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Excavation Work Under 1.5 Risk Assessment

This risk assessment covers excavation work under 1.5 metres, including planning, set-up, excavation, access and close-out.

Activities covered include

  • Plan the work and locate services
  • Provide access, egress and safe edge work
  • Inspect, supervise and secure the excavation at close-out

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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.

Excavation Work Under 1.5 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 work under 1.5 metres, including planning, set-up, excavation, access and close-out. It supports planning and risk management by addressing changing ground, service, plant, entry and emergency hazards.

Activities & Risks Covered

This assessment addresses activities and risks including:

  • Plan the work and locate services
  • Set up the site and exclusion zones
  • Assess ground conditions and excavation stability
  • Excavate using plant
  • Carry out hand excavation near services
  • Provide access, egress and safe edge work
  • Manage spoil placement and falling materials
  • Monitor water, atmosphere and environmental conditions
  • Prepare for emergency response and incident management
  • Inspect, supervise and secure the excavation at close-out

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out excavation work under 1.5 metres.

Activities & Hazards Covered

Activity Potential Hazards
Planning and service locating
  • Striking underground electricity, gas, water, sewer or communications services
  • Incorrect assumptions about service depth or alignment
  • Unplanned contact with nearby overhead electric lines by plant or loads
Site set-up and exclusion zones
  • Unauthorised entry by workers, visitors or the public
  • People falling into the excavation
  • Vehicle or plant entering the excavation area
Ground conditions and excavation stability
  • Ground collapse or side wall failure
  • Engulfment from loose or disturbed soil
  • Instability from wet ground, vibration, nearby loads or previous excavations
Excavating with plant
  • Workers struck by moving plant or swinging buckets
  • Plant rollover near edges or on uneven ground
  • Contact between plant and services or structures
Hand excavation and work near services
  • Contact with live or pressurised services during trimming or potholing
  • Musculoskeletal strain from digging, lifting and awkward postures
  • Workers struck by hand tools when working too close together
Access, egress and working at the edge
  • Slips, trips and falls into the excavation
  • Poor access causing sprains or delayed escape
  • Edge collapse from people standing too close
Spoil placement and falling materials
  • Spoil or materials falling back into the excavation
  • Extra loading causing edge failure
  • Workers below struck by tools, rocks or debris
Water, atmosphere and environmental conditions
  • Water ingress, flooding or softening of excavation walls
  • Dust inhalation and reduced visibility
  • Exposure to fumes, low oxygen or gas in deeper spots, pits or poorly ventilated areas
Emergency response and incident management
  • Entrapment, collapse, flooding or service strike with delayed rescue
  • Panic or poor communication during an emergency
  • Injuries worsening due to unplanned self-rescue attempts
Inspection, supervision and close-out
  • Controls deteriorating during the shift
  • Workers re-entering an unsafe excavation after changes in conditions
  • Open excavation left unsecured at breaks or end of day

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: Construction work — 6.2 Workplace specific induction training; p. 41.
  • 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 risks of plant in the workplace — Plant hazard identification — Traffic movements in the workplace; p. 17.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace — 3. First aid equipment, facilities and training; p. 12.
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 EarthworksMining and Resources

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