Drainlayer SSSP
An SSSP for drainage work, built around excavation, trench and underground-service controls.
A drainlayer SSSP is a Site-Specific Safety Plan for one job on one site. It sets out the drainlayer hazards, the controls in the order required by reg 6 of the General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016, task analyses for the higher-risk tasks, and how you meet your duties under HSWA 2015. It is what a New Zealand main contractor checks before your crew starts.
What a drainlayer SSSP must cover
- •HSWA 2015 section 36: the PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of its workers and anyone else affected by the work
- •General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016 reg 6: apply the hierarchy of control measures, eliminating the risk so far as is reasonably practicable before minimising it
- •WorkSafe New Zealand Good Practice Guidelines for Excavation Safety: batter, bench or shore any excavation a person could enter
- •AS/NZS 2865: confined space entry for pits and manholes
- •A trench deeper than 1.5 m is particular hazardous work that must be notified to WorkSafe New Zealand at least 24 hours before it starts
- •HSWA 2015 section 34: consult, co-operate and co-ordinate with the main contractor and the other PCBUs on site (the 3Cs)
Common drainlayer hazards
- Trench and excavation collapse
- Underground service strikes (power, gas, fibre, water)
- Confined space atmospheres in manholes and pits
- Mobile plant working next to workers on foot
- Biological exposure from wastewater
Task analyses included
Your SSSP comes with task analyses for the higher-risk tasks. The Trade Pack (NZ$149) includes the full library below plus a toolbox talk set.
- ✓Trench excavation for drainage (battering, benching or shoring)
- ✓Locating and potholing underground services before digging
- ✓Manhole and pit connection (confined space entry)
- ✓Pipe laying and bedding in open trench
- ✓Working next to excavators and mobile plant
- ✓Stormwater and wastewater connections in the road reserve
- ✓Backfill and compaction
- ✓Reinstatement near traffic
What the main contractor expects
- •An SSSP that shows how every excavation a person can enter is supported
- •A task analysis for any trench deeper than 1.5 m, plus the WorkSafe notification
- •A service-locating and potholing procedure before any digging
- •Registration details for the drainlayers on site
- •Exclusion zones and spotter arrangements around plant
Get your drainlayer SSSP, sorted in minutes
Answer a few questions about your site and crew. We write your SSSP against HSWA 2015 and the General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016, check it, and email it, ready to hand over.
SSSP Pack
NZ$89 one-time
A personalised SSSP with your hazard register, task analyses and emergency plan.
Trade Pack
NZ$149 one-time
The SSSP plus the full task-analysis library for your trade and a toolbox talk set.
One-time payment in NZ$. No subscription. Free revisions within 24 hours.
Drainlayer SSSP: common questions
Do I have to notify WorkSafe before digging a deep trench?
Yes. Work in an excavation or trench more than 1.5 m deep, where the depth is greater than the horizontal width at the top and a person has to work in it, is particular hazardous work. You must notify WorkSafe New Zealand at least 24 hours before the work starts. The SSSP records that notification and the trench-support method.
What controls does a drainage SSSP need for services?
It needs a documented locate-and-pothole step before excavation, using current plans and cable locators, and hand-digging near known services. Striking a live power or gas main is one of the most serious risks in drainage work, so the hierarchy of controls under reg 6 starts with avoiding the service, not just wearing PPE.