SafeWork NSW's approved Tunnels and shafts in construction Code of Practice commenced on 28 August 2026 and replaced the 2006 Code.
This is a high-priority review for NSW organisations that perform or procure in-scope tunnel and shaft work. The Code covers planning, design and construction activities and the systems needed to manage the serious, interacting risks found underground.
It does not cover mines or quarries intended for mineral extraction. Confirm the actual project scope before applying the Code or excluding work from the review.
Who should act
The review may involve the client, designer, principal contractor, specialist contractors, plant suppliers, occupational hygienists and emergency services. Duties can overlap, so contracts alone are not enough: each duty holder should understand the interface and verify that agreed controls operate.
Priority gap-review areas
Map the new Code against current project arrangements, including:
- competence requirements and accountable roles;
- design verification, design changes and temporary works;
- excavation support, shafts, portals, lining and ground-control arrangements;
- ventilation and occupational-hygiene planning;
- diesel emissions, respirable crystalline silica and air-monitoring responses;
- tunnelling plant, lifting and electrical systems;
- incident notification, investigation and corrective-action tracking; and
- fire, emergency and rescue plans, equipment, coordination and drills.
The gap review should identify the affected project, document owner, difference found, corrective action, due date and verification evidence.
Documents likely to need review
Relevant documents may include the project WHS management plan, design and temporary-works procedures, competence matrix, occupational-hygiene plan, air-monitoring program, plant and lifting procedures, incident plan and emergency/fire/rescue arrangements. Task-specific risk assessments and SWMS should be checked against the actual methods and interfaces used on site.
Do not treat a document update as completion by itself. Consultation, training, resources, field verification, drills and closure evidence are part of implementing the review.