Digging Bars & Post Hole Diggers
Digging bars (spud bars, San Angelo bars) and post hole diggers are heavy, and they’re driven straight down, right where gas lines, electric cables and fiber optic lines may be buried.
- Construction
- Fencing
- Landscaping
Photo: digging bar, tamping bar and clamshell post hole digger
Danger: A steel digging bar driven into a buried power cable can electrocute you. Always have utilities located before digging, and dig gently by hand inside the marked tolerance zone. See Call 811.
Digging bars
- Lift with your legs and keep your back straight. A digging bar can weigh 15 to 20 pounds or more.
- Keep your feet out of the drop zone and wear safety-toe boots.
- Wear gloves; the impact shock travels up the bar.
- Lay the bar flat on the ground when not in use, out of walkways.
Post hole diggers
- Keep your fingers clear of the handles where they come together. That’s a pinch point.
- Lift small loads of soil at a time.
- Alternate with other tasks to avoid strain.
- For powered augers, see the manufacturer’s instructions. They can kick and twist violently when they bind.
Video: using a digging bar to break up hard soil
Standards & references
- 29 CFR 1926.651(b): Underground installations
- See also: Safe Lifting & Ergonomics
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