Product Overview

Summary: This Tunnel and Underground Works Safe Operating Procedure sets out clear, practical steps for planning and conducting tunnelling and underground activities safely in Australian conditions. It helps you control the significant risks of confined spaces, ground instability, plant interaction and environmental hazards, while demonstrating robust compliance with WHS legislation and client requirements.

Tunnel and underground works present some of the highest-risk environments in civil construction and mining. Workers are exposed to confined spaces, rapidly changing ground conditions, heavy plant and equipment, hazardous atmospheres and complex emergency access. This Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, step‑by‑step framework to manage these risks from planning through to demobilisation. It guides your team through pre‑start assessments, ground support requirements, ventilation, traffic and plant management, communications, monitoring, and emergency preparedness specific to underground environments.

Developed for Australian WHS expectations, the SOP translates regulatory duties into practical actions that can be implemented on any tunnel or underground project, whether road, rail, utilities or mining infrastructure. It helps standardise how crews set up and control underground work fronts, interface with surface operations, and respond to changing conditions such as water ingress, gas detection alarms or rock falls. By implementing this procedure, businesses can reduce incident rates, satisfy principal contractor and client obligations, and provide clear evidence of due diligence in the event of an audit or investigation.

This document also supports consistent training and onboarding for new workers and contractors entering the tunnel environment. It clearly defines roles and responsibilities, minimum competency requirements, PPE and equipment standards, and communication protocols, ensuring everyone underground understands what “safe work” looks like in practice. The result is a safer, more predictable work environment that keeps projects moving while protecting people, plant and reputation.

Key Benefits

• Ensure systematic control of high-risk hazards unique to tunnelling and underground works, including ground instability, confined spaces and hazardous atmospheres.
• Reduce the likelihood of serious incidents, including rock falls, entrapment, plant collisions and exposure to harmful gases or dusts.
• Standardise underground work practices across shifts, crews and contractors, improving consistency and compliance with WHS requirements.
• Demonstrate due diligence to regulators, clients and principal contractors through a documented, auditable procedure aligned with Australian standards.
• Improve workforce competency and confidence by providing clear guidance for planning, operating and responding to emergencies in underground environments.

Who is this for?

• Construction Project Managers
• Site Supervisors
• Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Operators
• Underground Works Supervisors
• Mining and Civil Engineers
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• Safety Officers
• Shift Supervisors
• Plant Operators (underground)
• Contractor Managers
• Emergency Response Coordinators

Hazards Addressed

• Ground instability, rock falls and roof or wall collapse
• Confined space risks including restricted access and egress
• Hazardous atmospheres (oxygen deficiency, methane, carbon monoxide, diesel particulates and other noxious gases)
• Poor ventilation and build-up of fumes, dust and heat
• Flooding, water ingress and uncontrolled inflows
• Interaction between mobile plant, tunnelling equipment and pedestrians
• Noise and vibration exposure from TBMs, drilling and blasting
• Use, storage and detonation of explosives (where applicable)
• Manual handling and musculoskeletal injuries in constrained spaces
• Electrical hazards from underground power supply, lighting and cabling
• Fire and explosion risks in confined underground environments
• Fatigue and disorientation due to low light and extended underground shifts
• Communication failures and loss of tracking for underground personnel
• Falling objects from overhead services, utilities or plant
• Slips, trips and falls on uneven, wet or debris-covered tunnel floors

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Terminology (Tunnel and Underground Works)
• 3.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Codes of Practice
• 4.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Competency Requirements
• 5.0 Planning and Design Interface for Tunnel and Underground Works
• 6.0 Site and Ground Condition Assessment
• 7.0 Access, Egress and Emergency Escape Routes
• 8.0 Ventilation, Air Quality and Gas Monitoring Requirements
• 9.0 Confined Space Management and Entry Controls
• 10.0 Plant, Equipment and TBM Operation Controls
• 11.0 Ground Support, Lining and Rock Stabilisation Procedures
• 12.0 Traffic Management and Pedestrian Separation Underground
• 13.0 Electrical Supply, Lighting and Communications Systems
• 14.0 Water Management, Drainage and Flood Prevention
• 15.0 Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control Measures (JSA/SWMS Integration)
• 16.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements
• 17.0 Work Execution – Step-by-Step Operating Procedure
• 18.0 Blasting and Explosives Management (if applicable)
• 19.0 Housekeeping, Waste and Environmental Controls Underground
• 20.0 Monitoring, Inspections and Safety Critical Checks
• 21.0 Incident, Near Miss and Gas Alarm Response Procedures
• 22.0 Emergency Preparedness, Rescue and Evacuation Procedures
• 23.0 Training, Induction and Competency Verification
• 24.0 Documentation, Records and Reporting Requirements
• 25.0 Review, Audit and Continuous Improvement of the SOP

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth and relevant state/territory equivalents)
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth and relevant state/territory equivalents)
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Confined Spaces
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• AS 2865: Confined spaces
• AS/NZS 2290 series: Electrical equipment for coal mines – Maintenance and overhaul (as applicable to underground electrical plant)
• AS 3785 series: Underground mining – Shaft equipment (as relevant to access and egress systems)
• AS/NZS 1715: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment
• AS/NZS 1716: Respiratory protective devices
• AS/NZS 3000: Electrical installations (Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules)
• Relevant state-based Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health legislation (where tunnelling overlaps with mining operations)