As 2003 draws to a close it’s a good time to look back on a year that has probably seen more potential for change regarding the future of the tunnelling industry than any other. On the work front things look pretty rosy, with much talk of the increased potential for tunnelling projects around the globe. Admittedly, we’ve heard this all before, but the truth is for many of the world’s already overcrowded cities there’s little choice, the only way is down.
During a recent T&TI trip to Sydney, a taxi driver turned to me during a traffic jam and informed me (after telling me that Australia would thrash England in the Rugby World Cup final) that the city desperately needs an underground transport network. He even had an understanding that Sydney’s sandstone provides a decent tunnelling medium! Obviously his knowledge of geology was more impressive than his knowledge of rugby, but it does indicate that the endless hours of congestion hell are taking their toll and everyday people are demanding alternatives.
But actual and potential construction aside, the year has been dominated by the introduction of two extremely important documents. Firstly, the proposed ‘EU Directive on Minimum Safety Standards for Trans European Tunnels’, and secondly, The ‘Joint Code of Practice for Risk Management of Tunnel Works in the UK’.
If you are not aware of them by now, I strongly advise you to rectify this, because they are both big news. To the T&TI reader, the Code of Practice would seem to be the most important, as it will directly effect the way you work – no question. In a nutshell, the insurers have laid down stringent guidelines on risk management that need to be followed if tunnelling projects are to get insurance cover. I’ve already discussed this issue before (see October 2003, p5), but now we’ve had some feedback.
The kindest is the view that at last there is a code that gives everybody risk parameters within which to work. Another more cutting view is that, embarrassingly, it took insurance companies to tell the tunnelling industry how to manage risk!
Either way, like it or not, its going to have a big impact internationally, so I suggest a look on the positive side!
So there we have it at the end of 2003, work looks set to increase and the insurers are feeling considerably more comfortable than they were this time last year. Lets hope for a good 2004 with opportunity in abundance.
Finally, seasons greetings from the T&TI team and best wishes for a prosperous new year. See you in 2004!
Tris Thomas
