29 CFR 1926.651 · Arizona · FY2025
Excavations in Arizona: FY2025 OSHA citations
9 citation items under 29 CFR 1926.651 at inspected sites in Arizona, from 5 inspections.
From Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, the Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data record 9 citation items under 29 CFR 1926.651 at inspected sites in Arizona, in 5 inspections. Among the 78 sections of 29 CFR parts 1904, 1910 and 1926 cited in Arizona that year (768 citation items in all), this one ranks 26th by items. These counts describe inspected establishments, not the whole industry.
Paragraphs of 29 CFR 1926.651 cited in Arizona
| Paragraph | Items | Share of the 9 |
|---|---|---|
| 1926.651(k)(1) | 4 | 44% |
| 1926.651(i)(3) | 2 | 22% |
| 1926.651(j)(1) | 1 | 11% |
| 1926.651(c)(2) | 1 | 11% |
| 1926.651(g)(1)(i) | 1 | 11% |
“(k) Inspections. (1) Daily inspections of excavations, the adjacent areas, and protective systems shall be made by a competent person for evidence of a situation that could result in possible cave-ins, indications of failure of protective systems, hazardous atmospheres, or other hazardous conditions. An inspection shall be conducted by the competent person prior to the start of work and as needed throughout the shift. Inspections shall also be made after every rainstorm or other hazard increasing occurrence. These inspections are only required when employee exposure can be reasonably anticipated.”
“(3) Sidewalks, pavements, and appurtenant structure shall not be undermined unless a support system or another method of protection is provided to protect employees from the possible collapse of such structures.”
“(j) Protection of employees from loose rock or soil. (1) Adequate protection shall be provided to protect employees from loose rock or soil that could pose a hazard by falling or rolling from an excavation face. Such protection shall consist of scaling to remove loose material; installation of protective barricades at intervals as necessary on the face to stop and contain falling material; or other means that provide equivalent protection.”
How the Arizona citations were classified
Of the 9 citation items: 8 serious, 0 willful, 1 repeat and 0 other-than-serious (89% serious).
Who was inspected in Arizona
60% of the 5 inspections with a recorded headcount were at sites with 1 to 10 employees. The headcount is the inspected site's, not the employer's total.
| 1 to 10 | 3 |
| 11 to 25 | 1 |
| 26 to 100 | 1 |
| Construction | 9 |
| Utility System Construction | 8 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 1 |
When the items were issued
By quarter of FY2025: Oct to Dec 2024: 2; Jan to Mar 2025: 1; Apr to Jun 2025: 6; Jul to Sep 2025: 0.
Who enforced in Arizona
Arizona has an OSHA-approved State Plan that ordinarily covers private-sector employers and state and local government workers. All 9 of the items were recorded by the State Plan's office. A State Plan may have standards of its own. The paragraphs on this page are the federal 29 CFR numbers recorded in OSHA's data, and this page does not say which Arizona rule applies to a given workplace. OSHA's page on the Arizona State Plan, with its coverage.
Arizona against the other states
Arizona ranks 31st of the 50 states, DC and territories with items under 29 CFR 1926.651 in this data. The most items: Texas 85; Maryland 55; Virginia 51; Illinois 49; Tennessee 46. In all, the data record 904 citation items under 29 CFR 1926.651; the 9 in Arizona are 1.0% of them. Penalty maximums: OSHA penalties in Arizona.
Next steps for a Arizona employer
- Federal text of the standard: 29 CFR 1926.651, Excavations
- Free tool: Inspection Action Plan
- Free tool: Toolbox Talk Generator
- Software: HazComFast for construction contractors
Counts by HazComFast from the Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data, extracted Oct 13, 2026; deleted items left out, 29 CFR numbers only. They are not figures OSHA publishes for the state, and the live database can change them. Same data source and method as our HazCom enforcement study. Not legal advice.