'Bulking' of excavated material
Enter the dimensions asked for and the estimator will provide the 'bulked' up cubic metres of rock, chalk, earth, clay, sand and gravel. The calculations will be completed
when you click calculate..
-->
Hazards associated with Excavations
The most common form of hazard associated with excavations is the collapse
of the sides, which can happen without any warning signs.
Excavations can collapse if:
-
The sides of the excavation are not sufficiently self-supporting
-
Surcharges from spoil, adjacent foundations, stored materials, plant or
temporary works
-
Imposed loads overload the ground adjacent to an excavation
-
Groundwater ingress reduces the strength of the ground
-
Excavation supports are removed prematurely, to facilitate backfilling or
compaction.
Other hazards of working in excavations include:
-
The presence of contaminants, which may be harmful to health, levels of
which cannot always be assessed by sight or smell
-
Gases migrating into excavations and creating explosive or poisonous
atmospheres.
-
The presence of buried utility services
-
The presence of other excavations or other voids nearby.
- Work in an excavation may involve kneeling down to carry out a task and
thus increase the hazard for the person working in it.
- i.e. what is a relatively shallow excavation becomes a ?deep? one, simply
because the person is completely within it. Excavations can be defined as
confined spaces
