CSLB Law & Business ExamSafetyEasy
A trench excavation on a job site is 6 feet deep. According to Cal/OSHA excavation standards, what safety measure is generally required?
- ANo special protection is needed if workers wear hard hats
- BOnly trenches over 10 feet deep require protection
- CA protective system such as shoring, sloping, or shielding must be used
- DProtection is only required if the trench is longer than 50 feet
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. A protective system such as shoring, sloping, or shielding must be used
Cal/OSHA (Title 8 CCR §1541) requires a protective system—shoring, sloping, benching, or shielding—for any excavation 5 feet or deeper, unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Hard hats address head injuries, not cave-in hazards.
- B. The 5-foot threshold, not 10 feet, triggers the requirement.
- D. Trench length does not determine the protective system requirement; depth does.
Trench Protective System Threshold
Excavations 5 feet or deeper require a protective system (shoring, sloping, or shielding) under Cal/OSHA rules, unless made entirely in stable rock.
- 5-foot depth triggers protection requirement
- Options include sloping, benching, shoring, shielding
- Applies regardless of trench length
Memory trick: Five feet down, protection's the crown