Digging Operations and Auger Use
What this domain tests
This domain tests safe auger operation: utility protection, vertical alignment, spoil control, obstruction handling, and keeping people out of the danger zone.
Core rules
- Verify utility locations and hand-dig within the required tolerance near marks. Use a spotter who can see the auger and the hole.
- Position the auger over the hole, keep the boom and Kelly bar vertical, engage PTO per procedure, and lower slowly with controlled down pressure.
- Keep hands, feet, and clothing clear of rotating parts; no one in the hole while the auger runs; keep bystanders outside the exclusion zone.
- If the auger binds or strikes an obstruction, stop rotation, raise slightly, and reverse to clear. Do not pry or side-pull with the boom.
- Control spoil placement, check the hole depth, and cover or barricade open holes before leaving.
Worked example
An auger strikes a buried cable. The correct response is to stop rotation and shut down, keep everyone clear, treat the cable as energized, and notify the utility and supervisor. Do not reverse out aggressively, do not touch the cable, and do not assume it is abandoned. The exam tests this stop-and-isolate judgment more than digging speed.
Traps
Using the auger or boom to push spoil; digging with the boom at an angle; continuing after a utility strike; and leaving an open hole unguarded at shift end.
Key points
- Verify utility marks and hand-dig near them.
- Keep the auger vertical and use controlled down pressure.
- Stop and reverse to clear a bind; never side-pull with the boom.
- Treat a utility strike as an emergency and keep clear.
- Cover or barricade open holes before leaving.