Working safely in the road Working safely in the road
If you plan to work in the road corridor, you need to be aware of the potential risks and what safety precautions you need to take.
This page presents information about the risks, your obligations when working on the road, and provides some additional resources.
- Working near overhead electrical services.
- Construction work.
- Working at height.
- Working in confined spaces.
- Deep excavation (more than 1.5m).
Working near underground services
Risks
Damage to underground pipes and cables (electrical, telecommunications, water, gas, oil, petroleum etc), service disruption, fire, explosion, electrical shock, personal injury.
Your obligations
- Get plans and know how to safely locate underground services before starting work.
- Understand safe work practices on or around utility services in the road corridor.
- Read and understand the National Code of Practice for Utility Operators' Access to Transport Corridors.
Resources
- Visit the BeforeUdig website to get plans of underground pipes and cables.
- New Zealand Utility Operators Group's guide to working safely on the road (PDF 1.1MB, 23 pages).
- National Code of Practice for Utility Operators' Access to Transport Corridors.
- NZTA's Minimum standard for utility identification and protection on road projects (PDF 626KB, 31 pages).
Working near overhead electrical services
Risks
Service disruption, fire, explosion, electrical shock, burns.
Your obligations
- Get plans and safely locate overhead services before starting work.
- Understand safe approach distance rules.
- Seek advice.
Resources
Construction work
Risks
Noise, vibration, hearing loss, personal injury.
Your obligations
- Plant and equipment maintained and quietened in accordance with industry practice.
- Work to agreed timeframes to minimise effect on people in the vicinity.
Resources
Working at height
Risks
Falls from height, electrical shock, falling objects, serious injury.
Your obligations
- Plan a safe approach - identify and assess the hazards.
- Take appropriate precautions.
- Select suitable equipment and work systems.
- Follow best practice guidelines.
Resources
Working in confined spaces
Risks
Dangerous fumes, lack of oxygen, suffocation.
Your obligations
- Identify the risks.
- Entry only by trained people.
Resources
Deep excavation (more than 1.5m)
Risks
Cave-in, suffocation, personal injury.
Your obligations
- Use safe digging practices.
- Prevent collapse – shore, bench, or batter back.
- Provide safe access and barriers.