Tunneling
Training

Safety Hazard Awareness for Tunnels (SHAFT) program was developed by the Northwest Laborers-Employers Training Trust with input from a team of industry experts and stakeholders, The SHAFT program seeks to fill a void by providing quality, comprehensive safety training for both new and experienced tunnel professionals. The curriculum is comprised of a blend of classroom discussion and use of materials and mockups in classes focusing on basic tunnel safety. Our facility, located in Elma, Washington, features a TBM mockup, loci, and access to 1,400’ feet of 12’ diameter tunnel, providing students with a unique, interactive educational experience.

Excavation and material handling is a central component of all tunneling operations. For smaller diameters and longer tunnels, a narrow-gauge railroad is commonly employed to take out the muck and bring in workers and construction material.

The construction of tunnels, regardless of method, typically include the installation of electrical systems, fire protection and suppression systems, lighting systems, communication systems, ventilation systems and walkways.

Many workplaces contain spaces that are considered “confined” because their configurations hinder the activities of employees who must enter, work in, and exit them. A confined space has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and it is not designed for continuous employee occupancy. Confined spaces include, but are not limited to underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, process vessels, and pipelines. OSHA uses the term “permit-required confined space” (permit space) to describe a confined space that has one or more of the following characteristics: contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains a material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.