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WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY (NATIONAL UNIFORM LEGISLATION) REGULATIONS 2011
306Additional controls – trenches
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306 Additional controls – trenches
(1) A person conducting a business or undertaking, who proposes to
excavate a trench at least 1.5 m deep must ensure, so far as is
reasonably practicable, that the work area is secured from
unauthorised access (including inadvertent entry).
(2) In complying with subregulation (1), the person must have regard to
all relevant matters, including:
(a) risks to health and safety arising from unauthorised access to
the work area; and
(b) the likelihood of unauthorised access occurring.
(3) In addition, the person must minimise the risk to any person arising
from the collapse of the trench by ensuring that all sides of the
trench are adequately supported by doing one or more of the
(a) shoring by shielding or other comparable means;
(b) benching;
(c) battering.
Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Regulations 2011 232
(4) Subregulation (3) does not apply if the person receives written
advice from a geotechnical engineer that all sides of the trench are
safe from collapse.
(5) An advice under subregulation (4):
(a) may be subject to a condition that specified natural
occurrences may create a risk of collapse; and
(b) must state the period of time to which the advice applies.