Excavation Health and Safety: A General Contractor’s Perceptions and Practices

A range of H&S hazards exist relative to excavations, which result in a range of injuries, and are influenced by a range of stakeholders. The paper reports on a study conducted among delegates attending a general contractor (GC) dedicated excavation H&S seminar using a self-administered questionnaire. Selected findings include: H&S is ranked third in terms of the importance of project parameters; thirteen excavation-related interventions are undertaken frequently as opposed to infrequently; a range of barriers to excavation H&S exist; the GC’s excavation H&S culture is not optimum, and there is potential to improve excavation H&S courtesy of a range of interventions. Conclusions include: the GC is committed to excavation H&S; all project stakeholders have a role to play in excavation H&S, can marginalise it, or conversely, contribute to an improvement thereof; the excavation H&S culture in the GC is not optimum, and there is potential to improve excavation H&S. Recommendations include: H&S should be afforded status equal to that afforded cost, quality, and time; the GC should evolve an optimum excavation H&S culture, and project wide H&S plans should be evolved.