Excavation JSA Template
Covers general excavation and trenching for footings, drainage, service installation and civil works using an excavator with a support crew. Nine pre-filled steps run from underground service location (BYDA) to backfill and reinstatement, each with concrete hazards, before-and-after risk ratings and hierarchy-tagged controls. Fully editable in Microsoft Word so you can match it to your site, plant, ground conditions and crew.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
This Job Safety Analysis covers a standard excavation task from the first Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) enquiry through to backfill and site reinstatement. It steps through service location and potholing, plant set-up and exclusion zones, mechanical excavation, spoil placement, ground assessment and trench support at the 1.5 metre threshold, in-trench work, compaction and securing the site at the end of the shift. Each step lists the specific hazards for that stage of the work — underground services strike, trench wall collapse, plant and people interaction — with risk ratings before and after controls, and every control tagged against the hierarchy of control so supervisors can see at a glance where the crew is relying on procedure rather than engineering.
Excavation in a trench or shaft deeper than 1.5 metres, tunnelling, and work on or near energised electrical services are high-risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations, so a SWMS must be prepared before that work starts. This JSA does not discharge the SWMS duty — it supplements the SWMS by breaking the task into steps for planning and crew briefing. In Victoria the equivalent duty sits under the OHS Regulations 2017.
Hazards identified
21 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Arises at step: Locate underground services and review site information before any ground is broken. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Locate underground services and review site information before any ground is broken. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Deliver plant and set up the work area, exclusion zones and access. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Deliver plant and set up the work area, exclusion zones and access. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Deliver plant and set up the work area, exclusion zones and access. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Positively locate services by potholing with non-destructive excavation. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Positively locate services by potholing with non-destructive excavation. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Excavate to design depth and line. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Excavate to design depth and line. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Excavate to design depth and line. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Place spoil and manage excavated material. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Place spoil and manage excavated material. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Assess ground conditions and install trench support where required (1.5 m threshold). Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Assess ground conditions and install trench support where required (1.5 m threshold). Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Enter the excavation and carry out in-trench work. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Enter the excavation and carry out in-trench work. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Enter the excavation and carry out in-trench work. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Backfill and compact in layers. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Backfill and compact in layers. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Demobilise plant and reinstate or secure the site. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Demobilise plant and reinstate or secure the site. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Administrative — Lodge a Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) enquiry and hold current plans on site before any ground is broken
- 2Administrative — Engage a qualified underground service locator to trace and mark services in accordance with AS 5488
- 3Administrative — Treat all plans as indicative only — positively locate every marked service by potholing before mechanical excavation
- 4Administrative — Walk the site with the owner or asset manager to identify private services that BYDA members do not hold records for
- 5Administrative — Sweep the work area with a cable and pipe locator before and during excavation, not just once at the start
- 6Administrative — Select and check a firm, level unloading area before the float arrives
- 7Isolation — Keep all personnel clear of the float and the ramp travel path during loading and unloading
- 8Isolation — Barricade an exclusion zone around the full slew radius before the machine starts work
- 9Administrative — Agree positive communication signals between operator and ground crew — the machine stops if anyone enters the zone
- 10Administrative — Identify overhead lines in the pre-start walk and mark no-go zones observing the electricity distributor's safe approach distances
- 11Administrative — Use a dedicated spotter whenever plant operates near the safe approach distance
- 12Substitution — Use hydro or vacuum excavation instead of mechanical digging inside the tolerance zone of located services
- 13Engineering — Use insulated hand tools and probe carefully once close to the marked alignment
- 14Administrative — Reduce lance pressure and increase stand-off distance when working close to the marked alignment
- 15Administrative — Confirm shut-off and isolation points with the asset owner before exposing pressurised services
- 16Administrative — Hand expose or pothole across the alignment before the bucket crosses any service tolerance zone
- 17Administrative — Position a spotter to watch the face for marker tape, bedding sand or conduit, with authority to stop work on any unexpected find
- 18Isolation — No ground personnel inside the slew radius while the machine is digging — bucket grounded before anyone approaches
- 19Engineering — Use laser or GPS grade control so workers do not need to approach the trench to check depth
- 20Engineering — Batter or bench the face progressively as depth increases, consistent with the ground assessment
- 21Administrative — Keep all workers out of the trench until the competent person has assessed ground conditions and support
- 22Engineering — Keep spoil, plant and stored materials outside the zone of influence — as a minimum, no closer than one metre from the trench edge
- 23Engineering — Batter the trench-side face of the spoil pile and clear loose rocks back from the edge
- 24Administrative — No entry to the trench section directly below active spoil placement
- 25Administrative — Have a competent person assess soil type, groundwater and vibration before each entry, and re-assess after rain or any ground change
- 26Engineering — Bench, batter, shore or shield every trench 1.5 m or deeper before anyone enters — no unprotected entry under any circumstance
- 27Administrative — Obtain written geotechnical advice where ground is unstable, previously disturbed or waterlogged
- 28Engineering — Dewater with a pump to a settlement point and re-inspect wall stability as water levels change
- 29Administrative — Keep a clear zone at the trench edge and secure tools and materials back from the lip
- 30PPE — Hard hats worn at all times in and around the excavation
- 31Engineering — Provide secured ladder access extending about one metre above the trench edge, positioned close to the work area
- 32Engineering — Position plant and generator exhausts away from and downwind of the excavation
- 33Administrative — Test the atmosphere before entry where depth, adjoining ground or fill history indicate a risk
- 34Engineering — Use a remote-control trench roller so no one needs to work in the trench during compaction
- 35Isolation — Exclude all personnel from the trench while compaction plant is operating
- 36Administrative — Raise shields progressively with the excavator as backfill rises — workers stay out of the trench during extraction
- 37Isolation — Install secure fencing or barriers and covers over any excavation left open, with lighting and signage where the public has access
- 38Administrative — Inspect barriers and covers at the end of each shift and record the check
- 39Engineering — Lift shields and heavy barriers with the excavator or vehicle crane rather than by hand
- 40Administrative — Team-lift awkward items and keep loads close to the body
Applicable Codes of Practice
Service location, trench support and access controls reflected in the steps.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Excavation in a trench or shaft deeper than 1.5 metres, tunnelling, and work on or near energised electrical services are high-risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations, so a SWMS must be prepared before that work starts. This JSA does not discharge the SWMS duty — it supplements the SWMS by breaking the task into steps for planning and crew briefing. In Victoria the equivalent duty sits under the OHS Regulations 2017.
Who this is for
- →Civil and earthmoving contractors digging trenches for services, footings and drainage
- →Plumbing and drainage contractors excavating for sewer and stormwater installation
- →Landscapers and builders running footing, pool and retaining wall excavations
- →Site supervisors who need a ready-made task breakdown for pre-start briefings
- →Small excavation businesses formalising their safety paperwork for principal contractors
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) file — reword every step, hazard and control to suit your site
- ✓Nine pre-filled task steps from BYDA service location through to backfill and reinstatement
- ✓Risk ratings before and after controls, with every control tagged against the hierarchy of control
- ✓PPE, training and emergency response sections completed for a typical excavation crew
- ✓Space for your company logo, project details, plant list and worker sign-on
- ✓One-off purchase — download once, adapt and reuse across your projects
Worked example
This Job Safety Analysis covers a standard excavation task from the first Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) enquiry through to backfill and site reinstatement. It steps through service location and potholing, plant set-up and exclusion zones, mechanical excavation, spoil placement, ground assessment and trench support at the 1.5 metre threshold, in-trench work, compaction and securing the site at the end of the shift. Each step lists the specific hazards for that stage of the work — underground services strike, trench wall collapse, plant and people interaction — with risk ratings before and after controls, and every control tagged against the hierarchy of control so supervisors can see at a glance where the crew is relying on procedure rather than engineering.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations of your state or territory (in Victoria, the OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017)
- How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice
- Where the task is high-risk construction work: the SWMS provisions of your jurisdiction (a JSA supplements, and does not replace, a required SWMS)
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need a SWMS for excavation work?
Often, yes. Excavation in a trench or shaft deeper than 1.5 metres or in a tunnel is high-risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations, as is work on or near energised electrical services — and that work legally requires a SWMS before it starts. This JSA does not satisfy the SWMS duty; use it to plan and brief the task alongside the SWMS. In Victoria the equivalent requirements sit under the OHS Regulations 2017.
What is the 1.5 metre rule for trenches?
1.5 metres is the depth at which trench or shaft excavation becomes high-risk construction work under regulation 291, which triggers the SWMS duty, and it is the depth at which regulators expect benching, battering, shoring or shielding before anyone enters. It is not a safe-below threshold — shallower trenches in poor ground have collapsed and killed workers, so a competent person should assess every excavation before entry.
Does this JSA cover Before You Dig Australia (Dial Before You Dig) requirements?
The first step of the template covers lodging a BYDA enquiry, engaging a service locator and potholing to positively locate services, with the associated hazards and controls. You still need to actually lodge the enquiry for each site and keep the current plans on site — the JSA records how the crew will manage the risk, it does not replace the plans themselves.
Can I edit the template to suit my site and equipment?
Yes. It is a standard Microsoft Word (DOCX) file — add, delete or reword steps, hazards and controls, change the plant and ground conditions, insert your logo and project details, then print or save as PDF for the crew. It is a one-off purchase, so you can adapt and reuse it across your projects.
What is the difference between a JSA and a SWMS?
A JSA is a general risk-management tool: it breaks one task into sequential steps and documents the hazards, controls and risk ratings for each step. No legislation prescribes its format. A SWMS is a specific document the WHS Regulations require before high-risk construction work starts, and it must address the HRCW being done and how controls will be implemented and monitored. Many excavation crews use both — the SWMS to meet the legal duty, the JSA for the day-to-day task briefing.