Working safely in and around excavation works

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Persons conducting business or undertakings have responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all staff and the employer and individual staff members may be liable to prosecution under the WHS Act for failure to provide a safe workplace. Persons conducting business or undertakings at a workplace must manage risks associated with all kinds of excavations at the workplace, no matter how deep.

Excavation work generally means work involving the removal of soil or rock from a site to form an open face, hole or cavity using tools, equipment or explosives. All occupational health and safety hazards must be managed in accordance with risk management procedures. In managing risks associated with excavation works, it is required a planned approach: All excavation work must be planned prior to commencement, in consultation with all relevant persons; these persons could include the excavation team, geotechnical engineers, any contractors involved in the process, RTA supervisors, the competent person who will supervise the excavation or engineers. All excavation work must be subject to risk identification, assessment and elimination and/or control before commencement, or whenever there is a change that may introduce new hazards. The risks that must be proactively managed may include excavation collapse, inadvertent contact with utility services, objects (including plant) falling into the excavation, persons falling into the excavation, hazardous substance exposure and drowning.

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Some of the factors to be considered in the risk assessment process include: The nature and condition of the ground or working environment The possibility of flooding or water inrush from any source The proximity of under or above ground electricity cables, gas mains or other utility services Whether the excavation is, or will become during works, a confined space The proximity of any previous or planned excavations The proximity of other buildings or structures to the planned excavation The presence of mobile plant and its effect on stability and proximity to the edge of the excavation The placement of excavated materials and their effect on stability, access, egress and depth The possibility of the fall or dislodgement of earth, rock or other material Access an egress Surrounding vehicular traffic and ground vibration Vehicular and pedestrian traffic over a covered excavation Depth of excavation Security of the site Potential exposure to hazardous substances An adequate system of safety, involving shoring, earth retention equipment or other appropriate measures (such as benching or battering) must be used to control risks arising from one or more of the following: The fall or dislodgement of earth/rock or other materials, The instability of the excavation or adjoining structure, The in rush of water (or any other substance e.g. sewer), The placement of excavated material, Instability due to person or plant working adjacent to the excavation. If, due to the slope and nature of the side of the excavation and other relevant circumstances, there is no reasonable likelihood of a fall or dislodgment of earth, rock or other material from a height of more than 1.5m that may bury, trap or strike a person who is in the excavation, it may not be necessary to use a shoring system, a risk assessment must be conducted and documented to verify these hazards have been identified and assessed. All persons involved in excavation or work associated with an excavation must be given appropriate information, instruction and training. Areas that must be covered in Training and Instruction include:

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The work method to be used for the excavation or associated work and the manual handling procedures for the work to be carried out The content of the SWMS, including safety systems to be used The correct use, care, maintenance and storage of PPE, tools and equipment The use of plant and associated equipment, including electrical safety and hazardous substances To ensure familiarity with emergency and communication procedures Critical warning signs for collapse Other associated policies and procedures that may apply

A written Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) must be developed for any activity involving excavation works that has a depth greater than 1.5 metres. All excavations must be secured and barricaded to ensure the safety of persons on site and members of the public. Examples of securing or barricading could include: Barricades or hoarding around trenches, pits or excavations within a site External fencing of site perimeter Covering of cable pits or pile holes when left unattended Clear marking of all excavations, at all depths, to alert pedestrian and plant traffic.

NOTE: All safety barriers, barricades or delineations must comply with relevant Australian Standards or any other relevant legislative obligations. No person is to work alone in or around an excavation ranked as a high or medium risk at any time. A stand by person should be provided and be located outside the zone of influence at all times. In the case where a supervisor is present, they may act as a stand by for the purposes of this obligation. NOTE: The zone of influence is the area around an excavation that is susceptible to slippage or collapse (refer to point 5. Definitions in the Working In or Around an Excavation Procedure

Safe access and egress must be provided in an excavation (including to and from caissons and cofferdams) throughout the works. Details of access and egress provisions for cofferdams or caissons are to be included in the design drawings. If access is not provided in the form of fixed ladders and platforms a further written risk 2012 Ensafe (www.ensafe.com.au)

assessment must be conducted prior to work commencing.

Emergency procedures must be developed in advance and circulated to all persons working in or near the excavation.

Excavation failures are particularly dangerous because they may occur quickly, limiting the ability of workers (and in some cases others in the vicinity) to escape especially if the collapse is extensive or is a trench.

The speed of an excavation collapse increases the risk associated with this type of work and the consequences are significant as the falling earth can bury or crush any person in its path. This can result in death by suffocation or internal crush injuries The magnitude of the consequences particularly in relation to trench collapse highlights the need to protect workers and other person working at or near excavations. http://www.ensafe.com.au/plans/site-safety-management-plan/

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2012 Ensafe (www.ensafe.com.au)