OSHA 1926 Subpart P, Excavations and Trenches, requires a Competent or Qualified Person be present on any job site where an excavation (including trenches) takes place. The OSHA standard states that a Competent or Qualified Person is someone "capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings, or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them."

Having a certified Qualified Person on-site not only allows contractors to comply with OSHA requirements, but also allows owners to reduce Worker’s Compensation claims, avoid costly fines, and prevent wrongful death lawsuits by educating workers to recognize and manage unsafe excavation conditions.

Efficiency Production provides Trench Safety Training in all 50 states by trench safety experts that have been certified by the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA). Our training classes adhere to the Qualified Person training requirements of OHSA, and the Michigan Occupational and Safety Administration (MIOSHA). Furthermore, our training classes meet requirements for NUCA certification and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Continuing Education credit.

Efficiency Production’s Qualified Person training also includes Best-Practice Product Application Training. Participants learn both in the classroom and in the ground and have an opportunity to work with the following products and systems:

• Steel trench shields
• Hydraulic vertical shores
• Lightweight aluminum shields
• Build-A-Box™ modular aluminum trench shield system