Excavation Near Underground Services (Potholing) Risk Assessment

Product Overview

This risk assessment covers potholing near underground services, from service information review and detection through to exposure, backfilling and close-out. It supports planning the work, identifying service-related hazards and managing risks as conditions change.

Activities & Risks Covered

This assessment addresses activities and risks including:

• Review service information before work starts
• Inspect the site and detect underground services
• Set up the work area and manage public access
• Brief workers and coordinate the work team
• Carry out potholing and initial ground penetration
• Use vacuum excavation and associated plant
• Manage and protect exposed services
• Manage ground conditions, slips and manual tasks
• Prepare for service strikes and other incidents
• Backfill, reinstate and record verified service locations

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out potholing near underground services.

Activities & Hazards Covered

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 risks of plant in the workplace — Plant hazard identification — Traffic movements in the workplace; 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: 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 noise and preventing hearing loss at work — 5. Controlling the risks; p. 29.
• Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks — 2. Step 1 — How to identify hazards; p. 12.

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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