Underground services
Work health and safety procedure
1. Overview
1.1. At a glance
This procedure outlines how Sydney Water will commission, plan, manage
What and carry out excavation work safely in the vicinity of underground services.
In this content ‘excavation’ means any work that involves penetrating the
ground at or below surface level.
This procedure must be read and implemented in conjunction with Work
Health and Safety (WHS) procedures WHSMS0031 Safe work near
overhead power lines and WHSMS0059 Excavation and trenching
procedure.
1.2. Scope
This procedure is applicable to Sydney Water managers, workers and
Who contractors to manage the risks involved with underground services,
situations including:
• road work
• excavation, drilling and piling
• demolition and site remediation
• site investigation surveys
• any other work that involves penetrating the ground at or below the
surface level.
1.3. Objective
To reduce the risk to personnel who carry out this work in situations listed in
Why section 1.2, and in doing so, minimise the occurrence of damage to
underground services.
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Sydney Water – WHS Underground services procedure
2. Procedure in detail
Always assume underground services are present unless you have been shown otherwise.
The following three steps are essential when working near underground services.
• Planning the work
• Detect, identify and locate underground services
• Risk control measures
Figure 1 Safe system of work for working in the vicinity of underground services.
Obtain available
plans & drawings Survey the area/
Services located and
arrange a locator to
identified ?
Carry out a HIDRA attend site
to assess the job
No
Obtain more
information i.e Trial Yes
holes
Contact manager or Services located Proceed with safe
No
supervisor identified ? excavation methods
Yes
Raise a corrective
Evidence of any
action for plan to be Yes No
other services?
updated
Figure 1. Safe system of work for working in the vicinity of underground services.
3. Planning the work
Hazard Identification and risk assessment
Before undertaking any work, a hazard identification and risk assessment (HIDRA) must be
conducted in accordance with WHSMS0053 Risk and change management procedure to
identify the presence (or absence) of any underground services in planned work areas and
assess the risks associated with working on or near them.
As a minimum, the following must be considered:
• Perform a physical survey / inspection around the site for clues that hidden assets are
present e.g. conduits, pits, manholes, light poles etc.
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• Can the work be planned to avoid underground services where possible?
• Minimising damage to surface infrastructure and disruption of services to residents,
pedestrians and traffic.
• The location and identification of services such as electricity cables, gas pipes,
telecommunications cables, water pipes and sewers could create a risk (to the workers or
the service).
• Visual
• Can services be isolated or moved temporary where possible? Consult with the asset
owner for special requirements or methods to be adopted to protect existing assets.
• Risks from other sources e.g. collapse of excavations05-November-2015
• Traffic management around the work area
• Welfare facilities e.g. first aid, toilets, washing facilities
• Safe excavation or digging methods.
3.1. Obtaining information
With some services installed over 60 years ago, changes to the surface of the land, new and
modified underground services have not always been accurately captured in drawings.
Underground services rarely run in a straight line.
For this reason, the following points must be applied when obtaining information:
3.1.1 When planning a job a complete record search must be undertaken, including Sydney
Waters own archive records. An enquiry must be lodged with ‘Dial before You Dig’ (DBYD)
www.dialbeforeyoudig.com.au or phoning 1100. Services drawings must be obtained from
DBYD within 30 days of the work commencing and renewed every 30 days.
Records or plans provided must be up-to-date, readable and clearly show location, clearance
distances, configurations, contact details, recorded line and depth (where known) of all
known services buried in the proposed work area, or other suitable information which
achieves the same aim. A symbol key is important to help the recipient understand the plans.
Once plans are obtained, they should be clear and remain in the work area to be accessible
to all.
3.1.2 Other services may need to be contacted where high pressure gas and high voltage
cables have been identified.
3.1.3 Any inaccuracies in records should be notified to management for a corrective action.
3.2. Use and limitation of plans
Plans alone are not sufficient to identify and locate services before starting work. They
provide basic information before a thorough site survey before work begins.
All workers involved must be trained to adequately read and interpret plans. Ideally, plans
should be in colour to assist their interpretation and understanding.
Plans may not always be drawn accurately to scale and, even if they claim to be, should not
be relied on to obtain distances or depths. It is very important to take this into account when
identifying a suitable detecting device and safe excavation or digging methods.
Plans do not normally show the position of gas service connections and their existence
should be assumed.
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4. Detect, identify and locate underground services
4.1. Detect, identify and locate
The position of any services in or near the proposed work area should be pinpointed as
accurately as possible by the service locator in conjunction with up-to-date plans and other
information and identification techniques.
The level of survey required will depend on the risk assessment of the likelihood of
underground services.
Service locators are arranged to detect, identify and locate the underground services and
confirm their status e.g. whether electricity cables are live, gas pipes are pressurised etc.
Service locators and those involved in detecting and identifying underground services must
be competent in the proper use of survey tools and detecting devices as well as
reading/interpreting plans.
Anyone who uses a detecting device must be competent in its use and limitations. Detection
devices must always be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, checked
and calibrated regularly, and maintained in good working order.
Note: detecting services do have limitations as they are not able to pick up all underground
services particularly chemical dosing pipework.
4.2. Identifying and locating services
In order to confirm the location of, and expose underground services, the following
techniques are used:
• trial potholing
• air and water lancing (e.g. using a sucker truck or vacuum excavation equipment)
• Digging with non-conductive hand tools when excavating in the vicinity of live
underground services. A Spotter / observer should be used to ensure this zone is
maintained when using machinery to excavate.
Conduct scanning for underground services via technological means e.g. ground
penetrating-Radar, cable avoidance tools and electronic service detection etc.
Once underground service/s are identified, locations and direction of the services are then
marked up.
5. Risk control measures
Minimum risk control measures include the following:
• Service providers must be consulted with (where necessary) on precautions to be
undertaken to avoid damage and disruption of services, particularly when it may impact
nearby emergency services, healthcare facilities, businesses, etc.
• All workers involved must review all drawings (where applicable) and documentation for
the work to determine and understand what underground services exist at the worksite.
• All persons involved must receive communication on the identified underground services.
• The responsible person of the site must mark the location of all known services at the
worksite, using the information obtained in the planning phase.
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• Review Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) and work practices, including incident
preparedness.
• All ‘de-commissioned’ services in the work areas must be treated as ‘live’ / in-service until
proven otherwise.
5.1. Excavation of services
Services must be protected prior to commencing any excavation work. All precautions must
be taken to avoid risk of injury from cables or damage to cables.
Where areas cannot be confirmed as free from underground services, or their exact location
cannot be determined, always assume that the risk exists and use suitable means to identify
their presence (or absence) and location. Suitable means may include some or all of the
following:
• electronic service locators
• further trial holes or probing with insulated tools
• digging very carefully by hand (using insulated tools)
• engaging a qualified person to investigate and report.
5.2. Minimum exclusion zones
Minimum NO-GO exclusion zones for mechanical excavation are:
• Low & Medium Pressure (Gas, Water, Sewer), Low Voltage (<1000 Volts) – 300mm
• High Pressure Gas, Water or other services, High Voltage (>1000 Volts) – 1000mm
(Asset Owners must also be contacted for specific instruction on these clearances)
The use of safety observers should be considered as a risk control when conducting
excavating.
6. High risk reactive work
Sydney Water reactive work requires planning and assessment of the risks prior to and
during the commencement of works. Reactive work that needs to be done immediately does
not mean short cuts are to be taken to restore services to the customer.
Attempts must be made to obtain information about underground services in the area where
possible.
Where it is not possible for those undertaking the work to obtain information, the work must
be carried out as though there are underground services in the area. Indicators of
underground services that must be taken into account include;
• posts supporting electrically powered services/equipment
• alignment markers
• valve pits
• pit covers
• tracer-devices, including buried marker-tapes or cable protectors
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7. Incident preparedness
In case of unplanned contact with underground services, incident and rescue arrangements
must be developed and practiced to manage incidents identified in the job specific risk
assessment.
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9. Definitions
Term Definition
Emergency reactive work Work that needs to be done practically straight away for example
dangerous to public and pedestrians, flooding property causing
damage, traffic hazard etc.
Planned works Work depending on priority to attend example P6-1 hour P5- 3
hours P4 –same day P3 24 hours work could be become a
hazard if left to long, jobs are scoped to priority.
Responsible person A person who has overall responsibility and control of the site,
including the safe execution of the task at the time. This may be the
project manager and or/the site supervisor
Worker Anyone who performs work in any capacity for an employer,
business or organisation is considered a worker. However the term
can also include workers such as volunteers or work experience
students.
SWMS A Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is a document that lists
the types of high risk work being done and states the health and
safety hazards and risks arising from that work. It describes a step
by step process how the risks will be controlled and how the risk
control measures will be put in place.
10. Context
10.1. Accountabilities
Position Accountabilities
Responsible person Verify validity of the SWMS (or equivalent site risk assessment) and
monitor site conditions to ensure any changes are assessed and
documented.
Ensure all workers involved in the working near underground
services have received appropriate training.
Ensure that owners of plant on hire/contractors to Sydney Water
have provided training for their plant operators.
Ensure training records are available and verified.
Confirm with the energy supplier representative that site isolation has
been conducted, if required.
Ensure location equipment to be used for the job, either Sydney
Water owned or hired by Sydney Water, has been calibrated and
inspected for defects prior to operation.
Person in charge of the Be aware of the ‘site specific’ hazards and the content of the
work area / Worker SWMS (or equivalent site risk assessment).
Be familiar with the requirements established in this procedure.
Inspect equipment prior to use to ensure it is in good working
order.
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Position Accountabilities
Ensure appropriate marking spray /safety warning notices are
accessible on site.
10.2. Training and competencies
Position Training or competency
Managers and supervisors General and site health and safety induction training
and/or workers undertaking Specific work activity induction training
work considered at risk of
Plan/map reading
injury and/or who make
decisions and have Trained / instructed in the use of relevant asset detection
responsibility for implementing equipment where used
safe operating procedures. Be trained in working near live assets to a level accepted by the
asset owner (including safety observers and plant operators)
10.3. References
Document type Title
Legislation NSW WHS Regulation 2011 – sec 34, 35, 166, 291, 299, 304, 305
Safe Work Australia Code of Practice: Working in vicinity of
overhead or underground electric lines
WorkCover NSW Guide: Work near underground assets 2007
Policies and procedures WHMS0044 Underground and overhead services fatal risk
standard
WHSMS0053 Risk management procedure
WHSMS0059 Excavation and trenching
Other documents Australia Standard 1318-1985 colours of underground services
11. Document control
11.1. Document details
Record Detail
Procedure title WHS Underground services procedure
11.2. Ownership and approval
Role Name Position title Date
Author Eileen Conroy WHS Project and 18-February-2016
Implementation Advisor
Owner Nigel Davidson WHS Risk and Solutions Mgr. 18-February-2016
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Role Name Position title Date
Endorser Kurt Clark Safety and Wellness Mgr. 18-February-2016
Approver Angela General Manager, PLC 18-February-2016
Tsoukatos
11.3. Consultation
Stakeholder Position title Date
Cherry Georgiou Civil Projects Manager 05-November-2015
Gregory Hawkins Field Supervisor 05-November-2015
Paul Williams Production Officer Level C 05-November-2015
Mark Cooper Work Health and Safety Operations 24-November-2015
Coordinator
11.4. Review
Stage Date
This review 30-November-2015
Next review 30-November-2015
11.5. Change history
Version Key changes
1 New document
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