Excavation work is a major endeavour - it also comes with many risks should the excavation process be completed improperly.
If you live in Melbourne’s south-east suburbs, you probably heard this story on the grapevine.
If not however, here’s a quick recap.
As part of a construction project in Mount Waverley, excavation work was carried out on an empty lot of land. However, the engineer in charge cut corners, resulting in a dangerous cave-in that threatened nearby homes.
The result? $480,000 worth of fines and a project that’s only just resuming - five years down the line.
That’s why there are so many steps you’ll need to follow and hoops you’ll need to jump through before excavation work can start proper.
You’ve heard of a Dial Before You Dig report and its importance - we’ve talked about it here before.
But what else do you need to do to ensure that your excavation work is completed safely?
First thing’s first: risk assessment
Under Australian laws, the party responsible for excavation needs to identify and manage risks to health and safety that arise as a result of excavation work.
And that starts with the risk assessment.
During this phase, you’ll need to assess the risk of someone:
- Falling into the excavation
- Getting trapped by a collapse
- Being struck by falling objects
- Being exposed to airborne dust and debris
Not only that, but you’ll also have to assess the risk of damage to property. Just like the case study mentioned above, you’ll need to determine whether or not your excavation work will affect surrounding properties.
Once you’ve identified the risks, you’ll need to take measures against them.
And that starts with the risk assessment.
During this phase, you’ll need to assess the risk of someone:
- Falling into the excavation
- Getting trapped by a collapse
- Being struck by falling objects
- Being exposed to airborne dust and debris
Not only that, but you’ll also have to assess the risk of damage to property. Just like the case study mentioned above, you’ll need to determine whether or not your excavation work will affect surrounding properties.
Once you’ve identified the risks, you’ll need to take measures against them.
Getting your Dial Before You Dig Report is an essential first step
It isn’t just people and property that you may harm during excavation - during excavation work, you may find yourself striking public utilities.
Often, this comes with risk both to you and your workers - you may also find yourself paying out for the cost of replacement or repairs.
As part of the risk assessment stage, you’ll need to locate these important utilities - and that’s where your Dial Before You Dig report (DBYD) comes into the picture.
1. You’ll send out a request for information to utilities providers in your area for information regarding the location of their pipes and cables
2. After a brief waiting period, utilities operators will send you information regarding utilities that lie underneath your property
3. Once you have this information, you’ll know where public utilities are… and you’ll be able to plan around them
Of course, the process of obtaining said report isn’t as straightforward as we make it sound.
If you’ve ever had to file a request for a Dial Before You Dig report, you’ll know that it can often take weeks to get the information you need.
Fortunately, our automated all-in-one document search makes the process of getting the property information you need - including your Dial Before You Dig report - easier and faster than ever before.
We automate the entire process, vetting and compiling the information for you and automatically sending follow-ups to providers who don’t reply to you immediately.
Often, this comes with risk both to you and your workers - you may also find yourself paying out for the cost of replacement or repairs.
As part of the risk assessment stage, you’ll need to locate these important utilities - and that’s where your Dial Before You Dig report (DBYD) comes into the picture.
1. You’ll send out a request for information to utilities providers in your area for information regarding the location of their pipes and cables
2. After a brief waiting period, utilities operators will send you information regarding utilities that lie underneath your property
3. Once you have this information, you’ll know where public utilities are… and you’ll be able to plan around them
Of course, the process of obtaining said report isn’t as straightforward as we make it sound.
If you’ve ever had to file a request for a Dial Before You Dig report, you’ll know that it can often take weeks to get the information you need.
Fortunately, our automated all-in-one document search makes the process of getting the property information you need - including your Dial Before You Dig report - easier and faster than ever before.
We automate the entire process, vetting and compiling the information for you and automatically sending follow-ups to providers who don’t reply to you immediately.
Only public utilities
Notice how we keep using the word “utilities”?
There’s a good reason for that: Dial Before You Dig reports only identify the locations of public utilities like sewer pipes, water mains and phone lines.
Long story short, your Dial Before You Dig report won’t tell you everything, despite what many assume - it won’t tell you about any privately installed fixtures like your outdoor plumbing or wiring for outdoor lighting features!
So, what can you do?
- Track down the people who installed them in the first place (and hope they still have records)
- Hire an inspector to go over your property and locate underground fixtures
If your project involves excavation, it’s important that you do your due diligence, lest your project ends up on the front page of the local paper!
There’s a good reason for that: Dial Before You Dig reports only identify the locations of public utilities like sewer pipes, water mains and phone lines.
Long story short, your Dial Before You Dig report won’t tell you everything, despite what many assume - it won’t tell you about any privately installed fixtures like your outdoor plumbing or wiring for outdoor lighting features!
So, what can you do?
- Track down the people who installed them in the first place (and hope they still have records)
- Hire an inspector to go over your property and locate underground fixtures
If your project involves excavation, it’s important that you do your due diligence, lest your project ends up on the front page of the local paper!
Reducing risk: the hierarchy of controls, explained
Now that you’ve identified all the risks involved in your excavation project and received your Dial Before You Dig report.
You know the risks and hazards - now it’s time to plan around them and find ways to reduce the risk.
When it comes to risk reduction, there are a couple of main ways of going about it.
WorkSafe prescribes a series of different methods you can use to reduce your risk, arranged from most effective to least.
You know the risks and hazards - now it’s time to plan around them and find ways to reduce the risk.
When it comes to risk reduction, there are a couple of main ways of going about it.
WorkSafe prescribes a series of different methods you can use to reduce your risk, arranged from most effective to least.
Elimination
The name says it all: eliminate risks and hazards altogether.
Namely, by reducing the amount of excavation work needed, or better yet, cutting it out of your plan altogether
Of course, if you’re reading this, excavation is probably a key part of your plan so you won’t be able to use this risk reduction strategy.
Otherwise, it may be worth looking at your plans and thinking about ways you can cut excavation and trenching out altogether.
Namely, by reducing the amount of excavation work needed, or better yet, cutting it out of your plan altogether
Of course, if you’re reading this, excavation is probably a key part of your plan so you won’t be able to use this risk reduction strategy.
Otherwise, it may be worth looking at your plans and thinking about ways you can cut excavation and trenching out altogether.
Substitution
Certain types of machinery or techniques may cause unnecessarily high risk - if possible, these need to be substituted out for safer, less risky methods.
For example, that might include replacing an excavator with a vacuum excavator.
If this makes your head spin, don’t worry - after all, you aren’t an engineer. You aren’t intimately familiar with the risks of each different type of excavation work, so it’s a little unfair to expect you to know what to do at this stage!
That’s why it’s so important that you have a qualified engineer attached to your project.
In addition to helping you plan your excavation, they can also find ways to make it safer by substituting dangerous techniques with safer ones depending on your project.
For example, that might include replacing an excavator with a vacuum excavator.
If this makes your head spin, don’t worry - after all, you aren’t an engineer. You aren’t intimately familiar with the risks of each different type of excavation work, so it’s a little unfair to expect you to know what to do at this stage!
That’s why it’s so important that you have a qualified engineer attached to your project.
In addition to helping you plan your excavation, they can also find ways to make it safer by substituting dangerous techniques with safer ones depending on your project.
Isolation
Unlike substitution, this particular risk reduction method doesn’t require an engineer’s degree to understand!
Isolation is all about keeping the risks away from people, thereby reducing the risk of an accident.
That can mean things like installing concrete barriers and 1.8 metre temporary fences to isolate heavy machinery and equipment and keep people out.
It isn’t just pedestrians you’ll want to isolate - you’ll need to think about your excavation workers too.
Some of the utilities identified in your DBYD report such as underground electrical wiring are dangerous, after all.
Luckily, once you know where these utilities are located, you can isolate and leave them for specialists to take care of, reducing the risk to the rest of your team.
Isolation is all about keeping the risks away from people, thereby reducing the risk of an accident.
That can mean things like installing concrete barriers and 1.8 metre temporary fences to isolate heavy machinery and equipment and keep people out.
It isn’t just pedestrians you’ll want to isolate - you’ll need to think about your excavation workers too.
Some of the utilities identified in your DBYD report such as underground electrical wiring are dangerous, after all.
Luckily, once you know where these utilities are located, you can isolate and leave them for specialists to take care of, reducing the risk to the rest of your team.
Engineering
When conducting excavation work, there’s always the risk of ground collapse. You can prevent this from affecting the surroundings and the rest of the site with engineering controls such as:
- Benching
- Shoring
- Battering
For a better example, look no further than our example from above.
Why did the excavation cause a collapse? Simpe: they cut corners, and didn’t drill supports into the ground, instal anchors or use concrete to reinforce the ground as digging continued.
When planning for excavation work, your engineer will devise and implement engineering controls to beef up the area around your excavation and reduce the chance of a cave-in or collapse.
- Benching
- Shoring
- Battering
For a better example, look no further than our example from above.
Why did the excavation cause a collapse? Simpe: they cut corners, and didn’t drill supports into the ground, instal anchors or use concrete to reinforce the ground as digging continued.
When planning for excavation work, your engineer will devise and implement engineering controls to beef up the area around your excavation and reduce the chance of a cave-in or collapse.
Administrative controls and PPE
Administrative controls and PPE rely on human behaviour and supervision. When used on their own, they tend to be the least effective method at minimising risks.
They are the lowest level of control in the hierarchy - however, that doesn’t make them any less important!
Hard hats, hi vis vests, warning signs… they’re also an important part of the risk minimisation calculation, as well as legal requirements in their own right.
They are the lowest level of control in the hierarchy - however, that doesn’t make them any less important!
Hard hats, hi vis vests, warning signs… they’re also an important part of the risk minimisation calculation, as well as legal requirements in their own right.
Get the information you need
including DBYD Vic reports - with PSI Global
including DBYD Vic reports - with PSI Global
There are many ways to reduce the risk that comes with excavation work - however, in order to use these methods, you need to know what you’re dealing with. You need the right property information.
And that’s what PSI specialises in.
Our automated system makes getting property information - such as your Dial Before You Dig report - easy.
Instead of having to reach out to each provider individually, all you’ll have to do is fill out a single form and select all the reports and information required.
We’ll use our connections to providers to dispatch all of these requests at the same time, with our automated system vetting everything you receive and alerting you when they’re ready.
Whether you’re in charge of your first project or are a seasoned construction vet, you can start your search online now.
Got questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch: call (03) 8527 6300 or contact us here.
And that’s what PSI specialises in.
Our automated system makes getting property information - such as your Dial Before You Dig report - easy.
Instead of having to reach out to each provider individually, all you’ll have to do is fill out a single form and select all the reports and information required.
We’ll use our connections to providers to dispatch all of these requests at the same time, with our automated system vetting everything you receive and alerting you when they’re ready.
Whether you’re in charge of your first project or are a seasoned construction vet, you can start your search online now.
Got questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch: call (03) 8527 6300 or contact us here.
The information in this article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. As with all things property, we strongly recommend consulting a professional to ensure that all stages of your building project (including the Title search) go smoothly.