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Avoiding Enforcement Actions

Tracking offsite, one of the biggest sources of public complaint about a construction site, is a way to attract unwanted regulatory scrutiny. Keeping the construction entrance stabilized and clean is an ongoing effort that pays off by giving an impression of good housekeeping on a site.

Based on audits of hundreds of construction sites across the country, here are the regulatory “hot buttons”:

  1. Inadequate documentation
  2. Inadequate combination of erosion & sediment control measures.
  3. Tracking offsite
  4. Trash and debris onsite
  5. Poorly managed washouts (concrete, paint and stucco)
  6. Poorly placed and managed sanitary facilities (Porta-Johns)
  7. Inadequate BMP maintenance

Inadequate documentation includes the SWPPP or ESCP not current inspections and repairs not documented and training not documented.

  • Excavation Safety
    According to OSHA, all excavations greater than 5 feet in depth must be shored, sloped or shielded to protect workers. Every excavation and/or trench must have a competent person. A competent person is an individual who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards or working conditions that are hazardous, unsanitary or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to make prompt corrective measures to eliminate or control these hazards and conditions.
  • Trench Shield Sizing:
    The following information will explain how to determine the size of trench shielding you will need.
    • Determine Depth of Cut
      • Slope must start 18″ below the top of the shield.
    • Determine the Width of the Trench
      • Width determined by the O.D. of the pipe or O.D. of the excavator bucket.
      • Allow 6″ of clearance on each side of pipe bell.
      • Shield should be a minimum of 12″ wider than the O.D. of the excavator bucket.
    • Determine the Length of Trench Shield
      • Inside length clearance of pipe is approximately 2″ less than the overall length of the shield.
      • Shield must be 2′ to 4′ longer than the pipe.
    • Determine the Machine Lift Capacity
      • 1.5 times the shield weight at 20′ radius at grade.