Pre-Trenching Checklist V1

• Client / Site

• Conducted on

  Date

• Prepared by

• Location

  Select

SERVICES, PIPELINES & DRAINAGE

• Has the trench Location, Line & Depth been set out to Plans

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• For Drainage are Inverts and Falls confirmed

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have Plans / Council drawings been assessed to locate any services and drainage within the work area

  Yes

  No

• STOP. Do not proceed until Service Plans have been assessed

• Has a visual assessment of the work area been made to check for presence of undocumented services or pipelines / material

  Yes

  No

• STOP. Do not proceed until a visual assessment is made

• Have other services and drainage been located prior to beginning trenching operations? (Manual Digging)

  Yes

  No

• STOP. Do not proceed until the location is identified or conduct & a scan to locate all services.

• Are adjacent structures affected by the works and do they require stabilisation or protection to prevent collapse?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Show Notes

• STOP trenching operation immediately. Inform the Client / Project manager, make the area safe and await further instruction.

• Are other Features or protected trees and habitats identified?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Show Notes

• STOP trenching operation immediately. Inform Client or Project manager, make the area safe and await further instruction

EMPLOYEE PROTECTION

• Are Barriers or fencing in place for the works

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all spoils and equipment to be kept at least 1m from the edge of the trench? (applicable for trenches deeper than 1 meter)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• STOP trenching operation and inform Supervisor. Do not continue until materials or equipment are moved back from trench.

• Is the trench more than 900mm deep?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• A means of safe egress must be provided. What type(s) of egress are available?

  Select Ladder Ramp

  • Ladder
  • Ramp

• Is the trench 1000mm deep or more NOTE: For trenches deeper than 1000mm, protective system use must be assessed and agreed. For deep trenching or poor soils Temporary Works must be designed by a registered professional engineer.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• What type of protective system is being used? NOTE: if no protective system is being used, STOP operation immediately, inform Supervisor and Site Manager.

  Select Trench Box Shore Sheet Pile Rock (N/A) Slope Stepped Back Excavations (Min 1 m : 1 m) Trench Monitoring (<1 m deep only)

  • Trench Box
  • Shore
  • Sheet Pile
  • Rock (N/A)
  • Slope
  • Stepped Back Excavations (Min 1 m : 1 m)
  • Trench Monitoring (<1 m deep only)

• Are employees protected from cave-in hazards when entering or exiting the trench box

  Yes

  No

• STOP trenching operation. Inform Site Management and establish proper means of egress from trench box.

• Provide information on System employed

• Is the trench exposed to vehicular traffic or mobile equipment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Does the operator have a clear and direct view of the edge, ?

  Yes

  No

• Define

  Select Barricades Hand/Arm Signals Stop Logs

  • Barricades
  • Hand/Arm Signals
  • Stop Logs

• Is the trench free of operations which would make it a permit required confined space such as hazardous equipment, toxic chemicals in the work processes, exposure to nearby roads?

  Yes

  No

• STOP trenching operation. Inform Supervisor and Safety Manager.

GENERAL

• Is there a competent person present to oversee trenching operations?

  Yes

  No

• Name of competent person?

• STOP. Work is not allowed without a competent person present.

• Are trench inspections documented?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Provide excavation checklist to foreman.

• How many times per day?

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5+

• Is this excavation safe to proceed

  Safe

  At Risk

  N/A

• Signed:

  Sign