Online Training
Excavation and Trench Safety - CAN
Excavation and trench work is a routine part of construction across Canada, supporting everything from utility installation to foundation work and major infrastructure projects. But these jobs come with serious risks. A trench collapse can happen in seconds, and a single cubic metre of soil can weigh more than a small car, making even a partial burial life-threatening. That is why proper training is essential for anyone working in or around excavations. In this course, we'll cover competency requirements, soil classification and testing, trench failure modes, protective systems, atmospheric hazards, and the common accident patterns every worker and supervisor needs to recognize.

What You'll Learn
- Applicable Canadian legislation and the role of the competent person
- Soil classification under SOR/213-91
- Soil cohesiveness, mechanics, and field testing methods
- Vertical pressure, lateral pressure, and surcharge loads
- Warning signs and trench failure modes (tension cracks, sliding, toppling, heaving, boiling)
- Pre-excavation precautions and water removal
- Protective systems overview: shoring, shields, and sloping/benching
- Trench shoring installation, inspection, and removal
- Trench shield inspection, rigging, lift capacity, and installation
- Trench access and egress
- Hazardous atmospheres and atmospheric control methods
- Common hazards, accident profiles, and contributing factors
About This Course
Excavation and trench work is among the most hazardous activities in construction. A trench collapse can happen in seconds, and the weight of falling soil can be unsurvivable. The good news is that these incidents are entirely preventable with the right knowledge, the right protective systems, and the right work practices.
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
• Define competency in the context of excavation work
• Describe the role and duties of a competent person
• Identify and classify basic soil types
• Recognize the warning signs of trench failure
• Describe the three types of protective systems and when each is appropriate
• Identify atmospheric hazards in excavations and how to control them
• Recognize common excavation hazards and accident patterns
Course Requirements
- Estimated Duration
- This course is approximately 60 minutes long.
- Pass Requirements
- The pass mark for this course is 80%. Learners can make 3 attempts to pass the course before it must be reassigned.
- Certificate
- Upon successful completion of this course, learners will receive a certificate of completion.
- Registration Fee
- $99.99 CAD
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Frequently asked questions about online training
Common questions about enrollment, completion, and certificates.
What are the benefits of online training?
Benefits of online training include:
- Cost effective: no hotels, travel, meals and less time away from the workplace.
- Convenient: courses can be completed wherever you have access to a computer and internet access.
- Self paced: students can pause at any time and continue where they left off.
- Consistent: video/slide format ensures the course is the same every time.
- Easy verification: online access to training and certification records for students and managers.
Which online training courses does Safe + Sound offer?
Click here for a full list of online courses, listed alphabetically.
What is BIS Safety Software Inc.?
BIS Safety Software Inc. is a network of more than 200 leading safety training companies from across North America who collectively share and provide companies and individuals with access to a wide variety of safety training courses through one centralized online application.
Since 2010, the collaborative partnership between these training companies has not only enabled the best-of-the-best in online safety training to be brought together in one location but it is also helping to improve industry safety performance through the provision of convenient, cost-effective training.
Our partners BIS Safety Software Inc. are, in our opinion, the best providers of online safety training courses in Canada. We’ve been working with BIS since March 2012 and we are completely happy with the service they provide.
It might be that your first aid certification hasn’t yet expired but you don't feel confident in your skills and would like a refresher or you maybe you need to do a WHMIS course or H2S. Whether you're looking for Confined Space Entry, Firefighting, Ground Disturbance, Fall Protection, Safe Slinging and Rigging, First Aid, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, WHMIS, Wilderness Awareness, or many other safety courses, you will likely find them in our Online Course Library.
Is there a time limit for online courses?
Everyone learns at a different pace and everyone retains information differently. When you take a course online, you go at your own speed. If you get to a certain point and don’t fully understand the material, you can pause and go back for a review. On the other hand, if everything makes perfect sense, you can go straight through the entire course right to the test.
How does virtual proctoring/testing with webcam monitoring work?
When you start your test, you will be monitored via your webcam. If you disappear from the screen or appear to be consulting another device or other material, you will be disqualified from the course. The company responsible for virtual proctoring is Integrity Advocate. You can find out more about how their system works here.
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Disclaimer
Safe+Sound First Aid Training Ltd has made every effort to ensure the quality and standards of educational products sold and distributed by Safe+Sound via this website. Once purchased all online courses and products are non-refundable and all sales are final. Please review all cancellation policy details prior to purchase.
Please ensure your specific jurisdiction and workplace accepts online safety training and allows online training for your use.
Safe+Sound First Aid Training Ltd is not involved in course development and all online courses are sold and delivered in partnership with BIS Safety Software and approved and/or endorsed agencies.
