WorkSafe has issued a Safety Alert warning employers and self-employed persons about the risks of falling into piling holes.
The safety alert comes after a worker who was attempting to cover a piling hole fell approximately 3.5m into the hole and was trapped there overnight.
Pilings are the vertical element of a foundation that transfers load into the earth instead of only across the surface of the ground. If a person falls into a piling hole, they are at risk of not just fall-related injuries, but also risk serious injury or death through engulfment, asphyxiation, drowning or the harmful effects of a prolonged rescue.
Where possible, designers and constructors should consider alternative types of piling that do not require a hole to be prepared and left exposed, such as continuous flight auger (CFA) piling or driven displacement piling. Where open piling holes are used, hole covers, guard rails and other fall prevention systems should be employed and workers trained and informed about the hazards of piling holes.
As well as the risks posed by the piling hole, the worker in this case was working alone. To control the risks associated with working alone, employers should utilise control methods such as the buddy system, duress alarms, personnel movement recording, and a communication system to ensure that lone workers can always contact a help source. Procedures for checking in on lone workers should be written into the task safe work method statement (SWMS).
WorkSafe publishes many guides to assist employers in managing the safety of workers on construction sites, for example:
- Compliance Code: Prevention of falls in general construction
- Industry Standard - Piling work and foundation engineering sites: A guide to managing safety
- Working alone information sheet
Read more: Worker trapped in piling hole overnight after falling approximately 3.5 metres | WorkSafe Victoria