A Cal/OSHA permit is required for trenches that are 5 feet or more in depth.

A Cal/OSHA permit is required for trenches that are 5 feet or more in depth.

• A. 3 feet
• B. 5 feet
• C. 7 feet
• D. 10 feet

Answer: (B)

Cal/OSHA sets a clear trigger for trench work: when a trench reaches five feet in depth, a permit is required. The risk of a cave-in grows with depth, so formal planning and oversight are put in place to protect workers. Having a trench permit means the job has a designed protective system—such as sloping, shoring, or shielding—appropriate to the soil, plus provisions like a competent person to conduct daily inspections, safe access and egress, utilities located and protected, proper handling of spoils, and controls for water and soil conditions. This safety framework is most critically mandated at five feet, which is why that depth is the correct threshold. The other depths listed do not align with the standard trigger.

Cal/OSHA sets a clear trigger for trench work: when a trench reaches five feet in depth, a permit is required. The risk of a cave-in grows with depth, so formal planning and oversight are put in place to protect workers. Having a trench permit means the job has a designed protective system—such as sloping, shoring, or shielding—appropriate to the soil, plus provisions like a competent person to conduct daily inspections, safe access and egress, utilities located and protected, proper handling of spoils, and controls for water and soil conditions. This safety framework is most critically mandated at five feet, which is why that depth is the correct threshold. The other depths listed do not align with the standard trigger.