1567 – Auger Boring Machine Operator Safety Training

Description

1567 – Auger Boring Machine Operator Safety Training

A.R.G. Construction, Safety & Health provides Auger Boring Machine Operator Safety Training designed to provide participants with the knowledge and practical understanding necessary to safely operate horizontal auger boring machines and related equipment used for trenchless installation of casing, pipe, conduit, utilities, and other underground systems beneath roadways, railways, structures, and other applicable obstacles.

Auger boring operations can expose operators and ground personnel to powerful rotating augers, moving machinery, underground utilities, excavations, thrust forces, spoil removal, hydraulic systems, pinch and crush points, caught-in and entanglement hazards, suspended loads, unstable ground, and other serious hazards. This training program addresses equipment familiarization, pre-operation inspection, boring-pit setup, underground utility awareness, auger and casing operations, spoil removal, hazardous-energy control, manufacturer requirements, and operator responsibilities.

Course Topics Include:

• Introduction to Auger Boring Safety
• Operator Responsibilities
• Horizontal Auger Boring Fundamentals
• Auger Boring Machine Types and Configurations
• Trenchless Construction Applications
• Casing Installation Awareness
• Equipment Familiarization
• Manufacturer Instructions and Operator Manual
• Operator Controls and Instrumentation
• Power Unit Awareness
• Hydraulic Systems
• Thrust Systems
• Drive Systems
• Auger Sections and Connections
• Cutting Head Awareness
• Casing and Track Systems
• Safety Devices and Emergency Stops
• Pre-Operation Equipment Inspection
• Machine Frame Inspection
• Track / Rail Inspection
• Auger Inspection
• Auger Connection Inspection
• Cutting Head Inspection
• Hydraulic Hose and Fitting Inspection
• Drive-System Inspection
• Guard and Shield Inspection
• Electrical-System Awareness
• Work-Area Inspection
• Bore-Path Planning
• Entry and Exit Point Planning
• Ground and Soil Conditions
• Boring-Pit Layout Awareness
• Machine Positioning and Alignment
• Machine Stability
• Reaction / Thrust Structure Awareness
• Safe Startup Procedures
• Underground Utility Awareness
• Utility-Locate Procedures Awareness
• 811 / One-Call System Awareness
• Review of Available Utility Information
• Utility Markings and Tolerance Zones
• Private Utility Awareness
• Potholing / Daylighting Awareness
• Gas Utility Hazards
• Electrical Utility Hazards
• Water and Sewer Utility Hazards
• Telecommunication Utility Hazards
• Unknown / Unmarked Utility Hazards
• Cross-Bore Awareness
• Safe Bore-Path Selection
• Horizontal Auger Boring Operations
• Machine Alignment
• Cutting Head Operation
• Auger Rotation
• Thrust Force Awareness
• Advancing Casing
• Monitoring Bore Progress
• Monitoring Machine Loads
• Soil and Ground Response Awareness
• Rotating Auger Hazards
• Entanglement Hazards
• Pinch-Point Hazards
• Crush-Zone Hazards
• Caught-In / Caught-Between Hazards
• Shear-Point Hazards
• Machine Guarding
• Keeping Personnel Clear of Rotating Components
• Auger Connection and Disconnection Awareness
• Adding and Removing Auger Sections
• Casing Connection Awareness
• Unexpected Rotation Prevention
• Spoil Removal
• Auger Spoil Discharge Hazards
• Moving and Falling Material
• Safe Spoil Handling
• Housekeeping Around the Machine
• Slips, Trips, and Falls
• Excavation and Boring-Pit Hazards
• Excavation Protective-System Awareness
• Soil Classification Awareness
• Protective Systems / Shoring Awareness
• Safe Access and Egress
• Excavation Edge Protection
• Water Accumulation Awareness
• Atmospheric Hazard Awareness
• Competent-Person Coordination Awareness
• Heavy Equipment Near Excavations
• Suspended Load Awareness
• Pipe / Casing Handling
• Rigging Awareness
• Slings and Rigging Hardware Awareness
• Keeping Personnel Clear of Suspended Loads
• Crane / Excavator Interaction Awareness
• Loader and Material-Handling Equipment Interaction
• Communication Between Operator and Crew
• Hand-Signal Awareness
• Radio Communication Awareness
• Stop-Signal Recognition
• Pedestrian and Ground-Personnel Safety
• Equipment Exclusion Zones
• Traffic and Work-Zone Safety
• Public Roadway Exposure
• Railroad / Rail-Corridor Awareness, When Applicable
• Overhead Power-Line Awareness
• Noise Exposure Awareness
• Hearing Protection
• Dust and Respirable Crystalline Silica Awareness
• Dust-Control Methods
• Respiratory Protection Considerations, When Applicable
• Personal Protective Equipment Awareness
• Eye and Face Protection
• Hand Protection
• Protective Footwear
• Head Protection
• High-Visibility Apparel
• Hydraulic Pressure Hazards
• High-Pressure Hydraulic Injection Awareness
• Stored Mechanical and Hydraulic Energy
• Thrust-System Stored Energy
• Unexpected Startup Prevention
• Lockout / Tagout and Energy-Control Awareness
• Jam and Obstruction Hazards
• Safe Jam / Blockage Response Principles
• Maintenance and Servicing Restrictions
• Cutting Head / Tool Maintenance Awareness
• Removing Unsafe Equipment from Service
• Fueling Safety
• Fire Prevention
• Weather and Environmental Conditions
• Heat Stress Awareness
• Cold Weather Awareness
• Rain and Water Intrusion
• Night Operations and Lighting
• Emergency Procedures
• Utility-Strike Response Awareness
• Electrical-Contact Emergency Awareness
• Gas-Line Strike / Leak Awareness
• Excavation Emergency Awareness
• Hydraulic-System Failure Response
• Equipment Malfunction Response
• Incident Response
• Accident Prevention
• Operator Knowledge Review
• Practical Operator Training
• Operator Performance Evaluation

Training Discipline: Horizontal Auger Boring, Underground Utility Construction, Trenchless Technology & Heavy Equipment Safety

Equipment: Horizontal Auger Boring Machine / Auger Boring Machine / Casing Boring Machine / Trenchless Boring Equipment, as Applicable

Training Format: Training may include formal instruction, demonstrations, practical equipment training, and evaluation of operator performance, as applicable.

Practical Training: Practical training should be appropriate to the specific auger boring machine the participant is expected to operate. Training should address controls, drive and thrust systems, auger sections, cutting heads, casing, machine alignment, spoil removal, emergency stops, underground utilities, excavation conditions, energy-isolation points, and actual workplace conditions.

Rotating Auger Safety Notice: Rotating augers, drive components, shafts, and connections can cause severe or fatal entanglement, crushing, amputation, and caught-in injuries. Personnel should remain clear of rotating equipment and should not step over, reach across, contact, or enter hazardous areas around an operating auger system.

Underground Utility Safety Notice: Auger boring can create severe or fatal hazards if equipment contacts electrical, gas, petroleum, water, sewer, communication, or other underground facilities. Available utility information should be obtained and evaluated, required notification and locating procedures completed, and utilities verified as appropriate before boring begins.

811 / One-Call Notice: One-call notification requirements vary by state and jurisdiction. A one-call locate request does not necessarily identify every underground facility, including certain private facilities. Employers remain responsible for determining and following applicable utility-location, tolerance-zone, verification, excavation, and facility-owner requirements.

Excavation Safety Notice: Horizontal auger boring commonly requires a bore pit or launch excavation. Applicable excavation requirements, protective systems, safe access and egress, water controls, spoil placement, edge protection, inspections, and competent-person responsibilities remain separate requirements that must be addressed for the specific project.

Stored-Energy Notice: Auger boring machines can develop substantial rotational and thrust forces. Augers, casing, hydraulic systems, drive systems, and jammed material may retain hazardous stored energy. Personnel should not attempt to clear jams, disconnect components, or enter hazardous areas until equipment is appropriately shut down and hazardous energy controlled.

Jam & Blockage Notice: Obstructions, jammed augers, bound casing, and accumulated spoil can release unexpectedly. Clearing operations should follow manufacturer instructions and applicable hazardous-energy-control procedures.

Rigging Notice: Casing, augers, cutting heads, and other components may require lifting and rigging. Rigging-awareness content provided during this course does not by itself qualify or certify a participant as a qualified rigger.

Silica & Dust Safety Notice: Boring through soil, rock, concrete, masonry, or other silica-containing material may generate respirable crystalline silica. Employers should evaluate applicable exposure requirements and implement appropriate engineering controls, work practices, exposure assessment, housekeeping, training, and respiratory protection when required.

Respiratory Protection Notice: When respiratory protection is required, employers are responsible for implementing the applicable respiratory-protection program, including medical evaluation, fit testing, training, selection, use, and maintenance of appropriate respirators.

Equipment-Specific Training Notice: Auger boring machines vary significantly in capacity, drive systems, thrust systems, controls, auger sizes, casing dimensions, hydraulic systems, guarding, safety devices, and operating characteristics. Operators should receive instruction and familiarization appropriate to the specific equipment they are expected to operate.

Employer Responsibility Notice: Completion of an A.R.G. classroom or knowledge-based training component does not by itself authorize an individual to operate an auger boring machine. Employers remain responsible for determining applicable requirements and ensuring equipment-specific instruction, practical training, evaluation, authorization, supervision, utility-location procedures, excavation controls, protective equipment, hazardous-energy control, and documentation appropriate to the equipment, task, and workplace.

Training Certificate: Participants who successfully complete applicable training and evaluation requirements may receive an A.R.G. Construction, Safety & Health Certificate of Training documenting completion of the Auger Boring Machine Operator Safety Training program.

The certificate documents training completed and should not be represented as an OSHA-issued credential, utility-locator certification, governmental operator license, or governmental certification.

For course schedules, availability, pricing, and group training, contact sales@argcsh.org.