Hydro Excavation SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers hydro excavation from planning and service location through excavation, spoil handling and reinstatement. It supports planning and risk management for plant, water, vacuum, underground service and work-zone hazards.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Review the scope, excavation location and site conditions
• Establish a controlled work zone
• Locate and mark underground services
• Position hydrovac plant
• Complete plant pre-start checks
• Set up water and vacuum lines
• Pothole and expose services
• Excavate the required area
• Manage unexpected services
• Manage spoil and slurry
• Backfill and reinstate the area
• Clean up and demobilise

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out hydro excavation and associated site activities.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

The template includes references relevant to the documented work, including:

• Applicable Commonwealth, state or territory WHS/OHS legislation and regulations.
• Model Code of Practice: Excavation Work — guidance for obtaining current underground-essential-services information, securing excavations and managing excavation risks.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace — guidance for plant selection, inspection, isolation, traffic interaction and hierarchy of controls.
• Model Code of Practice: Construction Work — guidance for consultation, coordination, high risk construction work and SWMS requirements.
• Applicable electrical safety legislation, network-operator requirements and Code of Practice: Work near overhead and underground electric lines — guidance for safe approach distances, locating, potholing and protecting electrical assets.
• AS 5488.1 Classification of Subsurface Utility Information and AS 5488.2 Subsurface utility engineering — guidance for utility information quality and subsurface investigation.
• AS 4744.1 Steel shoring and trench lining equipment and AS 4744.2 Steel shoring and trench lining equipment — guidance where trench support is used.
• AS 1742.3 Manual of uniform traffic control devices, Part 3: Traffic control for works on roads — guidance for traffic management.
• AS/NZS 3760 In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment; AS/NZS 1715 respiratory protective equipment; AS/NZS 1337.1 eye and face protectors; AS/NZS 2210.3 safety footwear; AS/NZS 4602.1 high visibility safety garments.
• Model WHS laws and model Codes of Practice are guidance only and do not automatically have legal effect in every jurisdiction; confirm the legislation, adopted codes and regulator requirements applying at the work location.

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Standard SWMS Features (Click to Expand)

• Task-specific job steps, hazards and control measures
• Initial and residual risk ratings
• Assigned responsible persons for each job step
• Plant, equipment and PPE requirements where applicable
• Permits, qualifications and high-risk construction work details where applicable
• Worker consultation, sign-off and review sections