Templates / Excavation Inspection Register
Excavation Inspection Register
Start-of-shift and after-rain inspections of excavations by a competent person, with the weekly written report log.
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Excavation inspection register.
Why you need it on the job
Trench sides fail without warning, and the risk changes overnight with rain, frost, vibration and stored spoil. Recording an inspection at the start of every shift and after every significant weather event is what turns that into a controlled risk rather than luck.
How it links to the standards
The equipment and controls this template asks you to record are governed by published standards that define what each item must withstand and how it is tested. These are the ones that apply most directly:
- EN 397 — industrial safety helmets
- EN ISO 20345 — safety footwear
- EN ISO 20471 — high-visibility clothing
The full EN standards library covers every standard referenced across SafetyOrbit.
Related guidance
Filling the template in is easier when you know the reasoning behind each control. These notes cover the practical detail:
- Energy and Networks — the full technique-note library for this kind of work
- Underground Cable Strikes: Locating and Avoiding Buried Services
Related guidance
The technique notes behind this document, from Construction & Demolition:
Frequently asked questions
Who is allowed to carry out the inspection?
A competent person with the knowledge and experience to recognise the ways an excavation can fail and the authority to stop work.
When does an inspection have to be repeated?
At the start of every shift, after any event likely to have affected the sides such as heavy rain or a fall of material, and on the written weekly cycle.