Planning of excavations will ensure legislative requirements are met to prevent danger to workers in or near excavations. To maintain the required precautions, a competent person must inspect excavation supports or battering at the start of the working shift and at other specified times. No work should take place until the excavation is safe. Commercial clients must provide certain information to contractors before work begins. This should include relevant information on the ground conditions, underground structures or water courses and the location of existing services. This information should be used during the planning and preparation for excavation work. The key issues are the collapse of excavations, falling or dislodging material, falling into excavations, inspection

People are killed or seriously injured every year by collapses and falling materials while working in excavations. They are at risk from: excavations collapsing and burying or injuring people working in them

Material falling from the sides into any excavation and people or plant falling into excavations