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Demonstrate knowledge of excavation for infrastructure pipelaying

Level / 3
Credits / 5

PurposePeople credited with this unit standard are able to demonstrate knowledge of excavation safety for infrastructure pipelaying, and describe infrastructure pipelaying excavation operational requirements and procedures.

Subfield / Civil Works and Services
Domain / Civil Construction Works
Status / Registered
Status date / 21 November 2008
Date version published / 21 November 2008
Planned review date / 31 December 2013
Entry information / Open.
Accreditation / Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and industry.
Standard setting body (SSB) / Infrastructure ITO
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference / 0101

This AMAP can be accessed at

Special notes

1Thefollowing legislation and requirements apply to this unit standard:

Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;

Resource Management Act 1991;

Approved Code of Practice for Safety in Excavation and Shafts for Foundations (Wellington: Department of Labour, 1995) (the Excavation Code), Part 1: Trenches and Open Excavations, Sections 4 to 7. The Excavation Code is available from

Territorial authority requirements.

2Assessment against this unit standard may be based on evidence from a provider and/or workplace context.

3Definition

Infrastructure pipelaying refers to the installation of infrastructure pipes, fittings, and associated structures in the road and elsewhere, normally beyond the boundary of private property. Infrastructure pipes include sanitary sewage and stormwater, and may include pipes or ducting for other services such as water, gas, electricity, or telecommunications. For the purposes of this unit standard it does not include the commissioning of the pipes or the installation of services they may house.

Elements and performance criteria

Element 1

Demonstrate knowledge of excavation safety for infrastructure pipelaying.

Performance criteria

1.1General safety provisions are described in terms of Section 4 of the Excavation Code and in relation to infrastructure pipelaying.

1.2Recommended safe practices are described in terms of Section 5 of the Excavation Code and in relation to infrastructure pipelaying.

1.3Methods of shoring in Section 6 of the Excavation Code are evaluated in terms of their application to infrastructure pipelaying.

1.4Open excavations are described in terms of Section 7 of the Excavation Code and in relation to infrastructure pipelaying.

1.5Territorial authority excavation safety requirements are identified for two different infrastructure pipelaying operations.

Element 2

Describe infrastructure pipelaying excavation operational requirements and procedures.

Rangeany two of –water, sanitary sewage, stormwater, ducting;

includes excavation over 1.5 metres in depth for at least one operation.

Performance criteria

2.1Description identifies and explains plant and equipment required for the excavation.

2.2Description explains clearances in relation to pipe diameter and working space for installation of any structures.

2.3Description explains procedural considerations in terms of operational efficiency.

Rangeincludes but is not limited to – positioning of plant and any trucks, direction of excavation, placement of small plant, placement of spoil.

Please note

Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.

Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.

Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.

Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.

Comments on this unit standard

Please contact Infrastructure you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.

 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018