Ground Disturbance Level II study plan
Ground Disturbance Level II · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Ground disturbance planning and hazard assessment
Define ground disturbance in your own words and list the activities that trigger planning obligations
Identify the sequence of planning steps from scope definition through hazard assessment
Explain the purpose and components of a hazard assessment for a ground disturbance project
Describe how scope, location, depth, and soil conditions shape the hazard assessment
Your checkpoint
A one-page planning flowchart mapping scope definition to hazard assessment sign-off, with each step annotated in two sentences
Ground disturbance planning and hazard assessment & Supervision, roles, and regulatory compliance
Distinguish the roles of the project owner, prime contractor, ground disturber, and locator in planning
Explain how supervision responsibilities shift when multiple parties work at one site
Outline how to document a hazard assessment and record worker acknowledgement
Summarize how a pre-job meeting is used to communicate identified hazards
Your checkpoint
A completed sample hazard assessment form for a hypothetical trenching project, including identified hazards, controls, and sign-off lines
Buried facility locating and notification requirements
Describe the notification process for requesting buried facility locates and the information a request must contain
Explain locate timelines, tolerance zones, and what to do when a locate is late or incomplete
Identify the limits of locate marks and why hand exposure is required near marked facilities
List the types of buried facilities that may cross a work area
Your checkpoint
A checklist for submitting and tracking a locate request, from call to mark verification, with a tolerance-zone handling note
Buried facility locating and notification requirements & Safe excavation and ground disturbance practices
Explain how to verify and preserve locate marks before and during excavation
Describe safe hand-exposure methods for confirming a buried facility's exact position
Identify the conditions that require stopping work and re-requesting a locate
Summarize how changes in scope or depth affect locate validity
Your checkpoint
A written procedure for exposing a buried facility by hand, including stop-work triggers and mark-preservation steps
Safe excavation and ground disturbance practices
Explain how to classify and protect an excavation using slope, shoring, or shielding
Describe safe access and egress requirements for excavations
Identify hazards from spoil placement, water accumulation, and adjacent loads
Summarize atmospheric testing and entry precautions before workers enter an excavation
Your checkpoint
A site sketch of a planned excavation showing protective system, access points, spoil location, and exclusion zones, each labelled with a short rationale
Safe excavation and ground disturbance practices & Supervision, roles, and regulatory compliance
Explain the role of the supervisor in daily inspection of excavations and ground disturbance work
Describe how to conduct and record a pre-entry inspection
Outline the process for reporting incidents and near misses
Summarize how to verify worker competency and training before assigning tasks
Your checkpoint
A daily inspection log template with fields for protective system condition, access, atmosphere, and supervisor sign-off, plus a sample completed entry
Supervision, roles, and regulatory compliance
Map the regulatory obligations that apply to ground disturbance work in your jurisdiction
Explain how permits, notifications, and records support compliance
Outline the corrective action process when an unsafe condition is identified
Describe how to audit a completed ground disturbance project against its plan
Your checkpoint
A compliance matrix listing obligations, the responsible party, and the record that evidences completion, covering at least eight items
Ground disturbance planning and hazard assessment & Buried facility locating and notification requirements & Safe excavation and ground disturbance practices & Supervision, roles, and regulatory compliance
Integrate planning, locating, excavation, and supervision into one end-to-end project scenario
Diagnose errors in a sample project narrative and propose corrected actions
Rehearse timed practice questions across all four domains
Close knowledge gaps identified in practice results
Your checkpoint
A written walkthrough of a sample project from planning through closeout, with a short list of the three weakest topics and a review plan for each
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain, without notes, who is responsible for each step of a hazard assessment and how it is documented
Week 4: Scores at least 80 percent on a self-made 20-question quiz covering planning and locating topics
Week 6: Can describe slope, shoring, and shielding options and state when each is appropriate
Week 8: Completes a full timed practice set across all four domains and reviews every missed question