ADOSH-SF Code of Practice CoP 29.0 - Excavation Work

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Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and
Health System Framework
(ADOSH-SF)
Code of Practice
CoP 29.0 – Excavation Work
Version 4.1
February 2026

ADOSH-SF – Codes of Practice - CoP 14.0 - Excavation Work
Version 4.1 – 16th February 2026
Page 2 of 18
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Training and Competency .......................................................................................................................... 4
3. Requirements ................................................................................................................................................. 6
3.1 Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................................................................. 6
3.2 Planning and Assessment.................................................................................................................. 8
3.3 Ground Conditions .............................................................................................................................. 10
3.4 Ground Water........................................................................................................................................ 10
3.5 Temporary Safe Slopes ..................................................................................................................... 11
3.6 Choice of Support Method ............................................................................................................... 11
3.7 Support Systems ................................................................................................................................. 12
3.8 Access ..................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.9 Site Lighting.......................................................................................................................................... 13
3.10 Ventilation ............................................................................................................................................. 13
3.11 Barriers around Excavations ........................................................................................................... 13
3.12 Maintenance Inspections ................................................................................................................. 14
3.13 Inspection and Examination............................................................................................................ 15
3.14 Cofferdams and Caissons ................................................................................................................. 15
4. Document Amendment Record .............................................................................................................. 17

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1. Introduction
(a) This Code of Practice (CoP) applies to all employers within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
This CoP is designed to incorporate requirements set by Abu Dhabi Public Health
Centre (ADPHC) and Sector Regulatory Authorities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
(b) This CoP establishes the requirements and standards so that the risks associated
with excavation work are assessed, that control measures are implemented in
accordance with the hierarchy of controls and ensures control measures are
implemented to prevent injury, illness and disease to persons who might be exposed
to risks arising from those activities.
(c) Excavation includes:
(i) all processes and activities that move earth or rock, or disturb or break ground;
(ii) any work that involves driving an object into the ground;
(iii) any other work, which may cause or may create the likelihood of:
1. underground services being struck, damaged, undermined or unsupported;
and
2. protective covers, warning tapes or earthing conductors becoming exposed
or damaged.
(d) Excavation activities include:
(i) all digging, including ditches, shafts, wells, and trenching or trench filling;
(ii) grading;
(iii) tunneling; boring and/or drilling;
(iv) post driving, including driving of earth electrodes, driving of star pickets, and
driving of fence posts; and
(v) any works using caissons or cofferdams - cofferdams and caissons function to
provide a space down to foundation level from which water is excluded
sufficiently to permit the descent of workmen, plant, and the removal of spoil
and the execution of the permanent work.
(e) Principal Contractor when used in this CoP refers to the main contractor overseeing
and responsible for activities undertaken on the site within the Building and
Construction Sector. Refer to
Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health System
Framework (ADOSH-SF) – CoP 53.0 – OSH Management During Construction Work.

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2. Training and Competency
(a) Employers shall ensure that OSH training complies with the requirements of:
(i)
ADOSH-SF – Element 5 – Training, Awareness and Competency;
(ii)
ADOSH-SF – Mechanism 7.0 – Occupational Safety and Health Practitioner and
Service Provider Registration.
(b) Employers shall ensure personnel required to implement the requirements of this
CoP are trained and understand the risks associated with excavation work and the
control measures put in place by the employer.
(c) Employers shall provide a training program appropriate to ensure that all persons
involved in excavation work acquire the understanding, knowledge, and skills
necessary for the safe performance of all excavation activities.
(d) Employers shall ensure that training is planned specifically for persons who:
(i) perform excavation work;
(ii) compile the documented safe systems of work to be used for the excavation
work;
(iii) manage sites where excavation work takes place;
(iv) supervise excavation work;
(v) are operators of particular types of machinery or plant and equipment used in
excavation work; and
(vi) are users of personal protective equipment to be used in excavation work.
(e) The precise form of the training and instruction shall depend on the individual
operations, but in addition to any specialised training for particular tasks, general
training for work in excavation shall include:
(i) observance of the documented safe systems of work;
(ii) the hazards of excavation work, risk assessment procedures, and risk control
measures;
(iii) details of procedures and systems relating to safe systems of work, emergency
rescue, first aid systems, night time excavation procedures, removal of debris,
site security and restriction of personnel; and
(iv) any other factors which may affect the health and safety of the employees
requiring training.
(f) Training shall be provided to each affected employee:
(i) before the employee is first assigned duties involving excavation work;
(ii) before there is a change in assigned duties;
(iii) whenever there is a change in the excavation operations that presents a hazard
about which an employee has not previously been trained; and

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(iv) whenever the employer has reason to believe either that there are
deviations from the excavation procedures or that there are inadequacies in
the employee’s knowledge of the procedures.

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3. Requirements
3.1 Roles and Responsibilities
3.1.1 Employers
(a) Employers shall undertake their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the
general requirements of
ADOSH-SF – Element 1 – Roles, Responsibilities and Self-
Regulation Section 3.2.5.
(b) Employers shall undertake their specific roles and responsibilities in accordance with
the following:
(i) that an appropriate risk assessment is conducted in consultation with the
relevant stakeholders and that services are identified, located and marked on
the surface;
(ii) that the site has been surveyed correctly with markers/confirmation of
alignments and boundaries and that all available site diagrams, maps, drawings,
specifications and relationships with surrounding properties are obtained;
(iii) all services searches are initiated and validated;
(iv) in consultation with the Principal Contractor, develop documented safe systems
of work for the proposed excavation work, including the method or methods of
excavation;
(v) inform the Principal Contractor and any other relevant parties of the method or
methods of excavation selected and the equipment to be used;
(vi) obtain all necessary work permits and authorizations and provide all necessary
notifications concerning the work;
(vii) nominate a person to supervise the work at all times and implement the
documented safe systems of work. This person shall be competent in the type
of excavation work needed for the particular project and be experienced in the
implementation of safe work procedures;
(viii) ensure an inspection of adjacent properties is undertaken when necessary, and
that any change in the condition of adjacent properties during the excavation
work is reported to the relevant parties;
(ix) erect all appropriate fencing and overhead protection barriers for the protection
of the public and employees at the workplace;
(x) ensure employees are consulted and provided with all the information,
instructions, training and supervision they need to perform their work safely;
(xi) maintain the security of the site;
(xii) comply to appropriate requirements
of ADOSH-SF – CoP 27.0 – Confined Spaces;
and
(xiii) arrange for the recycling of waste wherever reasonably practicable and the
disposal of all other refuse and debris.

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3.1.2 Principal Contractors
(a) In the case of the Building and Construction Sector, Principal Contractors shall
undertake their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the general requirements
of
ADOSH-SF – CoP 53.0 – OSH Management during Construction Work.
(b) Principal Contractors shall undertake their specific roles and responsibilities in
accordance with the following:
(i) the employer undertaking excavation work has all available descriptions of the
site to be excavated, including drawings, site surveys, plans of services and
information on the nature and location of hazardous materials;
(ii) all relevant authorities and utility service providers are notified and all
necessary approvals and NOC’s are obtained before work commences;
(iii) the notification of the owners of adjoining properties of the proposed
excavation work;
(iv) verification of the location and condition of all underground tanks, vaults, wells,
voids and structures, and ensure that any chemicals, volatile fuels and gases
contained in them are completely removed;
(v) the workplace is secured;
(vi) appropriate atmospheric monitoring; and
(vii) that the documented safe systems of work are in place.
3.1.3 Employees
(a) Employees shall undertake their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the
general requirements of
ADOSH-SF – Element 1 – Roles, Responsibilities and Self-
Regulation Section 3.2.7.
(b) Employees shall undertake their specific roles and responsibilities in accordance with
the following:
(i) carry out their work in accordance with the documented safe systems of work;
(ii) report identified hazards and risks in accordance with the process outlined
during the induction and excavation specific training; and
(iii) use equipment in accordance with the instruction and training provided.

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3.2 Planning and Assessment
3.2.1 Planning
(a) Employers shall ensure the following:
(i) an assessment of the various risks is undertaken and systems of work are
established which are safe to all parties involved or affected including the public;
(ii) that effective procedures and control measures are in place, refer to
ADOSH-SF
– CoP 21.0 – Permit to Work Systems, which are implemented in order to manage
activities safely and without risk to health;
(iii) that all foreseeable emergency situations are identified and appropriate
emergency procedures developed to manage these situations;
(iv) that for the Building and Construction Sector the management of excavation
requirements are included in the Pre-Tender Safety and Health Plan in
accordance with
ADOSH-SF – CoP 53.0 – OSH Management During Construction
Work; and
(v) that associated safe systems of work, and site rules are included in the Safety
and Health Construction Management Plan (OSH -CMP) in the case of the
Building and Construction Sector in accordance with
OSH – CoP 53.0 – OSH
Management During Construction Work.
3.2.2 Assess the Site
(a) Before excavation work is carried out employers shall ensure a competent person
assesses the work requirements for the site.
(b) Following the assessment the competent person may need to prepare documented
safe systems of work (eg. permit to work system).
3.2.3 Documented Safe Systems of Work
(a) Employers shall ensure that an excavation risk assessment and applicable control
measures are undertaken through the completion of the documented safe systems of
work.
(b) Employers shall ensure that, where required by the risks involved with the excavation,
a permit to work system is implemented for an excavation that complies with the
requirements of
ADOSH-SF – CoP 21.0 – Permit to Work Systems.
(c) Employers shall ensure the documented safe systems of work are designed to ensure
that:
(i) excavation and earthworks are systematically planned; and
(ii) appropriate work methods and procedures are in place.

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3.2.4 Site Survey and Plans
(a) In developing site surveys and plans employers shall ensure that:
(i) the site has been surveyed correctly with markers/confirmation of alignments
and boundaries;
(ii) all available site diagrams, maps, drawings and specifications are obtained and
determine the relationships with surrounding properties;
(iii) any historical, archaeological or geological items are safeguarded or
documented; and
(iv) the owners of adjoining property of the proposed excavation are notified.
3.2.5 Services Search
(a) Employers shall ensure that all services searches are conducted and these are
validated.
3.2.6 Validation Area Risk Assessment
(a) Employers shall ensure:
(i) that the validation area is the area nominated by the service owner which is the
distance from the supposed location of an underground service. The method for
determining the exact location of the service within the validation area will be
determined by the service owner;
(ii) a validation area risk assessment is conducted in consultation with the asset
owner when services are identified, located and marked on the surface;
(iii) where the nominated area differs or overlaps for different authorities or
services, the combined areas of the different nominated areas for the different
authorities are taken into account; and
(iv) the validation area risk assessment and applicable control measures are
undertaken through the completion of the documented safe systems of work
which also includes the control measures to be implemented.

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3.3 Ground Conditions
(a) Employers shall ensure:
(i) that before commencing any excavation work they identify the type of ground
in which the excavation is to be carried out;
(ii) as part of the site investigation, detailed information is made available with the
contract documentation, in the form of bore hole or trial pit logs carried out;
(iii) when examining bore holes or trial pit information, particular importance shall
be given to the location of any water table. If the water table is going to be
exposed by the excavation, careful consideration will need to be given as to how
it may affect the stability of the excavation sides; and
(iv) as part of the examination of bore holes and trial pits the employer shall also
ensure the ground that is to be excavated has not been previously
contaminated.
3.4 Ground Water
(a) Employers shall ensure:
(i) if the ground is appropriate, one of several ground dewatering techniques may
be used. Such methods involve either shallow well pumping or well-pointing. In
either case, the pumping out of water has the effect of lowering the ground
water table to a level below that to which the excavation is to be taken;
(ii) where a water bearing strata overlays an impervious one and the depth of these
impervious strata are not too great, the use of sheet piling may be more
effective. The piling, being substantially watertight, cuts off the water from the
excavated area, thus enabling the excavation to proceed in the dry;
(iii) when dewatering an excavation care shall be taken not to contaminate any
nearby water courses or drains with silty/dirty water. Therefore, the pumped
water shall be directed to run out over porous waste ground e.g. not concreted
or tarmac where the silt/ sand can settle and the water can then soak away;
(iv) barriers are created around water courses and drains to prevent the flow of dirty
water into them. The barriers could take the form of straw bales or some other
type of material that would catch the silt/sand and let clear water flow into the
water course. Dirty/silty water shall not be pumped directly into drains; and
(v) disposal of water through appropriate registered service provides as per the
requirement of
ADOSH-SF – CoP 54.0 – Waste Management.

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3.5 Temporary Safe Slopes
(a) Battered sides or benches will generally provide temporary stability if the slopes are
as given in Table 1 below:
Ground Conditions
Safe Temporary Slopes (degrees from the horizontal)
Dry Site Wet Site
Boulders 35/45 30/40
Cobbles 35/40 30/35
Gravel 30/40 10/30
Sand 30/35 10/30
Silt 20/40 5/20
Soft clay 20/30 10/20
Firm Clay 30/40 20/25
Stiff clay 40/45 25/35
Table 1: Safe Temporary Slopes
3.6 Choice of Support Method
(a) Employers shall consider factors such as availability of plant, site conditions and skill
(or lack thereof) of operatives who may determine the support method selected. The
choice lies mainly between:
(i) sheeting, waling and strutting (traditional);
(ii) sheeting, waling and strutting (hydraulic struts);
(iii) proprietary support systems; and
(iv) soldier pile support.
(b) In some soils the vertical excavation sides may stand unsupported for a short period.
Employers shall ensure the use of experienced and competent operatives to be used
to erect the support system.
(c) Employers shall ensure the excavation is dug to level over a short length and the
support system installed without delay, preferably from outside the trench.
(d) If the operatives need to enter the excavation during the erection of the full support
system, a protective cage or other interim support shall be used. The interim support
shall be quick and easy to erect to minimise risk. Choice of interim support could
include:
(i) skeletal system of struts and waling’s giving immediate protection and forming
part of the final system of support; and
(ii) pinchers or protective cages.

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(e) The interim support is only intended to allow safe access for installation of the full
support system which shall follow without delay. All other activities shall be done
after the full support system is installed.
(f) The exposed face of the excavation does not necessarily reflect the total ground
condition. An adjacent service trench or old well may contain weak saturated fill
which could initiate a failure. Where there are buried services adjacent to, or crossing
the excavation, employers shall ensure these are not left unsupported, even for a
short period.
(g) In unstable ground the sheeting can be pre driven and the waling frames installed as
excavation progresses, or the sheeting can be driven progressively as excavation
continues. Both trench sheeting and proprietary boxes and slide rail systems can be
adapted to this method.
(h) Where it is necessary to form a ‘stop- end’ to an excavation (e.g. where a trench is
constructed in two halves across a road) the employees shall be given guidance on
the bracing required for appropriate support to the stop-end sheeting.
3.7 Support Systems
(a) Employers shall provide timbering or shoring for trenches or excavations greater than
1.2 meters deep where there is a danger of any material falling or collapsing.
(b) Employers shall ensure, for larger excavations, a survey of the soil prior to excavation
by a trained and experienced person shall be conducted which will provide
appropriate information for appropriate methods of excavation and support to be
determined, and decided by a competent engineer.
(c) Employers shall ensure appropriate supplies of support materials are available before
the excavation commences which shall be sound, free from defects, of appropriate
strength, good construction, appropriately maintained and:
(i) fixed securely to prevent displacement;
(ii) only be erected/altered/dismantled by competent employees under supervision;
(iii) conventional timber shuttering or steel trench sheets and adjustable props shall
be used;
(iv) props may be mechanical (jacks or acrow props) or hydraulic;
(v) precautions to protect employees and others taken before and during any
excavation work;
(vi) temporary framework on supports, or a protective box or cage may be needed
to protect employees while they put in permanent timbering;
(vii) a box or cage can be moved forward as timbering progresses such as in the case
of a ‘drag box’; and
(viii) care shall be taken to see that excavation work does not jeopardize the stability
of any adjacent structure.

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3.8 Access
(a) Employers shall ensure:
(i) that a safe means of getting into and climbing out of an excavation shall be
provided;
(ii) ladders shall be securely fixed and appropriately maintained, and shall permit
quick and easy escape in case of flooding or fall of materials; and
(iii) that using the waling’s and struts for access and egress purposes shall be
prohibited.
3.9 Site Lighting
(a) Employers shall ensure the workplace is appropriately lit, in particular at access points
and openings, and whenever lifting operations take place.
3.10 Ventilation
(a) Employers shall give consideration to ventilation requirements which may include:
(i) excavations shall be kept clear of suffocating, toxic or explosive gases;
(ii) there may be natural gases like hydrogen sulphide, methane and sulphur
dioxide, or exhaust gases from nearby plant, or leaks from nearby pipes or
installations;
(iii) leakage of propane and butane from LPG cylinders;
(iv) blowing of clean air into the excavation in appropriate volume to dissipate any
gas accumulation; and
(v) comply with the requirements of
ADOSH-SF – CoP 27.0 – Confined Spaces.
3.11 Barriers around Excavations
(a) Employers shall ensure that barriers around excavation include:
(i) a safe means to enter and exit an excavation;
(ii) ladders shall be positioned within the excavation at a height-base ratio not
flatter than 4:1 where reasonably practicable, secured by tying at the upper end
to prevent slipping and the overhang at the top of the excavation shall lead to
an appropriate stable and secure landing point;
(iii) the upper end of the ladder shall project at least 1 meter (4 rungs) above ground
level to ensure appropriate hand hold and the overhang from the ladder will
need to allow for safe exit from the excavation. Ladders shall be positioned
where they will not be damaged by plant or from material handling operations;
(iv) where a person may fall more than 2 meters, appropriate rigid barriers shall be
erected, whereas below 2 meters a physical demarcation of the excavation edge
is required;
(v) barriers shall be 950mm high and can also serve to keep materials, plant and
equipment away from the edges of an excavation;

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(vi) barriers may be removed to permit access of employees, plant and
equipment, etc., but shall be replaced as soon as reasonable practicable;
(vii) during darkness, the edges of an excavation shall be marked with hazard
warning lights, especially where they are close to public thoroughfares;
(viii) where excavation work is carried out on the roads, Traffic Police approval is
necessary and appropriate barricades and warning notices shall be erected,
as per the requirement of
ADOSH-SF – CoP 33.0 – Work on or Adjacent to a
Road;
(ix) provide protection against vehicles falling into or driving into excavations,
through the use of wheel stops or barriers;
(x) where barricades have been erected facing traffic they shall be red and
white or reflective strips shall be affixed to the barriers; and
(xi) comply with the requirements of
ADOSH-SF – CoP 22.0 – Barricading of
Hazards.
3.12 Maintenance Inspections
(a) Employers shall consider that all excavation work requires careful watching,
especially when they are first opened and sides are unsupported, even when
support work has been installed, constant vigilance is essential.
(b) Employers shall ensure the following items are considered for maintenance
inspections:
(i) all timber shall be regularly checked, for if it remains in position for any
length of time, it may dry out, shrink or rot;
(ii) the only positive method of checking the state of timber is to drill small holes
with an auger;
(iii) ground, too, may dry out and shrink - which loosens the timbering;
(iv) the soil face wedges or telescopic struts holding them shall always be kept
tight;
(v) raking or angle struts shall all be regularly examined for signs of having been
dislodged;
(vi) during bad weather soil heaps tend to slump, and loose boulders or masonry
may fall into the excavation;
(vii) heavy vehicles shall not be allowed near the edge of excavations unless the
support work has been specially designed to permit it; and
(viii) where plant is required to come close to the edge of an excavation such as
in the case of a dumper truck to remove spoil, baulk timbers shall be provided
to prevent overrun of the plant into the excavation.

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3.13 Inspection and Examination
(a) Employers shall ensure that excavations are inspected by an experienced and
competent person, before work starts, at least once a day, and before each shift.
(b) Excavations shall be thoroughly examined by a competent person weekly (every
seven days) and after substantial collapse or damage, the results of the inspection
shall be recorded.
3.14 Cofferdams and Caissons
3.14.1 General Public
(a) Employers shall ensure that members of the public are protected from activities
involving cofferdams and caissons.
(b) Employers shall ensure that cofferdams and caissons are securely fenced and that
clear warning signs are displayed.
(c) Public footpaths and rights of way shall be protected wherever reasonably practicable
or alternative public access shall be provided.
(d) The risk assessment carried out by the employer shall take into account the safety of
the general public and ensure that control measures are put in place so that the public
are not exposed to risks associated with the work.
3.14.2 Site Supervision
(a) A competent person shall be delegated / appointed to supervise the work operations.
(b) Employers shall ensure this person is capable of recognising and assessing any
potential dangers as they arise which includes unexpected ground conditions that
may require a change in construction technique, or unusual smells which may indicate
the presence of noxious or dangerous gases.
3.14.3 Chemical Grouts
(a) Employers shall ensure that a respirator and goggles are provided and used when
changing the grout or cleaning up chemical spills and the manufacturer's SDS
instructions shall be observed for the full OSH requirements.
3.14.4 Air Testing
(a) In deep and confined excavations a continuous routine shall be established for testing
for noxious gases and deficiency of oxygen as per the requirements of
ADOSH-SF–
CoP 27.0 – Confined Spaces.

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3.14.5 Excluding Water from Excavations (pump sumps)
(a) Although a sheet pile wall can prevent the ingress of water into an excavation, it is
not reasonably practicable to give any guarantee that a cofferdam will be watertight.
In order to deal with any water which enters the excavation employers shall consider
installing a drainage system which can channel water to a sump from which the water
can be pumped away.
(b) Employers shall place any sumps at excavation level as far as reasonably practicable
from any corner and wall as the hydraulic gradient adjacent to the corner of a
cofferdam is at its largest.
(c) Employers shall consider forming a sump using a perforated drum into which the hose
can be fixed to limit damage. It shall not be forgotten that pumps are able to remove
soil as well as water and a suction hose laid in the bottom of a cofferdam can disturb
the base of the excavation with subsequent movement of the wall if the hose is badly
located.
3.14.6 Land Cofferdams
(a) If the sheeting to the cofferdams extends less than 1 meter above ground level,
guard-rails shall be provided to form a barrier at the edge; toe-boards shall also be
provided. When a land cofferdam is located near to a watercourse, historical flood
levels shall be checked to ensure that the cofferdam is appropriate to withstand
exceptional flooding.
3.14.7 Steel, Concrete and Steel Sheet Piling
(a) The safety precautions necessary in handling steel piles and interlocking steel sheet
piling are also applicable to precast concrete piles.
(b) The pile topman who guides the pile into the interlock of a pile shall be provided with
a fenced platform which can often be built onto the temporary timber trestle used for
pitching the piles in panels or provided with a safety harness attached to a permanent
static line. If a man-riding skip used for access is suspended from a crane, then the
hoisting mechanism of the crane has to be provided with automatic braking facilities.
(c) Only competent employees with appropriate and safe equipment shall be employed
to carry out the potentially hazardous operation of interlocking steel sheet piles.
(d) The extraction of steel sheet piles shall be carried out with an extractor of appropriate
size, so that the performance is not mainly dependent on the pull of the crane and
there is no danger of overloading or overturning the crane.

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4. Document Amendment Record
Version Revision Date Description of Amendment
Page/s Affected
4.0
15th July 2024
System acronym updated from OSHAD-SF
to ADOSH-SF to accurately reflect
document title
Throughout
Change from OSHAD to ADPHC
Change of Logo
Minor editorial changes throughout the
document without changing requirements.
Title of Mechanism 7.0 updated to ADOSH-
SF – Mechanism 7– Occupational Safety
and Health Practitioner and Service
Provider Registration
OSHAD-SF - Mechanism 8.0 - OSH
Practitioner Registration deleted
4.1
16th February
2026
Minor editorial changes throughout the
document without changing requirements. Throughout