Underground Conduit and Cable Trenching SWMS

For electrical, communications and civil contractors who trench to lay underground conduit and cable. It follows the work in order, from finding and proving existing services through cutting, digging and supporting the trench, laying conduit, pulling cable, backfilling and reinstatement. General trenching and digging near services have their own templates.

Tick the trench item (WHS Regulation s 291(g)(i)) on the form as well when a trench is deeper than 1.5 metres, and the contaminated atmosphere item (s 291(l)) when cutting or breaking pavement creates silica dust, as the approved silica code advises.

Learn More: What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?
Have you ever been asked to provide a SWMS on a project in Queensland? Read our guide to what a Safe Work Method Statement is and when you need one.

What Is Covered In Our Underground Conduit and Cable Trenching SWMS?

The job steps run in the order the work is done, from pre-start checks to finishing up. The hazards and controls include:

• Striking live underground cables and pipes
• Locators that miss or misread a service
• Trench collapse, including shallow trenches
• Falling into open trenches
• Crushing from cable drums
• Cable recoil and pulling rope failure
• Silica dust from cutting pavement
• Fumes from conduit primer and solvent cement
• Machine and truck movements near workers
• Backfill and compaction damaging the cable
• Open trenches left overnight

High Risk Construction Work

These high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are already ticked because they are part of this work. Tick any others that apply to your job:

• Is carried out on or near energised electrical installations or services
• Is carried out in an area at a workplace in which there is any movement of powered mobile plant

Licences, Training and Competency

• General construction induction training card (white card) for construction work, and site induction
• Electrical work licence that authorises the work, for pulling in, connecting, terminating and testing electrical cable; building or repairing conduit is not electrical work only if the channels are not intended to be earthed, any wiring in them is not energised and the work is done under the supervision of a person licensed for electrical installation work (Electrical Safety Act s 18(2)(e)); electrical work to install or repair telecommunications cabling does not need an electrical work licence (s 55(3)(a))
• Trained operator of the cable and pipe locator or ground penetrating radar, competent in using it and reading the results
• Excavator, trencher and compaction plant operators competent on the machine (no high risk work licence class applies to operating an excavator or trencher)
• High risk work licence for the class of any forklift truck or vehicle loading crane used to move cable drums, and dogging or rigging licence for anyone who slings a drum
• Spotter briefed on signals, digging limits, proved service positions and the emergency plan
• Competent person, such as an engineer, to select or approve trench support where the ground is poor
• Asbestos awareness, so workers recognise suspect pipe, pit linings and fibre cement, stop and report it
• Trained traffic controllers where traffic control is needed on or beside a road
• CPR and first aid training for the crew

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 304 to 306 (excavation work, underground essential services information and trenches)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): chapter 8A (crystalline silica) ss 529A to 529CD
• Excavation Work Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing respirable crystalline silica dust exposure in construction and manufacturing of construction elements Code of Practice 2022
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021 (deep cable pits and manholes)
• Traffic Management for Construction or Maintenance Work Code of Practice 2008 (work on or beside a road)
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld): ss 18 and 55 (electrical work and licences)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): ss 14 and 15 (underground electric lines) and s 292 (serious electrical incidents and dangerous electrical events)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2020 – Working near overhead and underground electric lines
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2021 – Managing electrical risks in the workplace

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (17 pages), laid out on A4 landscape pages
• Business, client, job and document details typed once and filled in on every page, plus a space for your logo
• The high risk construction work checklist, worded as WHS Regulation s 291, and the construction project question (s 292)
• A worker and health and safety representative consultation record
• Qualifications, plant, PPE, hazardous chemicals, safety equipment, permits, references and emergency arrangements filled in for this work
• A 5 x 5 risk matrix, and job steps with initial and residual risk scores and the people responsible
• Implementing, monitoring and review requirements, an additional controls log, revision history and a worker sign-on sheet

Review and adjust it for your site, your plant and the way your crew does the job, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. If you have any trouble downloading this SWMS, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.