Should kids be kept away from an open foundation hole in Riverview?

Yes, keep children and anyone who does not need to be there well back from an open foundation hole.

Keep the Site Secure

WorkSafeNB's General Regulation 91-191 sets trench and excavation rules that bind the employer on site. Section 183 requires excavated material to be kept at least 1.2 m from the edge of the cut, and section 188 requires lights, warnings and barriers where traffic is a hazard. Ask the contractor how the site will be secured when the crew is not there.

WorkSafeNB rules also say nobody enters an excavation 1.2 m (about 4 ft) or deeper unless the walls are supported, sloped or cut in solid rock, and a safe means of exit is within reach. That rule is written for workers, but it tells you something plain about what an open hole can do.

Practical steps while the dig is open: fence or barrier the perimeter, keep the gate or barrier closed when the crew is off site, and make sure children understand the area is off limits. Whether a fence is required by local by-law is worth confirming with Plan 360, the Southeast Regional Service Commission that handles building and development permits in Riverview.

On the permit side, Regulation 2021-2 under the Building Code Administration Act requires at least one inspection of the footings and foundation before any backfilling begins. Ask Plan 360 how that inspection is booked. Backfilling cannot happen until it is done, so the barrier needs to stay in place until then.

Before the machine arrived, the contractor should have requested locates from Info-Excavation, with at least three working days notice, and separately from NB Power, with at least five business days notice. NB Power's locate covers only NB Power-owned underground lines and is valid for 60 days from the date on the locate form. Private lines, such as wiring run to a garage or shed, are the owner's to find and mark. Ask the contractor to show both locate tickets if you have not seen them.

When you review the quote for this job, ask the contractor exactly how rock removal is priced, how far the spoil is being hauled, and whether backfill material is included or billed separately, because those three items are where the final number can climb past the original figure.