Product Overview

Summary: This Ground Penetrating Radar Usage Safe Operating Procedure sets out a clear, safe and repeatable method for locating underground services and subsurface features on Australian worksites. It helps organisations protect workers, prevent costly service strikes, and demonstrate due diligence when planning excavation, drilling, or construction activities.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is now a critical tool for detecting underground utilities, voids, and structural elements before excavation or drilling begins. Used incorrectly, it can provide misleading results that lead to service strikes, asset damage, worker injury, and significant project delays. This SOP provides a structured, WHS-aligned approach to planning, conducting, and documenting GPR surveys on Australian sites, integrating technical best practice with clear safety controls.

The document walks your team through pre-start checks, site preparation, utility plans review, safe work area establishment, and step-by-step GPR operation, including calibration, scanning patterns, marking, and data validation. It emphasises coordination with Dial Before You Dig (DBYD/Before You Dig Australia), communication with other trades, and clear marking of detected services to minimise the risk of accidental contact. By standardising how GPR is used across your organisation, you reduce reliance on individual operator habits, improve data reliability, and create a defensible record that supports your WHS obligations and client requirements.

For organisations working in civil construction, utilities, mining, infrastructure, and facilities management, this SOP helps bridge the gap between technical GPR capability and on-the-ground safety performance. It provides the practical framework needed to integrate GPR into your Safe System of Work, ensuring that subsurface investigation is properly planned, supervised, and controlled from start to finish.

Key Benefits

• Reduce the risk of underground service strikes, asset damage, and associated injuries during excavation and drilling.
• Ensure consistent, defensible GPR usage that aligns with Australian WHS legislation and industry best practice.
• Improve the accuracy and reliability of subsurface detection through standardised pre-start checks, calibration, and scanning methods.
• Streamline training and onboarding for new GPR operators, supervisors, and contractors.
• Enhance project planning and client confidence with clear documentation, marking conventions, and survey records.

Who is this for?

• Surveyors
• Utility Locators
• Civil Engineers
• Construction Project Managers
• Site Supervisors
• Dial Before You Dig Coordinators
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• Geotechnical Engineers
• Facilities and Asset Managers
• Ground Penetrating Radar Operators

Hazards Addressed

• Contact with underground electrical cables leading to electric shock, arc flash, or electrocution
• Striking gas, water, sewer, or communications services during subsequent excavation
• Slips, trips, and falls while manoeuvring GPR equipment over uneven terrain
• Manual handling injuries from lifting, loading, and transporting GPR units and accessories
• Vehicle and mobile plant interactions with GPR operators in active work zones
• Exposure to environmental conditions such as heat, UV, and adverse weather during field surveys
• Misinterpretation of GPR data leading to incorrect assumptions about service locations
• Noise exposure from nearby plant and traffic during field operations
• Working near live traffic or public areas while conducting GPR scans

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 References and Applicable Standards
• 3.0 Definitions and Abbreviations (GPR, SUI, DBYD/BYDA, etc.)
• 4.0 Roles and Responsibilities (PCBU, Supervisor, GPR Operator, Spotter)
• 5.0 Competency, Training and Authorisation Requirements
• 6.0 Equipment Specifications, Calibration and Maintenance
• 7.0 Pre-Start Planning and Risk Assessment (including SWMS/JSA)
• 8.0 Review of Utility Plans and Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) Information
• 9.0 Site Preparation, Access, and Traffic Management Controls
• 10.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements
• 11.0 Step-by-Step GPR Operating Procedure
• 12.0 Scanning Patterns, Coverage, and Marking of Detected Services
• 13.0 Data Recording, Interpretation, and Verification Methods
• 14.0 Coordination with Excavation, Drilling, and Other High-Risk Work
• 15.0 Hazard Identification and Control Measures Specific to GPR Use
• 16.0 Environmental Considerations and Limitations of GPR
• 17.0 Emergency Procedures and Incident Reporting
• 18.0 Post-Job Review, Documentation, and Records Management
• 19.0 Audit, Review and Continuous Improvement of the Procedure

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth and relevant state/territory variants)
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth and relevant state/territory variants)
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Excavation Work
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Construction Work
• AS 5488.1:2019 – Classification of Subsurface Utility Information (SUI) – Subsurface Utility Engineering
• AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018 – Risk management – Guidelines
• AS/NZS 3000:2018 – Electrical installations (Wiring Rules) – for considerations when working near underground electrical services
• Austroads Guides and relevant state-based utility location guidelines (e.g. Before You Dig Australia requirements)