PROCEDURE FOR TRIAL PITTING

1.0 SCOPE
The scope of this document is to define the procedure by which trial pits are
excavated in open ground without man entry and sampled in a safe manner. This
procedure applies to trial pits up to a maximum depth of 5.0 metres which are
excavated and backfilled in the same day.
2.0 DEFINITIONS
Non-man entry pits are machine dug and are not entered under any circumstances. The
Logging Geologist (or Site Engineer) shall be an experienced person who has
undergone appropriate training in safety and technical training. On some projects the
Site Engineer and the Logging Geologist may be the same person.
3.0 STAFF
The following staff will be involved with various aspects of the trial pitting: Title Company
Task Site
Tile Company Task
Site
Supervising ALL other staff
Engineer/Loggin Nesma
involved with pitting.
g Geologist
Clients Ensuring contractual requirements
DAR
Representative are met
Machine
  Operating Excavator
Operator

* Part time - dependent upon exploratory hole location and contractual requirements.
Other personnel may be present at the excavation depending on the contractual
requirements.

4.0 HAZARDS
The following hazards are possible with trial pitting:
• Buried services
• Overhead services/obstructions
• Excavator. Risk of being struck by machine and trapped by slewing parts
• Inexperienced excavator driver
• Collapse of sides due to unstable ground/ingress of ground water / overburden caused
by dug spoil resulting in fall of persons and instability of the excavator
• Working too close to edge of excavation resulting in fall from height.
• Intrusion by unauthorized persons into working zone.
• Settlement of ground on completion of the works
• Uneven ground caused by spoil and machine ruts.
• Unsecured Quick Release excavator buckets
• Pollution from excavated spoil and excavator fluids The control measures necessary to
minimize risk are described in the procedures below.
5.0 RESPONSIBILITIES
5.1 The Site Engineer/Logging Geologist is responsible for the following:
• Ensuring the appropriate measures have been put in place for access and egress to
the work location considering any associated risks an hazards and public interface
• Providing all staff involved with the work at the exploratory hole a pre job briefing. The
pre job briefing will include:
o Access and egress requirements
o Point of work risk assessment
o Potential hazard reporting
o Contaminated land risks o Specific PPE requirements
o Buried service precautions o Potential slips, trips and falls
• Setting out of each trial pit at the location required by the Contract documentation and
agreeing any revised locations
• Completing a pre condition survey
• The identification and avoidance of buried services at each trial pit location
• general site, safety and environmental management
• ensuring temporary barriers are erected around the excavation – SPECIFY WHAT
FORM OF BARRIERS ARE TO BE USED
• Ensuring everybody is safe throughout the pitting operations.
• Dunelm Logging Engineer and Machine Operator to check condition of machine and
hitches, especially all hoses and rams.
• Ensuring that all personnel present at the excavation are aware of the requirements of
this method statement and risk assessments.
• Ensuring that a Permit to Dig has been completed.
• Checking the certification of Machine operator and then brief machine operator as to
the hand signaling to be used during the site works to ensure good communication and
placement of materials in agreed locations.
• Ensuring that all personnel at the excavation are aware that the Site Engineer/Logging
Geologist is the only member of staff present at the exploratory hole location who can
issue on-site instructions to the machine operator as pitting proceeds.
• Ensuring the geotechnical sampling strategy is followed in accordance with the
Contract specifications/variations.
• That he/she has the final say on termination of the excavation depending on stability,
water entry or limit of excavator.
5.2 Contaminated Land
Sites are assessed as per the British Drilling Association Guidance for Drilling on
Contaminated land. Sites will be classified as Green, Yellow or Red and the necessary
minimum PPE is to be worn and the guidelines followed. The site specific risk
assessment will specify the type of site and PPE to be worn. If contaminated land is
encountered, the Lead Driller shall notify the Site Engineer for further advice.
5.3 Mobilization of Plant and Materials
Based upon the findings in the site specific risk assessment the following tasks may be
undertaken prior to intrusive works commencing:
• Mobilize and erect fencing and appropriate signage to enclose the exploratory hole
location and all associate plant and personnel.
• Mobilize excavator to exploratory hole location using agreed route as detailed in the
Exploratory Hole Location Plan.
• Erect temporary barrier around location. – PLEASE ASSESS THE RISK.
• Ensure appropriate access routes are maintained for all staff within fenced area.
5.4 Excavation of Pit
The pits shall be dug at the locations indicated by the Site Engineer.
Prior to any excavation each location will be checked for the presence of buried
services and where overhead services exist, works should cease immediately, vacate
the area and seek advice.
Every location will be CAT & Genny scanned even where no services appear on
service plans. This will form part of the Permit to Dig. Confirm if GPR survey to be
carried out.
The Site Engineer/Logging Geologist shall be the only person to issue the instruction to
carry on excavating or not. Whilst excavation proceeds the stability of the excavation
walls shall be assessed by the Site Engineer/Logging Geologist. If there is any doubt
over the stability of the walls, such that instability shall cause surface settlement which
might jeopardize the safety of personnel, equipment or property, the excavation shall be
terminated and backfilled.
Likewise, if groundwater entry is assessed to be likely to cause instability, the
excavation shall be terminated and backfilled.
Equipment, arisings and spoil shall be placed so as not to present a hazard to the
operatives or supervising staff or the general public. All spoil shall be heaped at least 1
m from the edge of the pit; greater distances maybe required for deeper pits to minimize
instability of the sides. The surface material, be it topsoil, turf, ballast, tarmac or
concrete shall be heaped in separate piles to avoid mixing where possible. The spoil
should be placed so as not to cause contamination of any water courses.
The drawing overleaf presents the safe arrangement of equipment, spoil materials and
Site Staff.
Details of the strata encountered, pit stability and other observations are recorded on
the standard template. Particular attention should be given to groundwater. A water
inflow should be recorded either as a seepage or as an entry and the pit face that the
entry flows from.
• Seepage is where the quantity of water is insufficient to sample.
• Entry is a larger inflow of water where it will be possible to measure water level after a
certain time and sample the liquid. The water level change over a period of time should
be recorded.
Samples of the soil and groundwater will be taken for geotechnical and/or geo
environmental purposes in accordance with the contract specification.
All sampling and testing shall be carried out in accordance with current guidelines.
When sampling and/or testing is required the Site Engineer/Logging Geologist will issue
a hand signal to the machine operator where to place the excavated material to a safe
area away from the pit to allow sampling. The Logging Geologist will instruct the
machine operator to place the excavated material away from the excavation and the
previously excavated material spoil heap for sampling. Excavation shall not
recommence until sampling/in situ testing is complete and the Site Engineer/Logging
Geologist confirms that it is safe to do so.
A minimum of three photographs shall be taken of the excavation; one of the short
face, one of the long face and a third of the spoil.
Trial pits shall be excavated and backfilled within three hours wherever possible. In the
event that a pit has not been completed by the end of this time, the Site
Engineer/Logging Geologist must arrange for temporary fencing to be erected and
suitable arrangements made with the client for the site to be made safe.
NO PERSON SHALL ENTER THE EXCAVATION
Keep within the Safe Zone whilst the excavator is operating Spoil Material to be
sampled PIT Extent of Machine Reach Keep Out! Safe Area for Staff Collected Sample
Storage Area Parking for Site Vehicles Access route to be kept clear at all times Access
route to be kept clear at all times
• No walking along the sides of the pit
• Only approach the ends of the pit when the driver and Site Engineer/Logging
Geologist has signaled that it is safe to do so.
• Keep away from the edge of the excavation and check its stability
• not lean over the edge of the excavation
• not stay at the edge any longer than necessary
• take depth measurements from the short end of the excavation
• not use the bucket as a working platform
5.5 Completion
On completion the pit will be backfilled with arisings. Where possible materials shall be
replaced in the pit in the same order that they were excavated. Backfilling shall be
carried out in layers, each layer being tamped by the bucket of the excavator. If ground
and groundwater conditions dictate that backfilling with arisings will result in unstable
ground the excavation will be roped off to warn of a hazardous area.
The pit shall be properly reinstated so that no depression is left; a certain amount of
mounding may be required to achieve this in the longer term. The surrounding areas
shall be left reasonably clean and cleared of any debris, significant tyre ruts etc.