Safety & Environment

The Crossing Group - Health and Safety - HS&E - Hydrovac, Tunneling, HDD - Trenchless Construction

THE PURSUIT OF SAFETY EXCELLENCE

At The Crossing Group, the pursuit of occupational health and safety excellence goes beyond mere compliance. It is intrinsic in all we do, and embedded in our culture.

We firmly believe successful HS&E programs are not the product of a strictly top-down process and involve more than simply getting “buy-in”. While it begins at the executive level, success requires leadership at all levels of an organization – with direct input from the onsite workers who have the greater stake in coming home safely at the end of the day. For this reason, our stringent safety policies are championed by our leadership with the input from all employees.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL: THE HEART OF SAFETY

Our safety program is guided by our obligation to ourselves, our coworkers, our clients, the communities where we work, the public and everyone on our jobsites. To meet this obligation, we are committed to:

  • Developing technical competence throughout our operations
  • Maintaining comprehensive safety policies across all divisions
  • Honing skills around safe work practices
  • Diligently exercising all safety procedures at all times
  • Empowering employees to be safety leaders creating safe environments for employees, customers and communities
  • Understanding that effective safety is a continuous improvement process

THE CROSSING GROUP’S PROPRIETARY SAFETY STANDARDS

The Crossing Group has developed our industry leading safety standards based on proven best practices and consultation from outside industry experts. Consistent implementation of our safety standards has allowed us to achieve a Certificate of Recognition from the Government of Alberta and the Partnerships in Injury Reduction.

AN EVOLVING PROGRAM LED BY OUR SAFETY CHAMPIONS

Several of our supervisory personnel have been trained to national standards in Occupational Health and Safety. Working alongside our leadership and safety professionals, these “Safety Champions” play a critical role in the successful integration of safety activities into operational functions.

While we have implemented many of the industry’s most stringent policies and procedures, we know there is always more work to be done to achieve the ideal state to which we aspire. We are proud of the contributions and insights our people have made to get us to where we are today and we will continue to utilize our collective expertise to improve our systems for tomorrow. It is the right approach. The responsible approach. And it is an approach that sets us apart among our peers.

TUNNEL BORING / PIPE JACKING

Tunnel Boring and Pipe Jacking Systems are used to hydraulically install underground pipelines up to 4.2 m (168 in) in OD range within strict alignment and grade tolerances. The likelihood of settling or sloughing is very low. Wheel machines are equipped with various cutter heads and sand shelves. A closed-face attachment is available for boring in unstable ground conditions. This versatile system can be easily adapted to work with any jacking pipe, in any pipe joint length. It can accommodate a wide range of pipe diameters.

Tunnel Boring Machines are used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They can bore through hard rock, sand, and almost anything in between. Tunnel diameters can range from 1 m and exceed 15 m (3 ft to 49 ft).

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Tunnel Boring - Pipe Jacking - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

SLIP BORING

A boring technique commonly used for installing oil & gas pipelines ranging from 51 mm to 1067 mm (2 in to 42 in) in diameter without leaving casing in the ground. Product pipe is welded to steel casings and either pushed or pulled through the ground in sections. The casing is cut off and removed, leaving just the product pipe. Maximum installation length is 150 m (492 ft).

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Slip Boring - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

DOWN THE HOLE HAMMER

A pneumatic hammer is attached to the inside edge of the casing. The front of the DTH breaks cobles, boulders and even solid rock into small pebbles or dust. The spoil makes its way through the hammer and into the casing, where it is removed by airway augers.

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Down The Hole Hammer - DTH - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

GUIDED BORING

A Guided Boring Machine (GBM) is used to install 305 mm to 3.6 m diameter pipe (12 in to 144 in) with grade and alignment precision. It is commonly used for installations 50 m to 150 m in length (164 ft to 492 ft) or when line and grade accuracy is critical in displaceable soil. Our GBM is extremely versatile and our customers continually approach us with new applications.

The pipe installation involves a two-step process where launch and reception shafts are strategically located to minimize surface disruption. A pilot tube with a theodolite guidance system is then pushed through the ground at the precise grade and alignment specified in the design into the reception shaft. A reaming head is welded to the pilot tube and the casing and the pilot tube is used as a guide to install casing. The GBM can be used in conjunction with auger boring or pipe ramming methodologies.

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Guided Boring - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

PNEUMATIC PIPE RAMMING

Pipe Ramming is used in a wide variety of soil types including gravel, cobble or sand. A pneumatic hammer is attached to the back of the casing pipe and driven through the material at any angle: from horizontal to vertical. The material is cleaned out of the pipe using an auger boring machine. Pipe Ramming methods are used for pipe diameters of 305 mm to 3.6 m (12 in to 144 in).

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Pneumatic Pipe Ramming - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming