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Elevating Work Platform EWP Risk Assessment

Elevating Work Platform EWP Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
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  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Elevating Work Platform EWP Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Elevating Work Platform (EWP) operations at a management and systems level with this comprehensive EWP Risk Assessment. Developed to support WHS due diligence, it helps demonstrate compliance with the WHS Act while reducing operational liability across your EWP fleet and worksites.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance, WHS Duties and Consultation: Assessment of PCBU obligations, officer due diligence, consultation arrangements with workers, and integration of EWP risks into the broader WHS management system.
  • Procurement, Hire and Design of EWP Fleet: Management of design compliance, selection of appropriate EWP types, procurement specifications, and controls for hired or leased plant to ensure fitness for purpose.
  • Competency, Licensing and Training Systems: Evaluation of HR and training frameworks for high risk work licensing, VOC processes, refresher training, and competency records for EWP operators and spotters.
  • Planning, Risk Assessment and Work Authorisation: Assessment of pre‑job planning processes, site‑specific risk assessments, permit and work authorisation systems for EWP tasks, including non‑routine and after‑hours work.
  • Safe Systems of Work and Operational Procedures: Development and control of documented procedures, operator manuals, exclusion zones, communication protocols, and supervision arrangements for EWP operations.
  • Maintenance, Inspection and Pre‑Use Check Systems: Management of scheduled servicing, major inspections, pre‑start checks, defect reporting, isolation, and records to ensure ongoing mechanical and structural integrity.
  • Ground Conditions, Site Access and Traffic Management: Assessment of ground stability, load‑bearing capacity, ramps and gradients, segregation from vehicles and pedestrians, and traffic management plans for EWP movement and set‑up.
  • Working Near Electrical Installations and High‑Energy Sources: Protocols for planning and authorising work near overhead and underground services, exclusion distances, isolation, and coordination with asset owners and energy providers.
  • Fall Protection, Crushing and Entanglement Risk Management: Controls for harness use and anchor points, secondary guarding, pinch points, overhead obstructions, and interaction with adjacent plant or structures.
  • Contractor, Labour Hire and Hire‑In EWP Management: Systems for contractor selection, information sharing, competency verification, and managing interfaces where EWPs and operators are supplied by third parties.
  • Emergency Preparedness, Rescue and Incident Management: Planning for EWP emergencies including entrapment, mechanical failure, medical events at height, rescue procedures, emergency lowering, and post‑incident review.
  • Monitoring, Auditing and Continuous Improvement: Frameworks for inspections, audits, KPIs, incident trend analysis, and corrective action tracking to continually improve EWP safety performance.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Officers, Safety Managers, and Operations Leaders responsible for planning, approving, and overseeing Elevating Work Platform (EWP) activities across their organisation or projects.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, WHS Duties and Consultation
  • • Lack of clear assignment of PCBU, officer and worker WHS duties for EWP operations under WHS Act 2011
  • • Inadequate WHS policy or governance framework covering all types of elevating work platforms (boom lifts, scissor lifts, trailer-mounted EWPs, bucket trucks, articulated booms, cherry pickers, manlifts)
  • • Poor consultation with workers, HSRs and contractors on EWP risks and proposed controls
  • • No formal process for worker issue resolution or refusal of unsafe EWP work
  • • WHS decisions driven by production pressures rather than risk
  • • Multiple PCBUs on shared sites not coordinating EWP-related controls and responsibilities
  • • Inadequate review of incidents, near misses and regulatory changes relating to elevated work platforms
2. Procurement, Hire and Design of EWP Fleet
  • • Procurement of EWPs that are unsuitable for site conditions or tasks, including insufficient reach, load capacity or terrain capability
  • • Purchase or hire of EWPs lacking required safety features (e.g. emergency descent controls, tilt alarms, fall arrest anchor points, secondary guarding/anti-crush protection)
  • • Use of second-hand or hired machines without proper verification of inspection and maintenance history
  • • Failure to obtain or retain manufacturer’s instructions, load charts and operating manuals for all aerial work platforms
  • • Inadequate assessment of electrical clearance requirements for work near overhead power lines or electrical installations
  • • No system to confirm plant registration/licensing requirements where applicable (e.g. boom type EWP with boom length 11 m or more)
  • • Inconsistent selection of EWPs (scissor vs boom vs truck-mounted vs articulated) leading to unnecessary risk from awkward positioning or overreaching
3. Competency, Licensing and Training Systems
  • • Operators of boom-type EWPs ≥11 m not holding the required High Risk Work Licence (WP) where applicable
  • • Inconsistent verification of EWP operator competency across different models (e.g. scissor lifts vs articulated booms vs bucket trucks)
  • • Supervisors allocating EWP tasks to untrained or inexperienced workers due to staffing or schedule pressures
  • • Lack of structured familiarisation training when new models (e.g. Genie lift or new cherry picker controls) are introduced
  • • Inadequate understanding of ground conditions, load charts, wind ratings and safe working limits by those planning and supervising EWP tasks
  • • No formal training for spotters, doggers or traffic controllers interacting with elevated platforms
  • • Training records incomplete or not centrally managed, making it difficult to confirm competence before allocating work
4. Planning, Risk Assessment and Work Authorisation
  • • EWP work planned informally without structured WHS risk assessment, particularly on short‑duration or repetitive elevated platform tasks
  • • No requirement for site‑specific assessment of ground conditions, access routes, overhead services, wind exposure and nearby traffic before deploying mobile elevating platforms
  • • Inadequate integration of EWP risks into project WHS plans and Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for high risk construction work
  • • Failure to consider rescue capability, emergency descent and access for emergency services at the planning stage
  • • Changes to work scope (e.g. different working height, proximity to power lines, or shift to night work) not triggering a review of risk controls
  • • Conflicts between EWP operations and other high‑risk activities (crane lifts, vehicle loading, hot works) due to poor scheduling and coordination
5. Safe Systems of Work and Procedures for EWP Use
  • • Absence of documented safe operating procedures (SOPs) for different EWP types (boom lifts, scissor lifts, trailer EWPs, bucket trucks, articulated booms)
  • • Inconsistency between site rules, hire company instructions and internal procedures for aerial work platform use
  • • No clear rules regarding maximum wind speeds, weather limitations and out‑of‑service criteria
  • • Inadequate controls for working near edges, penetrations or over public areas when using mobile elevating platforms
  • • Unclear communication protocols between operators, spotters and ground controllers, increasing risk of collision, crushing or entrapment
  • • Lack of defined rules for exclusion zones, barricading and interaction with other vehicles and pedestrians when EWPs are in use
6. Maintenance, Inspection and Pre‑Use Check Systems
  • • Lack of a systematic maintenance program for all EWPs, leading to mechanical failure, loss of stability, or failure of safety systems
  • • Inadequate pre‑use inspection systems resulting in operation of EWPs with known faults (e.g. damaged guardrails, hydraulic leaks, faulty emergency stops)
  • • Maintenance responsibilities unclear between owner, hire company and site PCBU
  • • Failure to manage and track manufacturer’s safety bulletins, recalls and software updates for modern MEWPs
  • • Inspection records not kept or not readily available on site, limiting verification of plant condition
  • • Defects identified by operators not being recorded, communicated or rectified before further use
7. Ground Conditions, Site Access and Traffic Management Systems
  • • No systematic assessment of ground bearing capacity, underground services or surface condition before positioning mobile elevating platforms
  • • EWP access routes not planned, creating interaction with pedestrians, forklifts, cranes, trucks or public traffic
  • • Inadequate traffic management plans for use of bucket trucks or truck‑mounted EWPs on or adjacent to public roads
  • • Sites not designed to accommodate EWP turning circles, outrigger spreads and stabiliser requirements
  • • Poorly defined or unenforced exclusion zones leading to vehicles or plant encroaching on EWP operating areas
  • • Lack of coordination between site traffic management planning and EWP work sequencing
8. Working Near Electrical Installations and Other High‑Energy Sources
  • • Inadequate system for identifying overhead and underground electrical services prior to planning EWP work
  • • No formal process to establish and enforce no‑go and approach distances for work near live overhead power lines
  • • Reliance on operator judgement rather than engineered or administrative controls for electrical clearance
  • • Lack of coordination with electricity supply authorities for isolation, de‑energisation or use of spotters where required
  • • Unclear allocation of responsibility between PCBUs for electrical risk controls during elevated work platform use
  • • Insufficient procedures regarding other high‑energy sources such as adjacent moving plant, cranes or high‑pressure systems near EWP operating envelopes
9. Fall Protection, Crushing and Entanglement Risk Management
  • • No consistent organisational policy on use of fall arrest harnesses and lanyards in boom and bucket‑type EWPs
  • • Inadequate system for managing entrapment and crushing risks between platform rails and structures, beams, or ceilings
  • • Failure to specify and manage attachment points for fall protection equipment compatible with the EWP design
  • • Lack of review of incidents and near misses involving entrapment, shearing and crushing during articulated boom and scissor lift operation
  • • Poor selection or maintenance of PPE for working at height in baskets (incorrect lanyard length, incompatible connectors)
10. Contractor, Labour Hire and Hire‑In EWP Management
  • • Contractors and labour hire workers operating EWPs without equivalent training, licensing or understanding of site procedures as direct employees
  • • Assumption that hire companies or contractors are solely responsible for EWP safety without verifying their systems
  • • Inconsistent induction and orientation processes for short‑term EWP operators and fitters from external organisations
  • • Lack of clarity in contracts around responsibility for pre‑start inspections, maintenance, emergency response and rescue arrangements
  • • Use of multiple subcontractors on the same EWP workface with differing safety cultures and systems
11. Emergency Preparedness, Rescue and Incident Management
  • • No formalised emergency response plan specific to EWP incidents such as platform entrapment, medical emergencies at height, tipping or electrical contact
  • • Over‑reliance on emergency services for rescue without considering response time and access limitations
  • • Lack of training and drills for workers in operating emergency descent systems and performing rescues safely
  • • Inadequate communication systems between operators in elevated platforms and ground personnel for emergencies
  • • EWP incidents and near misses not being thoroughly investigated, reducing organisational learning
12. Monitoring, Auditing and Continuous Improvement of EWP Safety Management
  • • Limited oversight of how EWP procedures are applied in day‑to‑day work, allowing unsafe practices to become normalised
  • • No structured audit program focused on elevated work platform risks across different sites and projects
  • • Inadequate performance indicators relating to EWP safety (e.g. reliance only on lag indicators such as injuries)
  • • Lack of worker feedback mechanisms to refine EWP systems, leading to impractical or ignored procedures
  • • Failure to track regulatory updates, Australian Standards revisions and industry best practice relating to MEWPs

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice: Guidance on controlling risks associated with plant, including EWPs.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace Code of Practice: Requirements and guidance for working near electrical installations and services.
  • Safe Work Australia – Construction Work Code of Practice: Risk management expectations for construction activities involving EWPs.
  • AS 2550.10: Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use – Mobile elevating work platforms.
  • AS/NZS 1418.10: Cranes, hoists and winches – Mobile elevating work platforms – Design and construction requirements.
  • AS/NZS 1891 series: Industrial fall‑arrest systems and devices used for EWP fall protection.
  • AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use.
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

$79.5

Safe Work Australia Aligned