Product Overview

Summary: This Ground Disturbance and Soil Testing SOP provides a clear, step‑by‑step process for planning, authorising and carrying out any excavation or soil investigation work safely and compliantly. It helps Australian businesses control underground service strikes, ground instability and contamination risks while maintaining consistent, defensible WHS practices across all sites.

Ground disturbance and soil testing activities, from minor test pits to major excavations, expose workers and the public to significant risks if not tightly controlled. Contact with underground services, unstable trenches, contaminated soils and unexpected groundwater can all lead to serious incidents, costly delays and regulatory scrutiny. This Safe Operating Procedure sets out a practical, end‑to‑end framework for planning, risk assessing, authorising and executing ground disturbance and soil sampling works in line with Australian WHS expectations.

The document guides your team through pre‑work service locating, permit-to-dig requirements, selection of safe excavation and sampling methods, and the correct use of plant, equipment and personal protective equipment. It also addresses environmental and contamination considerations, spoil management and verification testing, ensuring that both safety and compliance are built into every stage of the job. By standardising how ground disturbance and soil testing are managed across your organisation, this SOP reduces reliance on individual experience, improves coordination between contractors and asset owners, and provides clear evidence that due diligence has been exercised under WHS legislation.

Key Benefits

• Reduce the risk of striking underground utilities such as gas, electrical, water and communications services.
• Ensure consistent, defensible ground disturbance approvals through a structured permit-to-dig process.
• Improve worker safety by defining safe excavation depths, benching, battering and shoring requirements.
• Streamline coordination between site crews, utility owners, environmental consultants and project managers.
• Support WHS and environmental compliance by embedding risk assessment, contamination controls and documentation into every job.

Who is this for?

• Site Supervisors
• Construction Project Managers
• Civil Engineers
• Geotechnical Engineers
• WHS Managers
• Excavator and Plant Operators
• Utility Locators
• Environmental Consultants
• Facilities and Asset Managers
• Local Government Infrastructure Officers

Hazards Addressed

• Contact with underground electrical, gas, water and telecommunications services
• Trench collapse and ground instability leading to engulfment or crushing
• Exposure to contaminated or acid sulfate soils
• Contact with buried sharp objects, asbestos-containing materials or other hazardous materials
• Struck-by and crush injuries from mobile plant and excavation equipment
• Slips, trips and falls around excavations and uneven ground
• Uncontrolled release of groundwater or surface water into excavations
• Manual handling strains from handling soil samples, shoring and equipment
• Noise, vibration and dust exposure during drilling and excavation activities

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Terminology
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Codes of Practice
• 5.0 Pre‑Start Planning and Site Assessment
• 6.0 Dial Before You Dig and Service Locating Requirements
• 7.0 Ground Disturbance Permit and Authorisation Process
• 8.0 Risk Assessment and Hierarchy of Control
• 9.0 Selection and Use of Plant, Tools and Equipment
• 10.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements
• 11.0 Safe Work Methods for Excavation and Trenching
• 12.0 Safe Work Methods for Soil Sampling and Testing (in-situ and laboratory)
• 13.0 Underground Services Identification, Mark‑up and Exclusion Zones
• 14.0 Ground Stability, Shoring, Benching and Access/Egress Controls
• 15.0 Contaminated and Acid Sulfate Soil Management
• 16.0 Environmental Controls (dust, noise, vibration, runoff, spoil management)
• 17.0 Traffic Management and Public Interface Controls
• 18.0 Monitoring, Inspection and Hold Points During Ground Disturbance
• 19.0 Emergency Response and Incident Management for Ground Disturbance Incidents
• 20.0 Training, Competency and Induction Requirements
• 21.0 Documentation, Records and Reporting
• 22.0 Review, Audit and Continuous Improvement

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and corresponding state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and equivalent state and territory regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Excavation Work Code of Practice
• Safe Work Australia – Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice
• AS/NZS 4801: Occupational health and safety management systems (superseded but still widely referenced)
• AS ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems
• AS 1726: Geotechnical site investigations
• AS 2159: Piling – Design and installation (for deeper ground disturbance interfaces)
• AS 2865: Confined spaces (where excavations may be treated as confined spaces)
• Relevant state-based Codes of Practice for Excavation Work and Construction Work