Operate a hydro excavation system

MSMSS00021 Operate a hydro excavation system

Book a course

GROUP AND ON-SITE BOOKINGS STILL AVAILABLE!

Unfortunately, we’ve sold out or are not currently offering public dates for this course. If you would like to register your interest, please give us a call on (07) 5491 2144 or click the button below to fill out our form.

We will get back to you as soon as a date has been made available!

Course details

The MSMSS00021 — Operate a hydro excavation system (Hydro Excavation Operator) skill set is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and practical skills to safely and effectively operate hydro excavation equipment. Hydro excavation — also known as non-destructive digging (NDD) or vacuum excavation — uses high pressure water and an industrial vacuum system to precisely excavate soil without damaging underground utilities.

This nationally recognised training prepares workers to perform hydro excavation across a variety of applications, including civil construction, utilities maintenance, and industrial services. Participants will learn to operate equipment, manage site hazards, and implement best-practice environmental and safety controls.

At Link Resources, we proudly deliver this course in Queensland (Brisbane, Sunshine Coast), South Australia (Adelaide), Victoria (Melbourne), Tasmania, and can provide on-site delivery anywhere across Australia.

Course Content

Participants will learn to:

Prepare and set up hydro excavation systems, including pre-operational inspections
Operate high pressure water and vacuum systems to safely excavate around sensitive underground assets
Manage soil disposal and environmental controls to reduce impact on surrounding areas
Identify and control site-specific hazards
Implement communication and safety protocols on excavation sites
Perform equipment maintenance and complete operational documentation

The training combines essential theoretical components with extensive hands-on practice using hydro excavation equipment.

Course name

Operate a hydro excavation system

Duration

2 days

Cost

$780

Course code

MSMSS00021 Operate a hydro excavation system

On-site & Group bookings

Available on request

More courses, More often

In all our locations!

Target audience

The MSMSS00021 — Operate a hydro excavation system course is tailored for workers and businesses involved in civil construction, utilities, industrial maintenance, and any operations where precise, safe excavation around underground assets is required.

Who Should Attend?

🚧 Civil Construction and Infrastructure Workers

Crews performing trenching, potholing, and excavation works near sensitive utilities
Contractors engaged in roadworks, bridge works, and infrastructure upgrades

⚡ Utility and Service Providers

Technicians working for water, gas, electricity, and telecommunications providers who need to excavate around live services safely
Utility maintenance and repair teams responsible for emergency works and planned service upgrades

🏭 Industrial Services and Maintenance Crews

Workers tasked with cleaning and maintaining industrial sites where underground services may be exposed
Shutdown and turnaround maintenance personnel requiring safe excavation techniques

💼 Specialist Hydro Excavation and NDD Operators

Operators and contractors providing hydro excavation, non-destructive digging, or vacuum excavation services
Businesses looking to expand into utility location and safe excavation services

🧰 Labour Hire & Multi-Skilled Workers

Labour hire staff placed into construction, civil, or utilities projects needing hydro excavation competency
Multi-skilled operators aiming to increase their value to employers and access more job opportunities

Why Target These Groups?

Hydro excavation is considered a high-risk activity that requires specialist training to prevent damage to underground services, avoid environmental harm, and protect worker safety. This course ensures operators can:

Perform precision excavation safely and efficiently
Minimise risks to critical infrastructure and surrounding environments
Increase job readiness and meet strict WHS and utility network requirements
Provide a professional, compliant service to clients and contractors

Course delivery

Face to face training and assessment is conducted at one of Link Resources purpose built training facilities. Upon arrangement, training and assessment can be conducted on-site at the premises of industry clients providing there a suitable infrastructure and industry training facilities.

Link Resources Training Facilities:

Entry requirements

All students must be literate in the English language (no interpreters allowed).

At enquiry, students can enter the program by expressing an interest and being sent an information pack that contains a booking notification and course information (Course Brochure). This expression of interest enables the RTO and client to work together to identify any additional support needs & make adequate provisions.

Payment Options

Please see the Link Resources Payments, Cancellations and Refund Policy below in Student Information for all details on Payments for your course.

Payment can be made via direct bank transfer, eftpos, cash or cheque. For billing information including who to write a cheque to, please email or call

Pathways

Training & Education Pathways: After achieving these units of competency students may undertake a range of associated construction and demolition units and qualifications.

Outcomes

Students who are deemed competent will receive a Statement of Attainment recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework. This certification is nationally recognised. The Statement is issued by Link Resources Training Pty Ltd (RTO 45483).

Why Choose Our Hydro Excavation Operator Course?

Australia-Wide Delivery

Available at our dedicated training centres and on-site across all states and territories.

Highly Experienced Trainers

Learn from trainers with extensive industry expertise in hydro excavation and vacuum systems.

Comprehensive Practical Training

Strong focus on real-world scenarios and hands-on skills development to ensure job readiness.

An icon of a document with lines representing text and a seal with a ribbon.

Compliance with Standards

Delivered in line with MSMSS00021 requirements on training.gov.au, supporting compliance with Australian WHS regulations and utility safety standards.

Need something different? Call us on 07 5491 2544

Our locations

Link Resources has purpose-built training facilities all across Australia to meet your specific training requirements.

Brisbane

18/229 Junction Road, Cannon Hill QLD 4170

Sunshine Coast

8 Technology Drive, Warana, QLD 4575

Kurwongbah

Neilson Road, Kurwongbah QLD 4503

Melbourne

14 Mason St, Dandenong, VIC 3175

Adelaide

Unit 4/77-79 Tapleys Hill Rd, Hendon SA 5014

Wesley Vale

226 Mill Road, Wesley Vale TAS 7307

Launceston

55 Oakden Road, Prospect TAS 7250

This course and all related training and assessment services are delivered by Link Resources Training Pty Ltd (RTO Provider Number 45483).

Level up with the experts in industry training

Link Resources is the team helping you fill the gap in your qualifications or services.

Operate a hydro excavation system

Book a course

GROUP AND ON-SITE BOOKINGS STILL AVAILABLE!

Course details

Course Content

Target audience

Who Should Attend?

Why Target These Groups?