One rule is: OSHA. Follow state guidelines for depth and shoring. 

 
 
 
Mark Howe 

"Life is how you make it, the future is how you leave your past." 




> Date: Fri, 10 May 2013 20:27:02 -0400
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: The archaeological excavation of wells
> To: [log in to unmask]
> 
> Just to be clear, lots of people read this list that are students or academics with no training in this stuff. Don't try this type of thing unless you have gotten training. I don't do this, nor do I allow my students to do so. The cowboys of science attitude is great until you have to live the rest of your life knowing that a field school student, volunteer, or crew person died because you were cavalier. 
> 
> Sorry to be a downer on this, but this really matters. 
> 
> Cheers,
> Tim
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On May 10, 2013, at 6:09 PM, Richard Wright <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> > Tim
> > 
> > Thanks. I agree with all your cautions. Don't worry, I do have archaeological experience in handling large excavations into various types of unstable soil.
> > 
> > In my opinion the only safe way to excavate a well in unstable soil would be progressively to clear away the soil around its filling. Clearing away the soil with machinery would take time, but it would allow perhaps four archaeologists at a time to safely excavate the content of the well.
> > 
> > In my email I was merely asking about any archaeological literature on safety issues surrounding the archaeological excavation of wells.
> > 
> > Richard
> > 
> > 
> > On 10/05/2013 16:41, scarlett wrote:
> >> Richard,
> >> 
> >> I don't think you will find an archaeological manual that deals with this.  In my opinion, you should not look for one.  This is a very serious issue on which you should consult with a professional.  For example, you have left off of your list of risks hazardous like CO2/gas buildup and water accumulation.  Not only is special knowledge required to design and construct the reinforcing, but employees entering such a confined space are required to have special training. Also keep in mind that there are many, many factors that figure into designing a safety strategy, including sediment type, moisture, groundwater level, vibration from nearby roads, the weight of nearby structures.  Many of these issues are not self-evident to someone that lacks training. As conditions often vary, there isn't one standard plan.
> >> 
> >> A man just died today in our region, trying to fix a well:
> >> http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-dry-ice-death-20130510,0,6601881.story
> >> A non-archaeological example where they were using the dry ice to improve the porosity of the well (I think). While this seems a silly example, I have seen groundwater contamination strong enough it would foul the atmosphere and cause a person to loose consciousness in a confined excavation exactly like this case, which would require the rest of the crew to conduct an extraction.  That guy's buddy wasn't prepared to be able to extract him and he died.
> >> 
> >> Some technical literature is published in the United States through OSHA (as you probably know, Australia, Canada, and the EU have their government safety organizations with online information), but you should really consult with a construction engineer who knows the laws and best practices, or perhaps a first responder that has special training.  These sites list the government publications:
> >> http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/trenchingexcavation/
> >> http://www.osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/excavate.html
> >> http://www.osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/cspace.html
> >> 
> >> Cheers,
> >> Tim Scarlett
> >> 
> >> 
> >> On May 9, 2013, at 9:40 PM, Richard Wright wrote:
> >> 
> >>> The dangers for archaeologists excavating old wells in superficial deposits are self-evident.
> >>> 
> >>> Two fundamental methods of preventing the dangers of collapse are (1) shoring, or (2) creating a safety zone by progressively excavating away the soil around the well as the excavation of the contents proceeds.
> >>> 
> >>> Can anyone point me to publications that discuss these dangers and how they can be prevented - preferably with illustrations.
> >>> 
> >>> Richard Wright