Horizontal Directional Boring (HDD) SWMS
Horizontal directional drilling for utility installation covers entry/exit pit excavation, drill rig operation, walkover locating, mud handling and spill containment, and back-reaming for trenchless cable, water, and gas installation.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is a trenchless construction method used to install conduits, water mains, gas pipes and electrical cables beneath roads, waterways and existing infrastructure without open-cut excavation. The work involves launching a steerable drill head from an entry pit, tracking it via walkover locator to an exit pit, then back-reaming and pulling product through the bore. HDD is classified as High Risk Construction Work under WHS Regulation 2025 Schedule 1 because operations routinely occur in proximity to energised electrical services, pressurised gas mains and live water reticulation, with pressurised drilling fluid (bentonite slurry) typically circulated at 700–2000 kPa. A documented Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before any HDD activity commences, must be developed in consultation with the drill crew, locator operator and pit hands, and must remain available on site for the duration of the works. This SWMS addresses pit excavation, rig setup, strike prevention, fluid management and emergency response.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Arc flash, electrocution fatality, severe burns to drill crew and locator operator, cable network outage and prosecution
Explosion, fatal asphyxiation, evacuation of surrounding precinct, third-party property damage and regulator-led prosecution
Environmental contamination, EPA notification, worker chemical exposure, traffic hazard and Section 110 stop-work notice
Electrocution of rig operator or ground crew through energised drill rods, ground gradient injury within 8-metre radius
Crush injury, asphyxiation by burial, fractured limbs to pit hands working below natural surface level
Degloving, limb amputation, fatal entanglement of loose clothing, gloves or hair in unguarded rotation zone
Dermatitis, crystalline silica inhalation from dry powder additives, eye irritation and chronic respiratory sensitisation
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where alignment permits, relocate the bore path to avoid corridors containing high-voltage cable, high-pressure gas or asbestos cement water mains identified during DBYD planning.
- 2Elimination — Prohibit any person from standing within the 8-metre electrical exclusion zone around the rig, drill string and locator during pilot bore through known services corridor.
- 3Substitution — Replace dry-mix bentonite powder with pre-hydrated liquid polymer slurry to eliminate respirable dust generation during fluid system charging and recirculation.
- 4Engineering — Use a calibrated walkover locator with depth and datalogging, verify pilot head position every 3 metres, and potholing by hydro-excavation at every service crossing prior to bore.
- 5Engineering — Fit the rig with strike alert system, insulating mats under operator station, equipotential bonding of drill frame to earth grid, and emergency rotation kill switch within operator reach.
- 6Engineering — Install trench shields or benching to AS 5047 in entry and exit pits exceeding 1.5 metres depth, with rigid access ladder extending 1 metre above pit lip.
- 7Administrative — Hold a documented pre-start briefing using this SWMS, confirm DBYD plans less than 28 days old, verify asset owner stand-over for HV and gas crossings per AS/NZS 7000.
- 8Administrative — Establish frac-out response procedure with spill kits, silt fence, vac truck on standby, downstream stormwater isolation and EPA notification trigger at 20-litre release threshold.
- 9PPE — Class 00 electrical insulating gloves rated 500V AC with leather overgloves for any rod handling, dielectric safety boots to AS/NZS 2210.3 and arc-rated long-sleeve coveralls.
- 10PPE — P2 respiratory protection during dry bentonite handling, chemical splash goggles, hi-vis Class D/N garments to AS/NZS 4602.1 and hearing protection to SLC80 Class 4 within 7 metres of rig.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates ground support, service location and pit access controls for entry/exit pits, and applies to all HDD launch and receive excavations regardless of depth.
Sets minimum clearance, asset owner consultation and verification requirements when boring within declared electrical and gas easements or assigned no-go zones.
Applies to entry pits where natural ventilation is restricted or where drilling fluid vapours, sewer gas or natural gas ingress may create an oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
Requires a SWMS prepared, consulted and retained for HDD activity involving energised services and pressurised fluid before work commences and for two years after notifiable incident.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Pilot bores and back-reams routinely traverse corridors containing energised LV and HV cables, with drill string acting as a potential conductor to ground crew.
Bore alignments cross live gas reticulation, and drill fluid circulates at pressures capable of breaching adjacent mains causing uncontrolled gas release.
Entry and exit pits for rig launch, product connection and bore retrieval routinely exceed 1.5 metres depth requiring ground support and SWMS coverage.
PCBU must prepare, consult workers on, and retain this SWMS for the duration of HDD work; breaches attract Category 1–3 penalties that are substantial and indexed, with the current maximum following the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Civil contractors delivering trenchless utility installation
- →HDD rig operators and locator technicians on telecommunications rollouts
- →Principal contractors coordinating gas and water main extensions
- →Local government works supervisors overseeing road-crossing bores
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX template — Microsoft Word compatible
- ✓State-specific WHS legislation schedule (NSW/VIC/QLD/SA/WA/TAS/NT/ACT)
- ✓Hazard register with risk ratings + hierarchy-of-control mapping
- ✓Worker sign-on register, pre-start checklist, and incident escalation flow
Worked example
On a suburban telecommunications conduit installation requiring a 95-metre bore beneath a four-lane arterial road, the site supervisor opens the pre-start meeting by walking the four-person crew through this SWMS at the entry pit. The locator operator confirms DBYD plans are 11 days old and identifies a 110 kV cable and a medium-pressure gas main intersecting the planned alignment. Referring to the hazard register, the crew agrees to hydro-excavate three potholes to physically verify both services before the pilot head approaches the 8-metre exclusion zone. The rig operator signs on, acknowledging the strike alert system test, insulating mat condition and emergency kill switch function recorded in the SWMS verification block. Mid-bore, the locator reports unexpected slurry pressure rise from 1100 to 1850 kPa. The supervisor consults the frac-out response control on page three, halts rotation, deploys the silt fence around a nearby stormwater pit, and dispatches the pit hand to inspect the road surface. A minor surface return is contained with the spill kit, vac truck removes 60 litres of slurry, and the EPA notification threshold is logged. Work resumes after fluid viscosity is adjusted and the bore path reverified, with the supervisor amending the SWMS daily diary to capture the corrective action and re-briefing the crew before continuing back-ream.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- Code of Practice — Hazardous Manual Tasks