It’s come to our attention lately that not many people are aware of the Excavation Safety Good Practice Guidelines that were put out by WorkSafe (replaces the Code of Practice) or the rules around Notifiable Works. So here is some info…please read as you may think it doesn’t apply to you, but you might be surprised!
Excavation Safety Good Practice Guidelines – for working an excavator, contracting excavator work or working around or in excavations…
We suggest that you have a read over these Guidelines (found here): http://construction.worksafe.govt.nz/guides/excavation-safety/ – as it tells you in black and white exactly what your responsibilities are around the risks known in Excavation work.
Notifiable Works – for hazardous work…
Employers and the person in control of the workplace must notify WorkSafe at least 24 hours’ before doing any hazardous work (as defined below). These notices help WorkSafe plan workplace visits to promote health and safety for everyone in or near a workplace.
Notify WorkSafe by either:
- filing a Notification of Particular Hazardous Work online
- downloading the notification form and posting or faxing it to WorkSafe.
Work that needs to be notified to WorkSafe:
- Construction work with a risk of falling 5 metres or more (see exclusions below)
- Exclusions:
- work in connection with a residential building up to and including 2 full storeys
- work on overhead telecommunications lines and overhead electric power lines
- work carried out from ladder only
- Erecting or dismantling scaffolding with a risk of falling 5 metres or more
- Logging or tree felling undertaken for commercial purposes
- Use of a lifting appliance where the appliance has to lift a mass of 500 kilogrammes or more a vertical distance of 5 metres or more (see exclusions below)
- Exclusions:
- work using an excavator
- work using a forklift, or
- work using a self-propelled mobile crane
- Work in any drive, excavation, or heading in which any person is required to work with a ground cover overhead
- Work in any excavation in which any face has a vertical height of more than 5 metres and an average slope steeper than a ratio of 1 horizontal to 2 vertical
- Work in any pit, shaft, trench, or other excavation in which any person is required to work in a space more than 1.5 metres deep and having a depth greater than the horizontal width at the top
- Work involving the use of explosives, or storage of explosives for use at the worksite
- Work in which a person breathes compressed air, or a respiratory medium other than air (diving)
- Work in which a person breathes compressed air, or a respiratory medium other than air (not diving)
We will also be sending out guidance around the use of Forklifts – so make sure you have a read when that comes through.
If there are any other areas you would like information on, please let me know.
