Code of Practice for Risk Management of Tunnel Works

The international version of the code of practice is based on the "Joint Code of Practice for Risk Management of Tunnel Works in the UK", which was launched in London on 24 September 2003 as a combined effort of the UK insurance and tunnelling industries. Originally conceived for the UK market only, it was further developed by members of the International Tunnelling Insurance Group (ITIG) for the tunnelling market worldwide and introduced to the specialist community in April 2006 at the annual conference of the International Tunnelling Association (ITA). Munich Re produced a German version of the international code of practice for use in German-speaking markets, followed by Spanish and Chinese versions. A French version is currently in preparation.

Content and objective of the code of practice

The aim is to introduce and implement professional risk management measures in order to minimise the size and frequency of losses in the tunnelling industry. The code of practice describes procedures that will assist in identifying risks and assigning them to the parties involved and the project insurers. It also explains how risk evaluations and registers improve the management and monitoring of risks. It is used in all phases of tunnelling projects: development, design, contract procurement and construction.

Practical applications

The Joint Code of Practice is applied in all tunnelling projects in the UK nowadays. Forerunners of the international version have been implemented in projects in Hong Kong (Kowloon Canton Railway), Singapore (Circle Line), and Turkey (Marmaray Tunnel). In the case of large projects that are placed on the international reinsurance markets on an individual risk basis, application of the code has become a standard condition. The same goes for projects in which the construction of a tunnel is only part of the overall construction work, as in the case of hydropower stations.

Since its introduction, the respective projects have not been subject to any large losses. On their regular visits to construction sites, insurers make sure that the specified risk management measures are being implemented professionally by all those involved. The standards prescribed in the code of practice are largely met nowadays, but it is too early to maintain that the tunnelling risk situation has in general become better and that this is due to the code of practice.

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