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Free course template · US federal

Excavation and trench safety training: Protective systems and the competent person

A ready-made course, live deck and three surveys for labourers. AhaSlides tracks progress, completion and scores for you. 40 minutes, 6 lessons, 10-question final check. Last reviewed 13 November 2026; not legal advice.

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Excavation and trench safety training: Protective systems and the competent person: try 3 questions

Three questions from this course. Pick an answer, then see why.

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Three pieces that work together

Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck. 2 fields to fill in with your own policy, contacts and locations; each one is highlighted inside the course.

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Completion is tracked for you

Learners sign in to take the course, so every start, finish and score is recorded in AhaSlides. No spreadsheet to keep.

  • Who has finished

    See who has not started, who is in progress and who has completed the course.

  • Every score

    Each learner's result on the 10-question final check, against the 80% pass mark.

  • What landed

    Survey results show what people took away and what to change next time.

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6 lessons, about 40 minutes

What learners can do at the end of each lesson. Minutes are an estimate.

  • Lesson 1: Why trenches kill · 7 min

    Before you begin · Soil is heavy and it moves fast · Terms you will hear

  • Lesson 2: Protective systems · 9 min

    Sloping and benching, shoring, shielding · Soil types and why they matter · When a protective system is required · Check your understanding

  • Lesson 3: The competent person and daily inspections · 7 min

    Who the competent person is on your site · What gets inspected, and when · Practise

  • Lesson 4: The other hazards in and around the trench · 7 min

    Spoil, materials and loads at the edge · Water and hazardous atmospheres · Buried utilities

  • Lesson 5: Getting in, getting out, and stopping work · 6 min

    Ladders, ramps and stairways · Warning signs of a collapse · Practise

  • Lesson 6: Final assessment · 4 min

    Final assessment · Course complete

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Often taught together

Courses teams often run alongside this one.

Also listed in

  • OSHA Training
  • US federal
  • AhaSlides
  • Construction & property
  • Construction
  • Frontline & deskless workforces
  • Health, safety & EHS
  • Drivers & field crews
  • Field & site workers
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Common questions

Yes. The course, the live deck and all three surveys are free. Claiming the template into your AhaSlides account is free too.

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

At onboarding or as continuing professional development, with a yearly refresher (best practice).

Labourers, pipe layers, equipment operators and foremen who work in or near trenches; run by safety leads and competent persons.

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

Your own details, each highlighted inside the course:
  • Link to your live session deck
  • Add your site trench rules
Then edit anything else you like: wording, scenarios, your logo.
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Ready to run it?

Free. Copy the course, live deck and all three surveys into your AhaSlides account in one click.

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