Introduction

Introduction 

Tunneling is a construction method that is used across various industries for many reasons. It is environmentally friendly, expands transportation capabilities, and provides the additional infrastructure for a variety of utilities, including water, sewage, and telecommunication cables. This form of construction connects distant regions due to the ability to build massive tunnels through mountains and hills or under bodies of water. In addition, it allows for train networks that take up little to no surface space in cities. However, the health risks associated with tunnel construction can impact both the community and workers that build these tunnels. There are a variety of risks associated with tunneling construction, such as exposure to harmful substances, tunnel cave-ins, flooding, fires, and explosions.

There are different factors that increase the severity of these risks. Therefore, safety codes and standards were created to protect and ensure the safety of all personnel associated with tunnel construction. In Canada, each province created its own version of occupational health and safety codes to ensure that employers execute tunneling construction safely. This has been a common practice in other countries as well, where each country has its own version of occupational health and safety codes to protect workers and ensure a safe work environment. With these codes, clients now need to ensure that there is a framework in place to address occupational health and safety requirements. 

Over the years, Alberta has continually updated it's Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) code due to the continuous altering landscape of construction. Industry leaders look to the Alberta OHS Code as a framework when designing tunneling projects to ensure that they are taking into consideration all safety factors. However, the British BS 6164 “Code of Practice for Occupational Health and Safety in Tunneling” has become the most widely accepted code of practice around the world and has been known as the “Gold Standard” of tunneling construction safety. Therefore, Dr. Ming Lu’s research team at the University of Alberta developed this website (“TunnelingSafe”) that compares the Alberta OHS Code to the British BS 6164.

 The scope of the “TunnelingSafe” website is limited to tunnel construction in general and does not include special tunneling. The website examines the similarities and differences between the two code systems with regard to tunneling safety. This website is divided into sixteen chapters that address the major safety issues found in tunneling construction. The first thirteen chapters are tunnel-related and include risk and hazard identification, excavation and ground support, transportation and loading, management of groundwater, compressed air working, methane, fire and smoke, response to emergencies, ventilation, dust, illumination quality, operating communications, and noise and vibration. The remaining chapters are concerned with shafts and cover the following: (shafts, pits, and piles), lifting equipment, and access. Each chapter highlights the important risks, hazards, and safety concerns, and delves into the codes from both systems that address these issues..

Purpose 

The overall purpose of the website is to serve as a training tool that provides information on safety and occupational health in the tunneling industry based on the Alberta OHS and British BS 6164 codes. The training program focuses on sharing knowledge on the best safe work practices in a tunnel under construction or in service, which are explained in both codes. It will provide industry leaders insight into how the Alberta OHS Code system compares to the British BS 6164, with a better understanding of their similarities and differences. Furthermore, the website aims to provide additional knowledge to the readers so that they can improve their safety planning in tunnel construction and disseminate good practices. The target audience includes workers of all levels and engineers in training who would be involved in the planning of, or working on, a tunneling project or site. 

To increase the knowledge retained from the website, an additional training evaluation tool (“Questions and Quizzes”) has also been developed to highlight important information.  It incorporates the British systems to align with the Alberta OHS legislation, current best practices, and industry needs. Hence, this tool will facilitate the critical comparison of both Alberta and the British systems. In addition, this training package intends to highlight and interpret important factors in Alberta OHS Code, which are relevant for tunnel construction planning by Alberta practitioners. 

The overall structure of the “Questions and Quizzes” is divided into the same sixteen chapters that form the “TunnelingSafe” website. Chapter questions consist of a range of short answer questions set in a logical way for practitioners to address. An answer key is added to help practitioners see what the right answers are, where the answers come from, differences between the two code systems, and how the British Code could be referenced to complement the Alberta OHS Code. Chapter quizzes include T/F, Multiple Choice, and Fill-in-the-Blank questions to test the basic knowledge described in the “TunnelingSafe” website. A detailed answer key and marking scheme are provided to facilitate the training assessment.

Evaluation Tools

Last but not least 

Acknowledgment

This Project is substantially funded by Occupational Health and Safety Innovation and Engagement (OHS I&E) grants program of the Government of Alberta, Canada.