Excavation, lifting operations and plant/vehicle movement
This domain tests three high-consequence activities: excavations, lifting and moving plant. The exam looks for planning, competent people and segregation of people from the hazard.
Core rules
- Excavations can collapse, flood, expose services or contain bad air. Locate underground services before digging, provide shoring or battering, keep spoil back from the edge, provide safe access and barricade the opening.
- Lifting operations need a plan, competent operator and slinger, known load weight, correct sling angle, adequate SWL and an exclusion zone. Never stand or pass under a suspended load.
- Plant and vehicles need segregated routes, pedestrian barriers, reversing alarms, mirrors and a banksman where visibility is poor. Keep people out of blind spots.
Worked example
A 1.5 m deep trench has vertical sides and no support. A worker wants to enter to connect a pipe. The correct response is to stop: support or batter the sides, check for services, provide a ladder and edge protection, and have a competent person inspect before entry. The reasoning is that soil can collapse without warning and a shallow-looking trench can still bury a worker.
Traps
Do not enter an unsupported trench to 'just check something'. Do not walk under a load. Do not rely on a vehicle's reverse alarm alone. Do not store spoil at the trench edge.