Regulation 12 Excavations

All practicable steps shall be taken, where necessary to prevent danger to any person, to ensure that any new or existing excavation or any part of such excavation which may be in a temporary state of weakness or instability due to the carrying out of construction work (including other excavation work) does not collapse accidentally.

Suitable and sufficient steps shall be taken to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any person from being buried or trapped by a fall or dislodgement of any material.

Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (2), where it is necessary for the purpose of preventing any danger to any person from a fall or dislodgement of any material from a side or the roof of or adjacent to any excavation, that excavation shall as early as practicable in the course of the work be sufficiently supported so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the fall or dislodgement of such material.

Suitable and sufficient equipment for supporting an excavation shall be provided to ensure that the requirements of paragraphs (1) to (3) may be complied with.

The installation, alteration or dismantling of any support for an excavation pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2) or (3) shall be carried out only under the supervision of a competent person.

Where necessary to prevent danger to any person, suitable and sufficient steps shall be taken to prevent any person, vehicle or plant and equipment, or any accumulation of earth or other material, from falling into any excavation.

Where a collapse of an excavation would endanger any person, no material, vehicle or plant and equipment shall be placed or moved near any excavation where it is likely to cause such collapse.

No excavation work shall be carried out unless suitable and sufficient steps have been taken to identify and, so far as is reasonably practicable, prevent any risk of injury arising from any underground cable or other underground service.