Every utility has traffic control standards. Every utility has confined space procedures.
But what is your standard for protecting the open manhole itself?
A practical reference for safety directors and crews who want a defensible standard for protecting open manholes, not just the roadway around them.
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Protects the roadway and approaching vehicles.
Procedures protect the entrant going below.
Protects the individual worker on site.
Protects against hazardous energy.
Ask ten crews how they protect an open manhole and you get ten different answers. So what, exactly, is the standard?
Most days nothing happens. That is exactly what makes open manhole risk easy to overlook, until it is not.
Download the Free Compliance GuideA more visible, controlled, and protected work area around an open manhole, treated as a dedicated safety system rather than a traffic control afterthought.
Defensibility. After an incident the questions are always the same: what safeguards were in place, were they documented, were they followed?
Consistency. A repeatable standard removes the "every crew does it differently" problem across your organization.
Engineering controls. A physical protection system ranks above administrative controls and PPE in the hierarchy of controls.
Visibility. A clearly defined, protected work area reduces the chance of a struck-by or fall-in event around the opening.
Inspections. Citations at manhole sites rarely happen one at a time. A documented standard helps you face an inspection with confidence.
Download "OSHA Manhole Safety Standards: A Compliance Guide for Public Works & Utility Crews" free.
