Safety checklist — Earthwork / Excavation
Excavation, trenches and digging. Based on Québec's Construction Safety Code (CSTC) and CNESST standards.
Before work
13 items- ✓
PPE worn: CSA hard hat, high-visibility vest, steel-toed boots
- ✓
Underground services located and marked before digging (CSTC 3.15.1)Critical
ℹ️ CSTC 3.15.1: locate underground pipes before any excavation. Info-Excavation (1-800-663-9228) is the usual method, not named in the Code.
- ✓
Machine inspected: brakes, backup alarm, bucket, fluid levels
- ✓
Weather conditions checked — no collapse risk after rain
- ✓
Engineer-signed shoring plans on site (CSTC 3.15.3)
ℹ️ Submit to CNESST only if depth ≥ 6 m (CSTC 2.4.1). Otherwise keep engineer plans on site.
- ✓
Overhead power lines identified — safe distances confirmed
- ✓
Shoring to engineer plans, or a CSTC 3.15.3 exception appliesCritical
ℹ️ CSTC 3.15.3: shore by default. Exceptions: sound rock / no one enters; slope < 45° from less than 1.2 m of the bottom with no landslide danger; or no landslide danger and an engineer's attestation.
- ✓
Shoring extended 300 mm beyond the excavation (CSTC 3.15.3 (2))
- ✓
No vehicle or machine within 3 m of the top of the wallsCritical
ℹ️ CSTC 3.15.3 (5) b): no driving or parking vehicles or machines within 3 m of the top, unless reinforced shoring was designed for it.
- ✓
Materials stored more than 1.2 m from trench edgeCritical
ℹ️ CSTC 3.15.3 (5) a): no materials within 1.2 m of the top of the walls.
- ✓
Access ladders every 15 m, standing on the bottom, extending at least 1 m (CSTC 3.15.4)Critical
ℹ️ 900 mm is the 3.5.6 e) projection for ordinary access ladders, not trench egress.
- ✓
Signal person present if operator visibility is reduced
- ✓
Experienced person on surface monitoring the walls
After work
3 items- ✓
Excavation protected: rigid barriers + nighttime signage
- ✓
Machine parked safely, bucket down, key removed
- ✓
Excavation report completed and signed
16 verification items — use this checklist on-site with the app
Use on-site — freePDF reports, history and team management in the app
For information only — this is not legal advice. OK Sécurité is an independent company with no affiliation to the CNESST: we are not mandated, endorsed or certified by it. Completing a checklist here does not by itself establish your compliance — your exact obligations depend on your job site and your prevention program. Where there is any discrepancy, the official text published by Légis Québec or the CNESST prevails.
More checklists — Heavy Work
More safety checklists
Related official rule
Risks and prevention — Earthwork and excavation
Trench and excavation cave-ins are among the most fatal construction accidents. From 1.2 m, CSTC art. 1 defines an excavation/trench and 3.15.3 requires shoring by default (unless an exception in that article applies). Soil analysis and nearby load assessment must be completed before digging.
CSTC 3.15.1 requires locating underground utilities before digging. Info-Excavation is the usual means, not named in the Code. Unexpected contact with a gas line or buried electrical cable can be fatal.
CSTC 3.15.4 requires a ladder every 15 m of trench (and following the work), standing on the bottom and extending at least 1 m. That is not the OSHA 7.5 m rule. Wall monitoring is ongoing: cracks, water infiltration, and vibration from machinery are precursors of instability.
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