What is excavation work?
Moving or removing earth or other materials with tools or equipment is generally classed as excavation work. Excavations are used in a number of different situations, such as during the construction of buildings, building retaining walls, and installing underground utilities. It is important that when carrying out excavations that underground utilities are always identified first.
Some common types of excavations used in residential construction are cut and fill excavating, pile holes, potholing, and trench excavation:
Cut & Fill
Cut and fill excavation, also known as stripping excavation is the method used to clear and prepare large areas. This method involves removing all of the material such as rock, sand, and topsoil that would be unstable to work on.
Pile Holes
Pile holes are usually excavated using methods including backhoe digger, drilling or hydro excavation. Pile holes should be covered and barricaded as soon as possible and only those involved in the works allowed nearby. Water buildup should be monitored and pumped out.
Potholing
Potholing is simply a small excavation or hole to inspect and find underground services. It’s important that potholes are covered or barricaded when they are not being used to prevent anyone from being hurt.
Trenching
Trenching is an excavation method used to prepare or replace underground utilities, build retaining walls, or investigate what is beneath the surface.
Trenches are long narrow excavations, and are deeper than they are wide. Conducting trench excavation is subject to many different factors including its size, the likelihood of underground utilities, and materials. This means that the most effective method of excavation changes from project to project, and should always be treated with caution.
Due to the scale of some of these operations, it is common that they usually require large excavation vehicles and good controls around traffic management should be in place.
Managing the risk
No matter how deep the excavation is, if there is a risk of collapse, you need to carry out a Risk Assessment and put controls in place to prevent this, you can find our Task Analysis on excavation work in your Hub. Excavations work is classed as high risk, so it is important that if you are completing excavations, that you are familiar with the guidance in the WorkSafe Good Practice Guidelines for Excavations Safety.
Covering or bridging.
When covering holes or bridging shallow trenches on building sites, ensure that the material used to cover or bridge is made from a suitable material. Heavy-duty plywood designed for weight-bearing, steel plates, or other products specifically designed for that purpose.
For holes, ensure they are fully covered and the covering cannot easily move. Avoid slip and trip hazards by ensuring walkways around these hazards are managed.
Water hazards after rain can create a drowning risk, especially for children. It can also increase the risk of sidewall collapse.
Types of barriers
A secure site is very important with any open excavation. You need to consider how long the excavations will stay exposed, and if an excavation is to be left unattended overnight, then consider plating, fully enclosing with a safety fence, or backfilling to minimise the risks. Barricades, cones, plastic mesh netting not supported by a solid frame, and hurdles are not sufficient to adequately protect from excavation risks. We recommend safety fences for internal fencing for long-term or unattended worksites where excavation hazards are present
Understand your competency level
Excavations up to 1.5m deep, you should have recent experience in carrying out or supervising excavation work.
1.5m – 3m deep you should have recent experience in carrying out or supervising excavation work at these depths, technical or trade qualification (eg a civil engineer or drain layer)
3-6m Technical or trade qualification (eg a civil engineer or drain layer). Experienced temporary works designer able to judge whether it is safe.
Make sure you are aware of your requirements for managing the risks of excavation.
The HazardCo App site review resource has a list of risk controls that should be in place to minimise the risk associated with excavation work.
If you need a hand getting started or would like more information, get in touch with the friendly HazardCo team today – we’re always happy to help.
Homes built or renovated between 1950 and 2000 are likely to contain some asbestos. Therefore, every tradesperson is likely to come into contact with asbestos at work sooner or later. That’s why it’s important for you to understand how to manage the risk from working with or near asbestos, and how to protect yourself and others from exposure to airborne asbestos fibers.
Areas that we recommend getting tested are cladding, roofing, vinyl, fibre cement sheeting, internal ceilings, and plumbing lagging.
There are 3 main types of testing or surveying; Management, Refurbishment, and Demolition, and each of these is designed for a specific purpose.
It is important that when you are conducting work that requires planning permission, it is likely that you will require a demolition or refurbishment survey to search for asbestos present. As the contractor, you have a legal requirement to ensure asbestos is identified and removed before any work begins that may disturb the asbestos in your client’s home.
You can refer to the Healthy Homes NZ website for more details on asbestos testing here
What to do if you or your workers uncover or damage materials that may contain asbestos:
You can view the WorkSafe website to find out how to apply the 10 m2 rule to an object that is not flat, such as asbestos piping and other frequently asked questions relating to Asbestos Licensing here.
Our advisory experts are here to support you, so if you have any asbestos-related questions while you are conducting your renovations – get in touch or give us a call on 0800 555 339.
When you are renovating, you will most likely be working with others, such as the client or other contractors on-site. This means that you will need to think about how you will manage health and safety on-site and how you will communicate this with other people involved with the project. This will ensure that everyone is on top of the site hazards and practicing good health and safety during your renovation.
Here are a few things you will need to think about for your upcoming renovations:
Inductions are a way of ensuring workers and clients are aware of the risks and hazards that are involved in the job at hand, conducted at the start of each new job.
It is important that you induct your clients prior to starting the job, advising them about the health and safety guidelines that need to be followed for your work area, even when it’s their home.
If your work site is occupied by a client, or the client is likely to visit, then we recommend that you carry out the following:
Firstly, check the following three COVID-19 related questions with your client:
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then the work should not commence.
Next, meet the client at the worksite (if possible) and explain the following:
Some good rules to use are:
These steps will help to identify the risks that you will be bringing into your clients home, because when health and safety is top of mind – your site is a safer place for everyone involved.
If you are working alone we suggest that you set up a procedure to regularly contact someone throughout the day to check-in that you are safe.
If you have any questions get in touch with the HazardCo Team today!
HazardCo understands just how busy a construction site can get. In addition to your team coming and going from site, you need to keep on top of subbies, site deliveries, engineers, architects, assessors, the client… it can be a full time job to keep tabs on everyone. So the team at HazardCo has put together a few tips to help you stay one step ahead when it comes to visitors on-site.
As the main builder on-site, you have an obligation to make sure the health and safety of visitors is not at risk when they’re on your construction site. We recommend that you fence the site with limited entry/exit points and keep these shut. This helps to manage people coming and going. Having a clear site entry also makes it easy to work out where your Hazard Board – make sure they’re hard to miss for anyone entering your site.
It’s important to note, that while you need to manage on-site visitors, they are equally responsible for their own health and safety. What’s more, they have an obligation to ensure their actions don’t have an adverse impact on the health and safety of anyone else on-site. Once visitors understand this, it’s often easier to get their participation.
Ask your visitors to follow the site managers requests while on-site, which are likely to include:
Running a HazardCo site makes things easier for yourself and your visitors since you can get everyone using the free HazardCo App for their site inductions, and to scan in and out of site every time. Just remember, when you communicate everyone’s obligations it can help to share the responsibility. When everyone’s looking out for each other it’s easier to keep everyone on-site safe.
HazardCo was created by tradies, for tradies. After experiencing first hand what happened when on-site risks weren’t well managed, a couple of tradies decided it was time for a change and formed HazardCo. It’s designed to help tradies keep their health and safety sorted – making it simple and easy to manage but without cutting corners.
HazardCo’s smart online tools use everyday technology to help you cut back on paperwork, and saves you time by using straight forward templates and reports, which are full of tips and suggestions to give you the confidence you have it all covered.
You can use the HazardCo App on your smartphone to create a Risk Assessment, Site Review, Toolbox Meeting, Vehicle Checklist, or Accident Report. The App has easy to use tools that guide you through each of these activities, making them quick to complete anywhere, and at any time… all from the palm of your hand. HazardCo members enjoy the convenience of being able to stay on top of health and safety from anywhere on-site, or from the cafe over morning tea, or even on the couch at home after dinner.
What’s more, everyone on-site downloads the App for free; that’s your direct team, subbies, and any site visitors. At the site scan-in board, they use the App to scan the QR code on their way in and out of site every day, giving the main builder a record of who’s been on-site and when, without having to be there themself. Even better, the first time anyone scans into the site, they complete their site induction right there on their own smartphone – with no need for meetings or paperwork.
Complementing the App is the HazardCo Hub – the online tool where you set up new projects. Being online, you can login anywhere, anytime, and also use the Hub to view and download any completed health and safety activity reports, including site inductions, and to track who’s been on-site and when.
Good health and safety is about more than just compliance; staying on top of your health and safety makes your site safer – simple as that. HazardCo’s smart tools save you time and paperwork, giving you the confidence you’re doing all you can to help keep your crew safe.
If you have any questions reach out to the HazardCo team today!
There have been recent changes to the hazardous substances regulations that come into effect April 30th 2021 that you need to be aware of. You will have a 4 year transition period, but we recommend you start making the changes to labelling, SDS, and packaging as soon as possible.
You can find out more about the changes below so you can make sure you are up to date with the latest info.
There have been changes to the Hazard Classifications, and you will no longer use the following classes for your hazardous substances:
The new Hazard Classes for hazardous substances will be classed as a physical hazard, a health hazard, or an environmental hazard, detailed below:
You will need to ensure that your SDS, packaging, and labelling of substances have been updated to reflect the new classes or you are in the process of updating. This can be done by reaching out to the supplier or manufacturer of substances.
If you have any questions about these changes, you can give our Advisory Team a call on 0800 555 339.
While working on-site, you may need to organise a builders temporary. Electricity can be supplied to a small construction site through a temporary connection.
A builder’s temporary provides builders and other tradespeople an electricity supply on-site where there is no existing connection to an electricity network. Only a licensed electrical worker can install, connect, modify or move a builder’s temporary.
What certifications and inspections are required?
Before you can use a builder’s temporary, an electrician must give you
These documents guarantee that the builder’s temporary meets New Zealand’s electrical safety standards. The builder’s temporary must be assessed by a qualified electrical worker at least every six months.
Where should a builder’s temporary be located?
A builder’s temporary should be located close to where the electrical work will be carried out. Consider where most of the electrical work on-site will be done and how connections can be made without using too many extension leads – which can be a potential electrical and trip hazard.
Working with other PCBU’s on-site
PCBU’s and contractors working on the same site must, so far as is reasonably practicable, work together to manage electrical safety risks. Have a discussion about how electricity will be supplied and used in areas where your health and safety duties may overlap. This will help to prevent any gaps in managing health and safety risks. You can read more about this in our blog ‘Overlapping Duties: Working with other businesses’
Keeping you and your team safe at work is a priority, so make sure you are aware of the employer’s requirements of temporary power supplies in the workplace.
The HazardCo App Site Review resource has a list of electrical controls that should be in place to mitigate the risk of electrical hazards.
A wise Desmond Tutu once said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.”
And Health and Safety is no different. We know that Health and Safety can feel daunting, overwhelming, and even impossible at times, but it can be accomplished by taking on just a little at a time.
You can get your on-site safety on track this year by just starting one step at a time. Health and Safety is a team sport, you can’t do it by yourself, so you need to make sure everyone is involved, and scanning on and off site is a great place to start to create behavioral habits. Encourage your subbies and everyone on-site to create a habit of scanning on and off of your site every day with the HazardCo App.
When workers are engaged in work Health and Safety, everyone benefits. Your business is a healthier and safer place for everyone, performance and productivity increases, and a more engaged workforce means better builds, a stronger and more well-regarded brand in the market, more work, higher margins, and ultimately more money! What’s not to love?
Most people know how to, and do operate safely, recording activity – that’s what you need, and once you have that sorted – the rest is a piece of cake.
If your subbies already have the HazardCo App you’re already halfway there. Now you just need to get them to use it and make it a regular and consistent part of their workday on-site.
It couldn’t be any easier. All your subbies have to do is simply open the HazardCo App on their smartphones, scan onto your site using the unique QR code located on your site’s Hazard Board and they will be able to successfully complete a contactless induction onto your site! As the Main Contractor, you will have full and real-time visibility of scanning activity stored securely in your Hub – and what’s more? you’ll be stoked that your subbies are supporting your Health and Safety efforts.
Bottom line? Safe sites are better sites. So make it a priority this year to make Health & Safety top of mind, and get your subbies using our scanning feature on the HazardCo App today.
For you, for your team, for the families waiting for you at home. Safety first, always.
If you need a hand getting started or would like more information, get in touch with the friendly HazardCo team today.
With everyone coming back to work after a few weeks away, it is the perfect time to review your health and safety on-site. Easing back into work after the Christmas and New Year break may seem difficult with a looming mountain of work ahead of you, but before you get overwhelmed with day-to-day activities, take stock and prepare yourself for the year ahead. So, here are the top suggestions from the HazardCo team to help you start the year with the right mindset.
Catching up on where things are at is a good place to start. Refresh yourself on priorities for your current projects and plan out the next few months to make sure you’re on top of key milestones. Before you crack into any work, conduct a site review – after a few weeks away, you never know what might have happened on-site, so be sure to check it thoroughly and brief the team on any new hazards or site changes.
It’s also a great time to action change, so think about how your projects have gone over the past year… is there anything you want to be doing more of or doing differently? Setting new goals can be really motivating. Some popular health and safety goals amongst our HazardCo members include:
Make sure your health and safety goals are achievable and measurable. Don’t forget to celebrate when you achieve a goal – it can help you and your team build more confidence in yourselves as you see progress, and that keeps you all motivated and inspired to continue trying to improve.
We challenge you to create new routines, such as a weekly Toolbox Meeting that you can do with everyone who is present on-site every Monday morning – as a group talk about current hazards, progress, key activities happening that week, and how you’ll all work together to manage them. The HazardCo App makes it super convenient to complete reviews and conduct meetings from anywhere on-site – so you can get your health and safety sorted from the palm of your hand, and even hold the meeting where the hazards can be seen at the same time. Simple, regular routines can be a great way to build the team and effect change.
It doesn’t take a lot of time to plan how you’d like to approach the year, yet it can have a significant impact on your achievements and your crew’s job satisfaction. Whatever your goals are, the team at HazardCo wishes you a safe and successful year, and we look forward to working with you on your health and safety goals this year.
If you have any questions get in touch with the HazardCo team today!
The year’s end has snuck up on us once again, bringing the added pressure of work deadlines, projects, social events, and family commitments. It’s time to check in our your wellbeing!
With these additional pressures occupying our headspace over the festive season, injury rates and incidents tend to increase. The team at HazardCo have a few tips on ways to manage your stress, energy levels, and overall wellbeing at this busy time.
Deadlines – short deadlines for projects and pressure to reach end-of-year-goals can add additional stress to the holidays and cause health and wellness to fall by the wayside. As always, communicate early on, and involve everyone in the project timeline and any dependencies… that way time pressures become a shared problem. And if you do have a looming deadline you don’t think you can make, now’s the time to start talking about it and looking at options with your wider team and client.
Temporary Workers – great for covering annual leave and busy periods, these staff members are often at a higher risk as they don’t have the experience or knowledge of processes specific to your workplace. If you engage temporary workers to cover annual leave or busy periods, it is important that they are inducted correctly, and receive full and correct safety instructions and supervision for any work with machinery or unfamiliar tasks they may be doing.
Social Events – whether it’s purely a social catch-up, or an end of year work party, remember to drink responsibly; monitor and manage alcohol provided to staff, and never drink and drive. This way everyone can have a safe and enjoyable time celebrating their achievements throughout the year.
So, whether you are actively working, or in the midst of the holiday season, try to stay focused on the job at hand, and pay close attention to the task you are performing.
The HazardCo team wishes you all the best for a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to catching up in 2022!
