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Roadworks Kerbing and Ground Stabilization Risk Assessment

Roadworks Kerbing and Ground Stabilization Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • • Pre-filled Content – Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • • Customisable – Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Roadworks Kerbing and Ground Stabilization Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Roadworks Kerbing and Ground Stabilization through a structured, management-level WHS Risk Management framework. This Risk Assessment supports compliance with the WHS Act, demonstrates Due Diligence, and helps protect your business from operational and legal liability across civil construction projects.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • WHS Governance, Roles and Consultation: Assessment of leadership responsibilities, PCBU obligations, consultation arrangements, and safety committee structures for kerbing and ground stabilisation works.
  • Design, Engineering and Constructability Management: Management of design risk reviews, geotechnical inputs, constructability assessments, and engineering controls embedded prior to site mobilisation.
  • Project Planning, Programming and Sequencing: Evaluation of staging, interfaces between work fronts, critical path activities, and change management processes to minimise concurrent work conflicts.
  • Contractor, Subcontractor and Supplier Management: Protocols for pre-qualification, scope definition, safety requirements in contracts, and performance monitoring of external parties involved in roadworks kerbing and stabilisation.
  • Competency, Training and Supervision Systems: Assessment of licences, VOCs, site inductions, toolbox talks, and supervision arrangements for plant operators, traffic controllers, and ground crews.
  • Geotechnical Risk and Ground Stability Management: Management of excavation stability, subsidence, soft spots, compaction quality, and erosion controls in varying soil and groundwater conditions.
  • Traffic Interface and Road Corridor Management: Controls for live traffic environments, temporary traffic management plans, pedestrian interfaces, and protection from third-party vehicle movements.
  • Plant, Equipment and Maintenance Systems: Assessment of selection, inspection, and maintenance of rollers, excavators, compactors, kerbing machines, and small plant used in stabilisation activities.
  • Materials, Chemicals and Environmental Conditions Management: Management of cementitious products, stabilising agents, dust, noise, vibration, weather exposure, and environmental protection measures.
  • Work at Height, Access and Edge Protection Systems: Evaluation of controls for work near open excavations, embankments, culverts, and retaining structures, including access ways and barriers.
  • Fatigue, Rostering and Remote/Isolated Work Management: Assessment of shift patterns, night works, travel time, lone work arrangements, and communication systems for dispersed roadwork locations.
  • Health Monitoring, Welfare and Psychosocial Risk Management: Protocols for exposure monitoring (e.g. dust, noise, vibration), amenities, hydration, heat stress, and management of psychosocial hazards.
  • Emergency Preparedness, Incident Management and Recovery: Planning for vehicle and plant incidents, ground collapse, service strikes, medical emergencies, and business continuity following major events.
  • Document Control, Record Keeping and Continuous Improvement: Systems for version control, audit trails, corrective actions, lessons learned, and ongoing review of roadworks kerbing and stabilisation risk controls.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Civil Construction Managers, Project Managers, and Safety Professionals responsible for planning and overseeing roadworks kerbing and ground stabilisation operations.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. WHS Governance, Roles and Consultation
  • • Lack of clearly defined WHS responsibilities for client, principal contractor, subcontractors and designers on roadworks and ground stabilisation projects
  • • Inadequate WHS consultation arrangements with workers, subcontractors and traffic controllers
  • • Failure to establish and maintain a WHS management plan for the roadworks site as required under WHS Regulations for construction projects
  • • Poor integration of WHS requirements into contracts, scopes of work and procurement documentation
  • • Insufficient monitoring of contractor compliance with WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulation 2011
  • • Ineffective incident reporting and notifiable incident escalation processes
  • • Failure to provide for worker participation in risk assessments and change management
  • • Inadequate oversight of geotechnical specialist activities (soil nailing, embankment stabilisation) from a WHS governance perspective
2. Design, Engineering and Constructability Management
  • • Designs for kerb, gutter and embankment stabilisation not taking into account constructability, leading to unsafe methods being used on site
  • • Inadequate geotechnical investigation data informing design of soil nailing and ground improvement techniques
  • • Lack of coordination between civil, structural and geotechnical designers resulting in unstable temporary conditions during construction
  • • Failure to design out or minimise work at height, work in confined or restricted areas, and working adjacent to live traffic
  • • Insufficient specification of load capacities, anchor layouts and tolerances for soil nails, retaining structures and stabilised slopes
  • • Absence of clear hold points and inspection requirements in design documentation for critical ground stabilisation works
  • • Inadequate drainage design leading to water ingress, erosion or slope instability during and after construction
3. Project Planning, Programming and Sequencing
  • • Inadequate planning of construction stages leading to concurrent high‑risk activities in confined road corridors
  • • Poor sequencing of land reclamation, ground stabilisation and kerbing leading to unstable work platforms and embankments
  • • Failure to consider weather, seasonal groundwater variations and flooding in programming of soil stabilisation works
  • • Insufficient allowance for curing times, compaction and verification testing before placing loads or traffic on stabilised ground
  • • Compressed timeframes increasing pressure to bypass controls, reduce inspections or work excessive hours
  • • Lack of contingency planning for geotechnical non‑conformance or unexpected ground conditions
4. Contractor, Subcontractor and Supplier Management
  • • Engagement of contractors or specialist soil stabilisation providers without adequate WHS capability or experience
  • • Inconsistent WHS standards across multiple subcontractors working within the same road corridor
  • • Poor coordination between traffic control providers, civil crews and geotechnical drilling/soil nailing teams
  • • Failure to verify licences, competencies and high‑risk work authorisations for plant operators and drilling crews
  • • Inadequate review of subcontractor SWMS, geotechnical method statements and quality plans
  • • Commercial arrangements that incentivise unsafe shortcuts, such as unrealistic production targets or penalty‑heavy contracts
5. Competency, Training and Supervision Systems
  • • Inadequate competency of supervisors and workers undertaking kerb–gutter formwork, concrete placement and finishing within road reserves
  • • Insufficient training in geotechnical ground stabilisation techniques such as soil nailing, use of soil stabiliser plant and embankment protection systems
  • • Lack of understanding of traffic management plans and safe work zones among field crews
  • • Inadequate supervision of new or young workers on busy roadwork sites
  • • No system for verifying current high‑risk work licences and plant operator tickets
  • • Limited awareness of WHS duties, right to cease unsafe work and incident reporting obligations
6. Geotechnical Risk and Ground Stability Management
  • • Unidentified or poorly characterised ground conditions leading to slope failure or subsidence under work platforms
  • • Inadequate design or control of soil nailing, shotcrete, rock bolts and other ground stabilisation systems
  • • Failure of embankments or batters during land reclamation and road widening works
  • • Insufficient control of groundwater, seepage, erosion or scour undermining kerb lines and stabilised areas
  • • Inadequate monitoring of ground movement or settlement in areas of ground improvement or deep fill
  • • Lack of emergency response planning for geotechnical failures impacting public roads or adjacent properties
7. Traffic Interface and Road Corridor Management
  • • Workers exposed to live traffic during kerb, gutter and channel construction on existing roadways
  • • Inadequate planning of traffic control leading to confusion for motorists and unsafe work zones
  • • Interface risks between construction vehicles, soil stabilisers, dump trucks and public traffic
  • • Poorly designed or implemented detours and lane closures causing rear‑end collisions or vehicle incursions into work areas
  • • Lack of integration between traffic management plans and construction sequencing or emergency access requirements
8. Plant, Equipment and Maintenance Systems
  • • Use of unsuitable or poorly maintained plant such as soil stabilisers, kerb machines, rollers, excavators and drilling rigs
  • • Failure of critical safety systems including rollover protection, brakes, emergency stops and guarding
  • • Inadequate systems for pre‑start inspections, defect reporting and plant isolation on roadworks sites
  • • Uncontrolled interaction between large mobile plant and pedestrian workers in narrow corridors
  • • Use of non‑compliant lifting equipment, anchors or access systems during soil nailing and embankment works
9. Materials, Chemicals and Environmental Conditions Management
  • • Exposure to cementitious products, soil stabilising agents and dust during concrete kerb works and ground improvement treatments
  • • Inadequate control of silica‑containing dust from cutting, grinding or stabilising operations in road corridors
  • • Unmanaged interaction of weather (heat, rain, wind) with stabilisation products, embankment surfaces and fresh concrete
  • • Environmental contamination from stabilisation binders, washout water or fuel spills affecting soil and waterways
  • • Degradation of ground stability due to poor control of stormwater, runoff and erosion during land reclamation
10. Work at Height, Access and Edge Protection Systems
  • • Unsafe access to embankment slopes, retaining structures and soil nailing faces
  • • Inadequate systems for preventing falls from height or into excavations adjacent to roadways
  • • Failure of temporary access systems such as scaffolds, platforms or rope access points during embankment stabilisation
  • • Insufficient control of vehicle and plant operating near unprotected edges and culverts
11. Fatigue, Rostering and Remote/Isolated Work Management
  • • Long shifts and extended commuting associated with regional roadworks and ground reclamation projects leading to fatigue‑related incidents
  • • Inadequate rostering systems failing to manage cumulative fatigue across multiple night and weekend shifts
  • • Workers operating plant or driving home after long shifts in remote areas
  • • Limited supervision and communication for workers undertaking geotechnical or survey tasks in isolated embankment or cuttings
12. Health Monitoring, Welfare and Psychosocial Risk Management
  • • Prolonged exposure to noise, vibration and physical strain associated with stabilising equipment, compactors and concrete works
  • • Insufficient attention to psychosocial hazards such as time pressure, remote work, public aggression near traffic disruptions and conflicts within teams
  • • Inadequate amenities, shelter and hydration for field crews working on open road corridors and embankments
  • • Lack of systems for managing pre‑existing health conditions aggravated by physically demanding roadworks
13. Emergency Preparedness, Incident Management and Recovery
  • • Lack of integrated emergency response planning for incidents such as vehicle strikes, ground collapse, plant rollovers or concrete truck incidents
  • • Poorly defined communication protocols between site teams, traffic controllers, emergency services and road authorities
  • • Inadequate on‑site rescue capability for workers on embankments, in excavations or near waterways
  • • Failure to capture, investigate and learn from near misses and minor incidents related to ground stability or traffic interface
14. Document Control, Record Keeping and Continuous Improvement
  • • Outdated SWMS, traffic management plans or geotechnical designs being used on site
  • • Inconsistent or incomplete records of inspections, testing and hold points for stabilisation and kerb works
  • • Failure to track and close out corrective actions from audits, incidents and regulator interactions
  • • Lack of systematic review of WHS performance and lessons learned across multiple roadworks projects

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Guidance on systematic risk management processes.
  • Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Construction Work: Requirements for managing WHS in construction, including civil roadworks activities.
  • Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Excavation Work: Controls for ground stability, trenching, and excavation hazards.
  • Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Plant in the Workplace: Selection, use, and maintenance of construction plant and equipment.
  • Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work: Requirements for noise exposure associated with road construction plant.
  • Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks: Management of manual handling associated with kerbing and materials handling.
  • Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace: Controls for stabilising agents, fuels, and other hazardous substances.
  • AS 1742 – Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (series): Standards for temporary traffic management and roadwork signage.
  • AS/NZS 4801 (superseded) / ISO 45001:2018: Occupational health and safety management systems — requirements and guidance for implementation.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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Safe Work Australia Aligned