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Excavation and Trenching Risk Assessment

This risk assessment covers excavation and trenching activities, including planning, work area controls, ground conditions and emergency preparation.

Activities covered include

  • Plan excavation work and identify underground services
  • Provide safe access, egress and fall prevention
  • Prepare for collapse, flooding, gas leaks and other emergencies

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Excavation and Trenching 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

Product Overview

This risk assessment covers excavation and trenching activities, including planning, work area controls, ground conditions and emergency preparation. It supports planning the work, identifying changing hazards and managing risks throughout the activity.

Activities & Risks Covered

This assessment addresses activities and risks including:

  • Plan excavation work and identify underground services
  • Set up and secure the excavation work area
  • Assess ground conditions and trench stability
  • Position spoil, materials and plant away from excavation edges
  • Manage mobile plant, traffic and reversing movements
  • Provide safe access, egress and fall prevention
  • Identify atmospheric hazards, fumes and contaminated ground
  • Monitor water ingress, weather and changing conditions
  • Manage manual excavation and hand-tool tasks
  • Prepare for collapse, flooding, gas leaks and other emergencies

Who is this for?

For contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out excavation and trenching activities.

Activities & Hazards Covered

Activity Potential Hazards
Planning and service identification
  • Striking underground electricity, gas, water, sewer or communications services
  • Incorrect or outdated service information leading to excavation in the wrong location
  • Unplanned change in ground conditions or adjacent structure impacts
Site establishment and work area security
  • Unauthorised entry into the excavation area
  • People falling into open excavations or trenches
  • Public or other workers entering the exclusion zone after hours or during breaks
Ground conditions and trench stability
  • Trench wall collapse or ground sloughing
  • Engulfment or entrapment of workers
  • Failure caused by vibration, weather, surcharge loads or unsuitable soil conditions
Spoil placement, plant loads and zone of influence
  • Collapse from spoil piles, stored materials or plant positioned too close to edges
  • Falling material into the trench
  • Edge failure from vehicle loading or repeated plant movement
Mobile plant, traffic and reversing movements
  • Workers struck by excavators, trucks or other mobile plant
  • Collision between plant, light vehicles and pedestrians
  • Loss of control due to blind spots, uneven ground or congestion
Access, egress and fall prevention
  • Workers falling into the excavation
  • Trips and slips when entering or exiting
  • Delayed escape during collapse, flooding or another emergency
Atmospheric hazards, fumes and contaminants
  • Build-up of exhaust gases, low oxygen or toxic atmospheres in trenches or excavations
  • Exposure to dust, silica, sewer gases or contaminated ground
  • Ignition of flammable gases or vapours
Water ingress, weather and changing conditions
  • Water in-rush, flooding or softening of trench walls
  • Slip hazards and loss of footing
  • Rapid deterioration of ground stability after rain or leaks
Manual excavation and hand tools
  • Musculoskeletal strain from digging, lifting, shovelling or handling trench materials
  • Workers struck by hand tools when working close together
  • Vibration and repetitive strain from powered hand tools
Emergency preparedness and rescue
  • Delayed response to trench collapse, engulfment, gas leak or medical event
  • Unplanned rescue creating additional casualties
  • Poor communication during an emergency

Need to tailor this risk assessment?

Use the BlueSafe Portal to add site-specific activities, hazards, controls, responsibilities and review details before the assessment is put into use.

Acceptance Guaranteed: If your client or principal requests changes during document review, BlueSafe will help revise the document at no extra cost and support resubmission until it is accepted.

Legislation & References

The template records model guidance used to inform the documented controls. Applicable WHS/OHS laws and adopted Codes vary by state or territory, so confirm the current local requirements when tailoring the assessment:

  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Excavation work — 2.3. Controlling the risks; p. 17.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing the work environment and facilities — 2. The work environment; p. 13.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of plant in the workplace — Plant hazard identification — Traffic movements in the workplace; p. 17.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing the risk of falls at workplaces — 3.2 Identifying the hazards; p. 16.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Construction work — 6.2 Workplace specific induction training; p. 41.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace — 3. First aid equipment, facilities and training; p. 12.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Hazardous manual tasks — 4.1 The hierarchy of control measures; p. 31.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing the risk of fatigue at work — Provide sufficient breaks while at work; p. 30.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Activity-specific hazard identification and control measures
  • Initial and residual risk ratings
  • Assigned responsible persons for each activity
  • Risk matrix and assessment classification
  • Review, monitoring and sign-off fields
  • Site-specific customisation before use

Suitable for Industries

Building and ConstructionCivil Construction and EarthworksPlumbing and Gasfitting

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