Excavation & It's Hazards

What is excavation work

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, machinery or explosives.





Identifying the hazards

Examples of excavation specific hazards include:

Underground essential services like gas, water, sewerage, telecommunications, electricity, chemicals and fuel or refrigerant in pipes or lines. Information about the location of these and other underground services, such as drainage pipes, soak wells and storage tanks, in and adjacent to the workplace, must be established before directing or allowing excavation work.

The fall or dislodgement of earth or rock

Falls from one level to another

Falling objects

Inappropriate placement of excavated materials, plant or other loads

The instability of any adjoining structure caused by the excavation

Any previous disturbance of the ground including previous excavation

The instability of the excavation due to persons or plant working adjacent to the excavation

The presence of or possible inrush of water or other liquid


Hazardous manual tasks

Hazardous gases

Hazardous chemicals (e.g. These may be present in the soil where excavation work is to be carried out)

Hazardous atmosphere in an excavation (e.g. Using methyl ethyl ketone (mek) solvent for pvc pipes in poorly ventilated trenches)

Vibration and hazardous noise

Overhead essential services (power lines) and ground mounted essential services (transformers, gas and water meters).



TRANSPORTATION & FORKLIFT HAZARDS




Controlling the risks

Substitution – for example using an excavator with a rock breaker rather than manual method
Isolation – for example using concrete barriers to separate pedestrians and powered mobile plant to reduce the risk of collision.

Engineering Controls – for example benching, battering or shoring the sides of the excavation to reduce the risk of ground collapse.

If risk remains, it must be minimized by implementing administrative controls, so far as is reasonably practicable, for example by installing warning signs near the excavation.

Any remaining risk must be minimized with suitable personal protective equipment (PPE), such as providing workers with hard hats, hearing protectors and high visibility vests.


Administrative control measures and PPE rely on human behavior and supervision and used on their own tend to be the least effective in minimizing risks.



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