Excavation Safety Quiz

What is the safest way to get into a deep excavation?

• Climb down a secured ladder

• Use the buried services as steps

• Climb down the shoring

• Go out in an excavator bucket

You are in a deep trench. A lorry backs up to the trench and the engine is left running. What should you do?

• Put on ear defenders to cut out the engine noise

• Ignore the problem, the lorry will soon drive away

• See if there is a toxic gas meter in the trench

• Get out of the trench quickly

You are in a deep trench and start to feel dizzy. What should you do?

• Get out, let your head clear and then go back in again

• Carry on working and hope that the feeling will go away

• Make sure that you and any others get out quickly and report it

• Sit down in the trench and take a rest

Before work starts in a confined space, how should the air be checked?

• Someone should go in and sniff the air

• The air should be tested with a meter

• Someone should look around

• The air should be tested with a match to see if it stays alight

If there is sludge at the bottom of a confined space, you should?

• Go in and then step into the sludge to see how deep it is

• Throw something into the sludge to see how deep it is

• Put on a disposable facemask before you go in

• Have the correct respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and training before you go in

Why is methane gas dangerous in confined spaces? Give TWO answers.

• It can explode

• It makes you hyperactive

• You will not be able to see because of the dense fumes

• It makes you dehydrated

• You may not have enough oxygen to breath

You are in a confined space. If the level of oxygen drops:

• Your hearing could be affected

• There is a high risk of fire or explosion

• You could become unconscious

• You might get dehydrated

You are working in a confined space when you notice the smell of bad eggs. This smell is a sign of:

• Hydrogen sulphide

• Oxygen

• Methane

• Carbon Dioxide

You need to walk through sludge at the bottom of a confined space. Which of these is NOT a hazard?

• The release of oxygen

• The release of toxic gases

• Slips and trips

• The release of flammable gases

What is the main reason for having a person positioned immediately outside a confined space whilst work is taking place inside it?

• To supervise the work taking place inside the confined space

• To check compliance with the method statement

• To get the rescue plan underway in an emergency

• To carry out a risk assessment for the work