The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued a compliance directive for the Excavation Standard, 29 CFR 1926, Subpart P,which is designed to serve as a standard-specific reference for OSHA Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) regarding the application of Subpart P of 29 CFR Part 1926, providing supplemental compliance inspection guidance and citation policies.

The new directive supersedes OSHA Instruction CPL 02-00-87, Inspection Procedures for Enforcing the Excavation Standards – 29 CFR 1926, Subpart P, issued February 20, 1990 with the following significant changes:

  • Addition of Inspection Guidance and Citation Policy for specific provisions in 29 CFR 1926, Subpart P
  • Addition of general inspection procedures.
  • Inclusion of 29 CFR 1926, Subpart P standard interpretations.
  • Insertion of hyperlinks to referenced OSHA documents