GRAVE MISCONCEPTIONS

There seems to be a lot of discrepancy as to whether or not to shore a grave.

The Cemetery industry has the misconception that if they do not enter the excavated grave they have no need to shore. Wrong.

Under the current Australian Trenching Code of Practice No8 1st September 1988, any excavation that is longer than it is wide is a trench, and if over 1.5m in depth requires shoring, or making  safe. A safety fence could be erected around the excavated grave and would have to be a minimum of 1.5m back from the grave, which is impractical because of the adjacent graves. The distance of 1.5m is a minimum so that if anyone falls over the fence they land on the ground and not in the grave.

To make the grave site safe, you have only one option, to install grave shoring. From the grave shoring you can do several other things, install secure decking to provide a stable surround, attach a safety lid, install handrails. You now have a safe platform for the lowering device etc. 

You have now minimised all of the risks around a grave site and have met all your obligations to provide a safe grave site for both cemetery workers and the general public. You have also minimised YOUR risk of legal action.

The grave diggers and on site workers may at first find working and installing grave shoring time consuming and tedious. Practice makes perfect and with a little experience, the additional time to shore the grave will end up being only a few minutes, which will be worthwhile compared to serious injury or a death.

Using timber is okay, but needs to be a minimum F17 green hardwood, no more than three months of age. F17, 195 x 45 dressed hardwood is the minimum size and grade of timber that can be used. This just meets the minimum requirement at 20kpa and any timber used has to be replaced every three months. The only other timber that meets the standard is MGP 15 (machine graded pine) An alternative to timber is to use aluminium planks specially designed to meet the minimum standard of 20kpa at 2.4m length.

The maximum spacing under the Code of Practice for hydraulic shores or timber soldier sets is 1.5m, not just placed at either end of the grave, as is the common practice at the moment. The mechanical trench jack or accrow prop are the only two props to use at this extended length. All shoring should be installed from above ground once the depth reaches 1.5m.

What you have all been doing for years, often successfully with no problems, does not make it okay. The rules and regulations have changed and it’s up to you to make sure you and your workers, work within the rules, and meet all the obligations required by Worksafe and the law.
The minimum requirement for shoring under the Australian Standard AS4744.1-2000 requires a shoring system that can withstand active earth pressure of 20kpa.

A JSA is available free of charge on the www.workcover.vic.gov.au site, just type in JSA Worksheet. You can also down load the Trenching Code of Practice, and the falling from Heights Regulations.

So, as Managers, Trustees, Employees or anyone working in a cemetery, you are responsible to ensure that you are supplying a safe environment for your workers and anyone entering your cemetery.

You would be the last person you would like to see prosecuted for not complying, or worse still being responsible for an avoidable accident.

Download a basic JSA (job safety analysis), completed as an example of a grave excavation.
Job Safety Analysis for the Cemetery (pdf document 21k)