The following figures are a graphic summary of the requirements contained in subpart P for excavations 20 feet or less in depth. Protective systems for use in excavations more than 20 feet in depth must be designed by a registered professional engineer in accordance with 1926.652(b) and (c).

                    _________________________
                   |                         |
                   | Is the excavation more  |
                   | than 5 feet in depth?   |
                   |_________________________|
                               |
                               |
 ____________________          |           ___________________
|                    |   NO    |  YES     |                   |
| Is there potential |_________|__________| Is the excavation |
|    for cave-in?    |                    |   entirely in     |
|____________________|                    |   stable rock?    |
        |                                 |___________________|
        |                                               |
        |            ________________________           |
        |    NO     |                        |   YES    |
        |___________| Excavation may be made |__________|
        |           |  with vertical sides.  |          |
        |           |________________________|          |
        |                                               |
        |                                               |
        |            ________________________           |
        |   YES     |                        |    NO    |
        |___________|  Excavation must be    |__________|
                    |  sloped, shored, or    |
                    |      shielded.         |
                    |________________________|
                               |
          Sloping              |      Shoring or shielding
         ______________________|________________________
        | selected.                   selected.         |
        |                                               |
  ______|_________                             _________|______
 |                |                           |                |
 | Go to Figure 2 |                           | Go to Figure 3 |
 |________________|                           |________________|



               FIGURE 1 - PRELIMINARY DECISIONS



                    _________________________
                   |                         |
                   | Sloping selected as the |
                   |  method of protection   |
                   |_________________________|
                               |
                               |
                    ___________|______________
                   |                          |
                   | Will soil classification |
                   |   be made in accordance  |
                   |  with Sec. 1926.652(b)?  |
                   |__________________________|
                               |
                               |
                      YES      |       NO
         ______________________|______________________
        |                                             |
        |                                             |
________|____________________        _________________|________
|                             |      |                          |
| Excavation must comply with |      | Excavations must comply  |
| one of the following three  |      | with Sec. 1926.652(b)(1) |
| options:                    |      | which requires a slope   |
|_____________________________|      | of 1 1/2 H:1V (34 deg.). |
|                             |      |__________________________|
|        Option 1:            |
|                             |
| Sec. 1926.652(b)(3) which   |
| requires Appendices A       |
| and B to be followed        |
|                             |
|                             |
|        Option 2:            |
|                             |
| Sec. 1926.652(b)(3) which   |
| requires other tabulated    |    FIGURE 2 - SLOPING OPTIONS
| data (see definition to     |
| be followed.                |
|                             |
|                             |
|        Option 3:            |
|                             |
| Sec. 1926.652(b)(4) which   |
| requires the excavation to  |
| be designed by a registered |
| professional engineer.      |
|_____________________________|



                ____________________________________
               |                                    |
               |   Shoring or shielding selected    |
               |   as the method of protection.     |
               |____________________________________|
                               |
                               |
                _______________|____________________
               |                                    |
               | Soil Classification is required    |
               | when shoring or shielding is       |
               | used. The excavation must comply   |
               | with one of the following four     |
               | options:                           |
               |____________________________________|
               |                                    |
               |            Option 1                |
               |                                    |
               | Sec. 1926.652(c)(1) which requires |
               | Appendices A and C to be followed  |
               | (e.g. timber shoring).             |
               |                                    |
               |                                    |
               |            Option 2                |
               |                                    |
               | Sec. 1926.652(c)(2) which requires |
               | manufacturers data to be followed  |
               | (e.g. hydraulic shoring, trench    |
               | jacks, air shores, shields).       |
               |                                    |
               |                                    |
               |            Option 3                |
               |                                    |
               | Sec. 1926.652(c)(3) which requires |
               | tabulated data (see definition) to |
               | be followed (e.g. any system as    |
               | per the tabulated data).           |
               |                                    |
               |                                    |
               |            Option 4                |
               |                                    |
               | Sec. 1926.652(c)(4) which requires |
               | the excavation to be designed by a |
               | registered professional engineer   |
               | (e.g. any designed system).        |
               |____________________________________|

              FIGURE 3 - SHORING AND SHIELDING OPTIONS