Search all available directives.