New Course: Trenching and Shoring Safety

Trenching can be some of the most dangerous work on a construction or solar site, and it’s also some of the most routine. Conduit needs to go in the ground. Wire needs to be pulled. Crews dig, lay their lines, and backfill, often several times a day. That routine is what can make it risky. Cave-ins happen fast, and unsupported trench walls can bury a worker in seconds.

HeatSpring’s new course, Trenching and Shoring Safety, walks through what every crew member needs to know before they step near an open trench.

What you will learn

Excavation is any removal of earth to create a cavity or open face in the ground, for things like foundations, roads, or pipelines. Trenching is narrower: a deep, skinny cut in the ground, generally no more than fifteen feet wide, used to lay pipe or cable. Solar crews doing ground mounts will recognize this immediately, since trenches for wire runs and conduit show up on nearly every ground-mount job.

The course includes three modules:

Module 1: Trenching Fundamentals covers how trenches are created and prepared for safe work: site assessment, underground utility location, equipment selection, trench stability, and access and egress, plus the role of the competent person in inspecting conditions before workers enter.

Module 2: Soil Types, Conditions, and Protective Systems covers OSHA soil classifications (stable rock, Types A, B, and C) and how soil and ground conditions drive decisions on sloping, benching, shoring, and shielding.

Module 3: Safety Guidelines for Trench Work, Tools, and Equipment covers barricades, access control, spoil and equipment placement, stop-work triggers for potential cave-ins, and selecting the right tools and equipment for the job.

About the instructor

This course is taught by CAM Services, a Colorado-based company founded by Cameron Quinonez, a master electrician and NABCEP-certified professional with a long background in commercial solar construction. CAM runs a Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program built for how solar crews actually work, with flexible, on-the-go coursework and bilingual instruction. Read more about their approach in our recent feature on CAM Services.

Who this is for

This course is built for anyone who works around excavations and trenches: solar installers running conduit, construction crews laying utilities, apprentices new to groundwork, and supervisors responsible for signing off on trench inspections.

Interested in getting your crew trained? Check out the full course here!

Looking for training on excavations instead? Head here for Excavations Safety Training!