Page 47 - The Bulletin #135 Summer 2021

WORKSITE SAFETY
ELECTRICAL PITS
DESIGNING FOR SAFETY
Electrical pits present a lot of issues from the moment they are introduced to a job site, for the civil component there
are a lot of non-conformance’s that can be attributed to the installation of the pit and this can have a roll on effect for developers, and power companies. Electrical pits were costing power companies a fortune in law suits due to the pits sinking or having a raised edge largely due to how the pits were being installed, this created a tripping hazard.
Therefore the D.B’s created a zero tolerance on raised edges, this meant
that the replacement of concrete bays were being replaced and jobs failed at an alarming rate, this has put pressure on
the civil industry, power industry and the developers themselves and something had to be done!
Glenn Shallard has worked in the URD sector for the past 20 years from cable hauling to working on call out work with the Distribution companies and has now embarked on a journey with Winslow as the Electrical Operational Manager. He saw a desperate need to design a pit that could stop all the carnage that had been created around the electrical pit.
After many failed attempts to come up with a practical solution, a conversation with some Winslow foreman triggered
an exciting idea. The installation of Dow Bars to the pits would support the pit in concrete and would allow the pit to move with the concrete as it contracted and
expanded. Glenn had to draw on past and present relationships within the industry which led him to Greg Akister at Viscount (pit manufacture) who was only to happy to give his valuable time up and come and meet with Glenn. When Glenn mentioned the Dow Bars, Greg suggested we use fibre glass rods which made sense as it is an electrical apparatus, from there the first prototype was born.
about something. I certainly know that I pushed and annoyed many people in our industry to get this to happen and while the pit might not be entirely the same
as what I first envisaged it shows as an industry that we can come together and do some amazing work together. I feel very fortunate to be on the Harmonisation Committee as it has given me the opportunity to meet some fantastic people
“Collectively we came together as an industry to try and make a difference for the better, the pit I think is a by-product from all the hard work that has been achieved in that committee.”
Trials were then set up in Powercor and Ausnet over a six month period, first eight pits which gave Glenn and Greg a lot of confidence that not only would tripping hazards be a non-issue but also voids under pits could be excepted which as a result would allow the water drain away from the pit more effectively. More trials across Ausnet and Powercor followed with a whole stage using the suspension pits
in Ausnet completed only recently. The results were very encouraging and the pits are now in the hand of the D.B.’s to have their final say and send it out internally for final comments.
Glenn Shallard says, “it has been a long and at times frustrating process especially when you feel so strongly
in our industry who have done so much to help with the pit and make it a reality.
Greg Akister (Viscount), Anthony James (Powercor), Saman De Silva (Ausnet), Stephen Strano (Winslow) and Geoff Reynolds and John Kilgour (CCF) for the opportunity to represent them on the committee and to all who have been working in the background on this project.
Collectively we came together as an industry to try and make a difference for the better, the pit I think is a by-product from all the hard work that has been achieved in that committee.” n
Glenn Shallard - Electrical Operations Manager, Winslow Constructors
THE BULLETIN – Civil Contractors Federation VIC
SUMMER 2021 47