Aside from the question of whether the walls of the well are sound enough
for work without shoring, a well would be considered a "confined space"
under safety regulations, and there may be special requirements for working
in such places. Among the concerns are air quality and escape/rescue. If
you are going to do this work through the university, you should consult
the Environmental Health and Safety Officer on campus. Not only would you
be putting you and your students at risk, liability would also attach to
the university if anything went wrong.

I'm particularly attuned to this issue, as an 18th-century well at Ft
Ouiatenon outside Lafayette collapsed minutes after I came out for a break
30 years ago. Also I advise not watching "The Ring" before going over there
again.

Vergil





                      "Rotman, Deborah
                      L."                      To:       [log in to unmask]
                      <[log in to unmask]        cc:       (bcc: Vergil Noble/MWAC/NPS)
                      UE.EDU>                  Subject:  Working in the well
                      Sent by:
                      HISTORICAL
                      ARCHAEOLOGY
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                      12/07/04 09:47 AM
                      EST
                      Please respond to
                      HISTORICAL
                      ARCHAEOLOGY






Dear Colleagues in Historical Archaeology ~

        I recently received the following request and am seeking advice
on how to proceed:

The house was begun 1841 and completed in 1880, expanded and rebuilt
repeatedly (1812-1898). The house is not open yet. It's in a late stage
of rehab. Beneath the floor of what will be our modern kitchen (not open
to regular visitors) is a well, about 30 feet deep, lined with
limestone. The house sits on a limestone ridge. There is mucky water
visible in the bottom. We would like to preserve this well in some
state, have a see-through floor installed above it, some kind of
lighting, and be able to show it to special guests.

        My questions are these ~

1- Given the constraints of working inside a building, how does one
excavate such a deep feature and still meet OSHA requirements?

2- What designs are recommended for preserving it as proposed?

My sincerest thanks for your guidance!


Deborah L. Rotman, Ph.D., RPA
Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Purdue University
700 W. State Street; 316 Stone Hall
West Lafayette IN  47907-2059
Phone (765) 494-4683
Fax (765) 496-1476