- Identifying Services
- Underground services must be identified, positively located, marked and where possible isolated prior to ground penetration.
- Overhead services must be identified, and controls implemented to ensure the plant does not encroach within safe operating zones without authorisation.
- Excavation Protection
- Open excavations, manholes, and pits must be secured to prevent unauthorised access. Barriers, covers, exclusion zones, edge protection, lighting, and signage must be provided to prevent people, plant, objects, and equipment from falling into excavations.
- Atmospheric monitoring and testing shall be undertaken where there is a likelihood of poor air quality.
- Controls must be in place to prevent accumulation of hazardous fumes and gases in excavations.
- All materials, including those removed from an excavation, must be placed in an area that reduces the potential for collapse.
- Safe Access and Egress
Safe access and egress for excavations must be maintained.
- Excavation Design & Support Structures
Excavations must be assessed by a competent person and benched, battered or shored to a suitable angle as determined by the assessment.
Excavation support structures must be designed by a qualified geotechnical engineer, installed by competent persons, and verified as correctly installed prior to use. This includes hydraulic shoring, sheet piling, steel shoring/trench lining, sheeting, shields, ground anchors.
Any safety critical faults/damage must be tagged out and immediately reported to the Supervisor. The plant must not to be used until the issue has been rectified.
- Excavation Inspection
Excavations must be inspected by a competent person before each working shift and after rainfall or other events which could impact ground stability or introduce further hazards.