EXCAVATION PROCEDURE
EXCAVATION PROCEDURE
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 PREFACE .................................................................................................................... 3
2 OBJECTIVE ................................................................................................................. 3
3 SCOPE ........................................................................................................................ 3
4 RELATED DOCUMENTS ............................................................................................. 3
5 PURPOSE ................................................................................................................... 3
6 PPA EXCAVATION PERMIT FORM ............................................................................ 4
6.1 THE EXCAVATION PERMIT FORM. ................................................................. 4
6.2 WHERE TO OBTAIN THE EXCAVATION PERMIT ........................................... 4
6.3 HOW TO SUBMIT THE FORM .......................................................................... 4
7 CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................... 4
7.1 COMPLIANCE TO LEGISLATION AND REGULATION ..................................... 4
8 ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENT ........................................................................... 6
9 SAFE WORK PROCEDURE AND CODE OF PRACTICE ............................................ 6
10 COMPETENT PERSON ............................................................................................... 7
11 RISK ASSESSMENT AND SAFETY WARNINGS ........................................................ 7
12 INCIDENT REPORTING .............................................................................................. 8
13 SITE INSPECTION AND AUDIT .................................................................................. 8
14 CLEAN-UP ON COMPLETION .................................................................................... 8
15 CANCELLATION OF PERMIT ..................................................................................... 8
16 UNKNOWN SERVICES ............................................................................................... 8
17 RESPONSIBILITY ........................................................................................................ 9
18 DISTRIBUTION OF APPROVED PERMIT .................................................................... 9
19 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 9
20 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................. 9
20.1 APPENDIX 1A – PORT OF PORT HEDLAND – LOT 6098 …………………..11
20.2 APPENDIX 1B – PORT OF DAMPIER – LOT 471 ........................................... 12
21 PROCESS OWNER ....................................................................................................13
EXCAVATION PROCEDURE
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1 PREFACE
The aim of this procedure is to have appropriate measures in place to minimize the risk of
harm to persons undertaking excavation work, damage to PPA underground utilities and
outages to the business, due to utility services being disturbed.
2 OBJECTIVE
Underground services have been installed, moved and removed throughout the Port since
1960. Due to various reasons PPA cannot guarantee the accuracy of utility drawings in its
possession.
The objective of this procedure is to ensure all excavation work deeper than 150mm is
notifiable to relevant PPA staff and all measures have been taken to reduce the risk of harm
or damage.
3 SCOPE
To ensure all PPA personnel and contractors understand the requirements of the Port
Authority in relation to any excavation work that has the potential to be deeper than150mm.
To provide a set of actions to approve and Permit any excavation work deeper than 150mm
regardless of method.
4 RELATED DOCUMENTS
Excavation Permit
PPA Safe Work Instruction – Excavation Work
Risk assessment/JHA
Dial before you dig application if outside Utah BHF site and PPA east site
http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/Worksafe/PDF/Codes_of_Practice/code_excavation.pdf
5 PURPOSE
This procedure aims to:
Protect employees, contractors and other port users from harm whilst undertaking
excavation works
Eliminate interruption and/or damage to services; and
Eliminate damage to equipment.
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It outlines the requirements in carrying out the excavation and related activities within the
jurisdiction of Pilbara Ports Authority. It applies to all PPA staff, contractors and nominated
lessees within the secure area of Port of Port Hedland and southern side of Gilbert Street,
Utah Point Bulk facility and the gazetted boundaries of Port of Dampier.
6 PPA EXCAVATION PERMIT FORM
The Excavation Permit Form 6.1
It is a requirement that the Form must be completed and approved by PPA prior to any
work being undertaken.
The Form must be completed for all types of excavation including digging, trenching or
boring, which extends more than150mm below ground level.
Where to obtain THE EXCAVATION Permit 6.2
The procedure and the accompanying Form can be downloaded from the PPA website
at http://www.pilbaraports.com.au.
A copy can also be obtained from the Landside Operations Superintendent East, Utah
and Dampier and, Maintenance Superintendents at East, Utah and Dampier.
How to submit the Form 6.3
The Completed Form can be submitted in three ways:
by email at [email protected]
email to respective issuing officer above
in person directly with the respective issuing Officer above
7 CONDITIONS
Compliance to Legislation and Regulation 7.1
In carrying out the works covered by this permit, the permit holder is required to comply
with the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984, Occupational Safety and Health
Regulations 1996, Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994, Mines Safety Regulations
1995 and other applicable legislation and regulations. Specifically, the following
obligations apply:
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Consider use of temporary support systems, battering, benching, other forms of retaining
structures, and de-watering systems to reduce the risk of injury (Occupational Safety and
Health Regulations 1996, regulation 3.108).
a. Ensure that, when there is a risk of injury due to an excavation:
i) Suitable barriers are erected between the person at risk and the likely cause
of danger
ii) Suitable signs that warn of the risk are erected at the place where the
excavation work is to be done
iii) Means to safely move in, around, and across the top of, the area are
provided for persons and plant (Occupational Safety and Health Regulations
1996, regulation 3.109).
b. Ensure that no loads are placed near the edge of excavations which may cause
the excavation to collapse (Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996,
regulation 3.110)
c. Unless a competent person has assessed the sides of the excavation or
earthworks to be stable, ensure that:
i) Shoring is provided to prevent material falling or dislodging and a person
working in an excavation that is at least 1.5 meter’s deep is protected
(Occupational Safety and Health Regulation 1996, regulation 3.111)
ii) Another person is in the immediate vicinity of a person working in an
excavation that is at least 1.5 meter’s deep (Occupational Safety and Health
Regulations 1996, regulation 3.112)
d. Prepare a work method statement when the excavation exceeds 1.5 meter’s in
depth. Safe work method statement is defined as a “statement prepared under
regulations 3.143 (Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996, Part 3,
Division 12, 3.137). Please refer to the specific regulations to determine details
of your obligations.
e. THE RESPECTIVE LANDSIDE SUPERINTENDENT IS TO BE NOTIFIED OF
ALL APPROVED EXCAVATION PERMITS.
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8 ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENT
If the Applicant is proposing to carry out the excavation works within PPA Lot 6098 (Port
Hedland – Refer to Map in Appendix 1A), or Lot 471 (Damper- Refer to Map in Appendix 1B)
and is seeking to specifically:
a) undertake excavation of material and move the material from its current location;
and/or
b) move an existing stockpile of material to another location within or outside these Lots,
then the site Environment team must be notified immediately and the following
conditions will apply. Note that material must not be moved from the excavation
location until all of the below conditions have been satisfied:
A soil sampling and laboratory analysis plan must be developed by the Applicant to
demonstrate the contamination status of the material. This plan shall be prepared in
accordance with the Western Australian Department of Environment Regulation
Landfill Waste Classification and Waste Definitions (as amended) and Environment
Protection (Control Waste) Regulations 2004 (where relevant). As a minimum, the
plan shall outline the total estimated volume of material, a site map showing the
location of the material, the number of samples required and where/how they will be
collected. The plan shall also state that sampling will be conducted by competent
personnel, and all samples will be independently tested at a NATA accredited
laboratory. The plan shall be submitted to the relevant PPA Environment and
Heritage team for review and written approval.
The Applicant shall send a written report to the PPA for review and approval that
summarises the outcomes of the material sampling and laboratory analysis, and the
proposed destination of the material. The report shall be accompanied by suitable
photos, and a copy of the NATA accredited laboratory results.
Once the material has been moved from its current location, PPA’s relevant site Environment
team shall be presented with electronic copies of all waste tracking and/or landfill receipts
(where relevant).
Note that these requirements exist as both the King Bay Industrial Estate (Lot 471) and Lot
6098 (PPA Site and/or leased areas) are listed under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003
9 SAFE WORK PROCEDURE AND CODE OF PRACTICE
The permit holder has to comply with PPA Safe Work Instruction – Excavation Work.
The Code of Practice is published by the Commission for Occupational Safety and Health,
Government of WA and is available on this website:
http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/Worksafe/PDF/Codes_of_Practice/code_excavation.pdf
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The Code (page iii) applies to: “all workplaces in Western Australia covered by the
Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 where excavation occurs, and to all persons with
the potential for exposure to hazards resulting from excavation in those workplaces,
including:
All areas where equipment is used to excavate; and
All areas where processes associated with excavation are undertaken”.
The Code “provides guidance to prevent occupational injury and disease in all workplaces
where excavation and associated earthworks are performed” (page iii).
PPA expects that the appropriate practices from this Code of Practice will be observed by the
permit holder.
10 COMPETENT PERSON
As the nature of excavation work varies from simple excavations to complex ones, the
approved contractor representative holder must ensure that the excavation and/or related
works are carried out or supervised by a competent person.
A competent person, as defined in section 1.3 of Occupational Safety and Health
Regulations 1996, is “one who has acquired through training, qualification, or experience, or
a combination of those things, the knowledge and skills required to do that thing
competently.”
It is expected that the knowledge and skills expected from a competent person “will increase
as the complexity of excavation increases” (page 13 of the Code of Practice).
11 RISK ASSESSMENT AND SAFETY WARNINGS
This condition reiterates the importance of Health and Safety of workers and the public in all
areas within the jurisdiction of Pilbara Ports Authority.
PPA expects that an approved Job Safety Analysis is in place prior to any excavation
works taking place.
During the duration of the approved works, the permit holder shall put in place all the
appropriate warnings to the public and signage on safe access and egress to the area to be
excavated. The signs shall be displayed to persons in or entering the area. All excavations
that are to be left open overnight must have additional warning devices such as flashing
lights in addition to existing barricading, access tape and tags and signage. The appropriate
signs shall comply with and shall be used in accordance with AS 1319-1994: Safety Signs
for the Occupational Environment.
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12 INCIDENT REPORTING
All near-misses, accidents, incidents or damage to in ground services relating to the
excavation covered by a PPA permit must be reported immediately.
In case of emergency, dial 000 or contact the Control Tower at Eastern Harbour Port
Hedland on (08) 9173 9030, or VHF CH 12 or 16 at Utah or Security Gatehouse Port
Hedland on (08) 9159 6584 or VTSC on (08) 9159 6556, or UHF CH 17 at Dampier Port.
13 SITE INSPECTION AND AUDIT
PPA has the prerogative to undertake inspection of the site with or without notice.
COMPACTION
Areas of large excavations and or excavations deeper the 500mm are to be compacted.
Compaction quantities will be determined by PPA Engineering Services on a case by case
basis.
14 CLEAN-UP ON COMPLETION
On completion, the permit holder shall return a copy of the approved permit to the PPA
Issuing Officer as acknowledgment that all works have been completed and site left in a
clean and safe condition. PPA has the option to inspect the site on completion and may
require the permit holder to clean the site if left in an unsatisfactory condition.
15 CANCELLATION OF PERMIT
PPA can cancel this permit at any time if the permit holder is found to violate the
conditions of this permit. The appropriate disciplinary actions may also be taken against the
permit holder, if required.
16 UNKNOWN SERVICES
The P i l b a r a Port Authority makes every effort to identify in-ground services to those
undertaking excavation works. However, many of the drawings of services are old and
their location may be approximates only. Additionally, older services may not be shown on
any drawings.
All excavations are to proceed with care. Where unknown services are found, work is to
cease immediately and the Pilbara Ports Authority advised to allow for further inspection.
PPA’s Electrical Supervisor or Civil Supervisor is to be notified when in ground service
locating is required on the East Harbour and the Mechanical Engineer or Electrical
Supervisor at Utah BHF and Maintenance Supervisor at Dampier.
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17 RESPONSIBILITY
The approval of excavation Permits and monitoring of compliance to this procedure
shall be the responsibility of the Issuing Officer
18 DISTRIBUTION OF APPROVED PERMIT
Original: Contractor or Permit holder
Copy: Issuing Officer
19 REFERENCES
Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984
Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996
Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994
Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995
Code of Practice – Excavation 2005 Government of Western Australia. Commission
for Occupational Safety and Health.
Dial before you dig for external works
Environment and Safety Law Online
Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2004
Please note that copies of PPA main service drawings for East are available from PPA
Maintenance East Group and for Utah PPA Mechanical Engineer or Utah Electrical
Supervisor, and Superintendent at Dampier, if you require them.
Once permit becomes effective, in case of emergency d ial 000 or contact the
Control Tower at Eastern Harbour Port Hedland on (08) 9173 9030, or VHF CH 12 or 16
at Utah or Security Gatehouse Port Hedland on (08) 9159 6584 or VTSC on (08) 9159
6556, or UHF CH 17 at Dampier Port.
20 APPENDICES
PPA Site and/or Leased areas
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Appendix 1A – Port of Port Hedland – Lot 6098 20.1
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Appendix 1B – Port of Dampier – Lot 471 20.2
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21 PROCESS OWNER
The Maintenance Manager has overall responsibility for this procedure.
To be reviewed January 2017.
Date approved: 18th
January, 2016 Review date: 18th
January, 2016
Version: 3 Approved by: General Manager Engineering & Infrastructure