Can you explain to me whether this happens in the private sector, too?
I did ask a city official about this, and he explained to me that everyone who works in an excavation (even if it's only a few inches deep) needs a "spotter" in case of a problem. If they're repairing a pipeline, say, the digger and his spotter are there, and so is the pipeline repairer and his spotter. And if there is, say, an electrical line nearby, they might also have an electrician and his spotter.
I asked why one spotter couldn't do for all of them, or perhaps why the digger couldn't spot for the pipeline worker and so on. He said that they need flexibility to move the diggers, pipeline workers, electricians, etc. so they each needed their own spotters.
This looks like overkill to me. Why not give the guys a pager or a cell phone? If they're working in 6' trenches, maybe a spotter is a good idea. But most of the time, they're working in 1' holes.
Am I the only one who thinks this is nuts? I don't want anyone to risk their life unnecessarily, but I also don't like to spend my tax money unnecessarily.