Excavation activities performed by FOX Corporation personnel will be limited to depths of less than four (4) feet below grade. Operations requiring excavation at depths greater than four (4) feet must be coordinated with the Environmental, Safety and Health Department, and will only be performed by an acceptable contractor organization.

1.0 SCOPE

FOX Corporation (FOX) is committed to the safe performance of excavation work during all its activities. The following requirements specify the minimum acceptable standards for the performance of excavation work, both by FOX and by its contractor organizations.

2.0 DEFINITIONS

Benching: a safety measure that entails dragging the sides of an excavation to form one, or a series, of horizontal levels or steps, usually with vertical or near-vertical surfaces between steps.
Cave-in: the separation of a mass of soil or rock material from the side of an excavation, or the loss of soil from under a trench shield or support system, and its sudden movement into the excavation, either by falling or sliding, in sufficient quantity, so that it could entrap, bury, or otherwise injure and immobilize a person.
Competent Person: one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings, or working conditions, which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and one who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
Excavation: any man-made cavity or depression in the earth’s surface, including its sides, walls, or faces, formed by earth removal and producing unsupported earth conditions by reasons of the excavation. If installed forms or similar structures reduce the depth-to-width relationship, an excavation can become a trench.
Faces or Sides: the vertical or inclined earth surfaces formed as a result of excavation work.
Protective System: a method of protecting employees from cave-ins, from material that could fall or roll from an excavation face or into an excavation, or from collapse of adjacent structures. Protective systems include support systems, sloping and benching systems, shield systems, and other systems that provide the necessary protection.
Shield System: a structure that is able to withstand the forces imposed on it in a cave-in and thereby protects employees within the structure. Shields used in trenches are usually referred to as trench boxes or trench shields.
Sloping System: a method of protecting employees from cave-ins by excavating to form sides of an excavation that are inclined away from the excavation, in order to prevent cave-ins. The angle of incline required varies with differences in such factors as the soil type, environmental conditions of exposure, and application of surcharge loads.
Stable Rock: natural solid mineral material that can be excavated with vertical sides and will remain intact while exposed. Unstable rock is considered stable when the rock material on the side or sides is secured against cave-in or movement by rock bolts, or by another protective system designed by a registered professional engineer.
Support System: a structure, such as underpinning, bracing, or shoring, which provides support to an adjacent structure, underground installation, or the sides of an excavation.
Trench: a narrow excavation made below the surface of the ground. In general, the depth is greater than the width, but the width of a trench is not greater than fifteen (15) feet.

3.0 RESPONSIBILITIES

In addition to required Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Program responsibilities discussed in EHS001, EHS Policy, the responsibilities described below are necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the procedure.

3.1 DEPARTMENT HEADS

Department Heads will:
1. Notify the EHS Department regarding any excavation activity prior to the start of work
2. Ensure that no Fox-performed excavation exceeds four (4) feet in depth.

3.2 EMPLOYEES

All Fox employees will observe the excavation requirements in Section 4.0.

3.3 ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH AND SAFETY DEPARTMENT

The Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Department will:
1. Review and update this Procedure annually, or as necessary, to comply with regulatory changes
2. Obtain and annually renew FOX’s Excavation Permit with applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offices.

4.0 PROCEDURE

4.1 EXCAVATIONS PERFORMED BY FOX PERSONNEL

Under no circumstances will FOX personnel excavate to a depth greater than four (4) feet below the existing surface grade.
All excavations performed by FOX personnel will conform to the following requirements.
• Prior to opening an excavation, all efforts must be made to locate any underground utilities (e.g., electrical conduits, water/sewer piping, etc.).
• If any excavation has the potential to encounter an underground utility, the EHS Department must be notified prior to starting work.
• Trees, boulders, and other surface encumbrances that create a hazard will be removed or made safe before excavation is begun.
• Excavated materials must be stored and retained at least three (3) feet from the edge of the excavation. Walkways and sidewalks must be kept clear of excavated materials.
• No excavation will be permitted below the level of the base of the footing of any foundation or retaining wall without the concurrence of the EHS Department.
• Dust conditions during excavation must be kept to a minimum.
• Wetting agents must be used according to EHS Department direction.
• Guardrail or fences must be placed at all excavations that are close to sidewalks, drives, or other thoroughfares.

4.2 EXCAVATIONS PERFORMED BY CONTRACTOR ORGANIZATIONS

All excavations of depths greater than four (4) feet below grade must be performed by a contractor organization.
1. All such excavation work must be performed under the contractor’s own established health and safety procedures, and a written procedure must be provided to the EHS Department prior to the start of work.
2. The minimum requirements specified below must be observed.

4.2.1 General Requirements

1. All contractors performing excavation work for FOX must observe the following requirements.
2. Prior to opening an excavation, all efforts must be made to locate all underground utilities.
The utilities must be marked.
3. Trees, boulders, and other surface encumbrances that create a hazard must be removed or made safe before excavation is begun.
4. Excavated materials must be stored and retained at least three (3) feet from the edge of the excavation. Walkways and sidewalks must be kept clear of excavated materials.
5. Except in hard rock, excavations below the level of the base of the footing of any foundation or retaining wall must not be permitted, unless the wall is underpinned and all other precautions have been taken to ensure the stability of the adjacent walls.
6. Dust conditions during excavation will be kept to a minimum.
Wetting agents must be used according to the EHS Department direction.
7. Guardrail or fences must be placed at all excavations that are close to sidewalks, drives, or other thoroughfares.
8. Adequate protection at remote excavations must protect members of the public when workers are not present.

4.2.2 Competent Person

The contractor must appoint a “competent person” to oversee the excavation operations.
The designated competent person must meet the following qualifications:
1. Has sufficient experience to identify existing and predictable hazards in the excavation surroundings, or working conditions, which are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous to employees, and
2. Has completed training in excavation safety, which includes the following elements:
• Soils classification and identification
• Appropriate sloping/shoring methods
• Shoring system types and construction
• Operational safety practices
• Inspection of excavations.
The designated competent person will be responsible for safe performance of excavation activities.

4.2.3 Requirements for Entry by FOX Personnel

FOX employees entering any contractor’s excavation work area must don traffic safety vests or similar high-visibility/reflective clothing.
Additionally, if FOX personnel must enter a contractor’s excavation that is greater than four (4) feet in depth, conditions must conform to the following minimum requirements.
1. One or more ladders must be provided for access/egress.
2. Within the trench, the maximum lateral travel distance to a ladder must be no more than twenty-five (25) feet.
3. The ladder must extend a minimum of three (3) feet above the excavation and be secured.
4. This ladder must not be removed until all employees have exited the excavation.
5. All ladders, whether manufactured or job-built, must meet the requirements of EHS 408, Stairways and Ladders.
6. Excavations deeper than five (5) feet, which are entered by FOX employees, must be sloped, shored, or supported by some other protective system prior to employees entering the space.
• The preferred method is to slope the sides of the excavation to the angle of repose, or the angle of control at which the soil will remain at rest.
• The angle of repose varies with different kinds of soil; this angle must be determined on each individual excavation, using the following guidelines:
Maximum Allowable Slopes
Soil or Rock Type (Horizontal:Vertical)
Stable Rock Vertical (90 degrees)
Type A 3/4:1 (53 degrees)
Type B 1:1 (45 degrees)
Type C 1-1/2:1 (34 degrees)
Note: No soil classification is required if a 1-1/2:1 (horizontal:vertical) or 34-degree slope is used. If a 1-1/2:1 (horizontal: vertical) 34 degrees slope is not used, a soil classification must be made. The excavation must then comply with one of the three following options.
• The second method of support is shoring, sheeting, tightly placed timber shores, bracing, trench jacks, piles, or other materials installed in a manner by which they are strong enough to resist the pressures surrounding the excavations.
• The third method is to use a trench box, which is a prefabricated movable trench shield made of steel plates, welded to a steel frame.
7. The competent person must inspect excavations to ensure the above requirements are met prior to FOX employees entering the spaces.

5.0 REFERENCES

EHS 001, EHS Policy
EHS 408, Stairways and Ladders

6.0 ATTACHMENTS

None.