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Dogging Slinging and Rigging Risk Assessment

Dogging Slinging and Rigging Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • • Pre-filled Content – Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • • Customisable – Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Dogging Slinging and Rigging Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Dogging, Slinging and Rigging activities using this management-level Risk Assessment, focused on planning, governance, competency, and systems of work rather than task-by-task instructions. Strengthen WHS Risk Management, demonstrate executive Due Diligence under the WHS Act, and reduce operational liability exposure for your lifting operations.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance, WHS Duties & Consultation: Assessment of PCBU and officer due diligence, safety leadership, consultation with workers and HSRs, and clarity of roles and responsibilities for dogging and rigging operations.
  • Competency, Licensing & Training: Management of High Risk Work (HRW) dogger and rigger licensing, verification of competency, refresher training, supervision of new workers, and training record control.
  • Lift Planning, Engineering Review & Authorisation: Controls for engineered lift studies, critical lift criteria, load calculations, approval workflows, and formal authorisation processes for complex or non-standard lifts.
  • Lifting Gear Procurement, Selection & Design Control: Systems for specifying compliant lifting equipment, supplier evaluation, design verification, traceability, and compatibility of slings, shackles, spreader bars and lifting attachments.
  • Inspection, Maintenance & Asset Management of Lifting Gear: Management of inspection regimes, tagging systems, defect reporting, quarantine of damaged gear, and lifecycle asset registers for lifting equipment.
  • Crane & Plant Management, Load Charts & Limits: Assessment of crane selection, configuration, load chart interpretation, outrigger and ground bearing considerations, and controls to prevent overloading or out-of-chart lifts.
  • Communication Systems & Hand Signalling: Protocols for standardised hand signals, radio communication procedures, confirmation of instructions, and managing communication failures during lifting operations.
  • Site Layout, Exclusion Zones & Working Under Raised Loads: Planning of crane pads, travel paths, lifting zones, no-go areas, barricading, traffic interfaces, and prohibitions and controls for working beneath suspended loads.
  • Work Planning, Scheduling & Fatigue Management: Assessment of shift patterns, workload, environmental conditions and fatigue risks specific to dogging and rigging work, including night work and extended operations.
  • Contractor, Subcontractor & Crane Hire Management: Systems for prequalification, scope definition, interface management, information exchange, and monitoring of crane hire companies and specialist rigging contractors.
  • Documentation, Procedures & SWMS Integration: Control of lifting procedures, work instructions, Safe Work Method Statements, permit-to-work requirements, and document version control for consistent implementation.
  • Risk Management, Incident Reporting & Continuous Improvement: Frameworks for hazard identification, risk assessment, corrective actions, incident and near-miss reporting, and review mechanisms to improve lifting safety over time.
  • Emergency Preparedness for Lifting Incidents: Planning for crane or lifting gear failure, dropped loads, entrapment, and rescue requirements, including emergency equipment, training and coordination with emergency services.
  • Health, Ergonomics & Manual Handling in Rigging: Assessment of musculoskeletal risks from handling slings, chains, spreader bars and rigging components, along with ergonomic design, mechanical aids and safe handling practices.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Construction Managers, Crane & Rigging Supervisors, and Safety Managers responsible for planning, approving and overseeing dogging, slinging and rigging operations across their organisation.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, WHS Duties and Consultation
  • • Lack of clear allocation of PCBU, officer and worker WHS duties for dogging, slinging and rigging activities
  • • Inadequate consultation with workers and Health and Safety Representatives on lifting operations and risk controls
  • • Failure to integrate WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulation requirements (e.g. high risk work licensing, plant and risk management) into company policies
  • • Poor change management when new lifting methods, lifting gear or crane types are introduced
  • • Insufficient oversight of contractor and subcontractor compliance for dogging and rigging work
2. Competency, High Risk Work Licensing and Training
  • • Use of unlicensed personnel for dogging or rigging tasks requiring a high risk work (HRW) licence
  • • Inadequate verification of competency for doggers, riggers and crane operators, including expired or falsified licences
  • • Insufficient training in correct hand signalling for crane lifting operations and communication protocols
  • • Lack of training in load calculation and planning, including use of load charts, spreaders and beam lifters
  • • No structured refresher training for infrequently performed or complex lifting operations
  • • Failure to ensure supervisors understand their obligations when overseeing dogging and rigging work
3. Lift Planning, Engineering Review and Authorisation
  • • Absence of formal lift planning for complex, non-routine or heavy lifts
  • • Inadequate engineering input into critical lifts involving uneven loads, beam lifters, spreaders or multi-crane lifts
  • • Poor consideration of environmental conditions (wind, ground bearing capacity, overhead services) at the planning stage
  • • Inadequate assessment of lifting points, lifting gates and attachment design suitability
  • • Failure to document and communicate limitations, load paths and exclusion zones to all affected workers
  • • Informal or undocumented approval of lift plans, resulting in uncontrolled deviations
4. Lifting Gear Procurement, Selection and Design Control
  • • Procurement of non-compliant or undocumented lifting gear, chains, slings and beam lifters
  • • Use of lifting equipment without adequate design verification or rating (e.g. lifting gates, custom spreader bars)
  • • Incompatibility between lifting gear components (hooks, shackles, chains, synthetic slings, attachment points)
  • • Inadequate traceability of lifting equipment leading to unknown working load limits (WLL) or service history
  • • Failure to consider environmental and operational conditions (temperature, chemicals, sharp edges) in lifting gear selection
5. Inspection, Maintenance and Asset Management of Lifting Gear
  • • Lifting gear inspection programs not implemented or not aligned with manufacturer and Australian Standard requirements
  • • Use of damaged, worn or uncertified chains, slings, hooks and spreaders due to poor inspection systems
  • • Inadequate tagging, colour coding or identification of inspected lifting gear
  • • Failure to quarantine and dispose of rejected lifting equipment
  • • Limited competence of inspectors performing lifting gear inspections
6. Crane and Plant Management, Load Charts and Limits
  • • Use of cranes or lifting plant without verified capacity for the required load and configuration
  • • Failure to correctly interpret or apply load charts, including boom length, radius, outrigger configuration and deration for lifting attachments
  • • Inadequate maintenance systems for cranes and lifting plant leading to mechanical failure during lifts
  • • Outdated or missing crane documentation, including load charts and operating manuals
  • • Uncontrolled modifications to cranes, load indicators, limit switches or safety devices
7. Communication Systems and Hand Signalling
  • • Miscommunication between dogger, crane operator and other workers leading to uncontrolled load movement
  • • Inconsistent or non-standard hand signals used across different crews or contractors
  • • Reliance on verbal communication alone in noisy or visually obstructed environments
  • • Failure of radios or communication devices during critical lifting operations
  • • No formal process to nominate a single responsible dogman or signaler for each lift
8. Site Layout, Exclusion Zones and Working Under Raised Loads
  • • Personnel working or passing under suspended or raised loads due to poor exclusion zone management
  • • Insufficient planning for load paths, swing radius and interaction with other work groups or plant
  • • Uncontrolled public or third-party access to areas beneath or adjacent to lifting operations
  • • Inadequate signage, barriers and supervision around lifting areas
  • • Conflicts between mobile plant movements and crane operations
9. Work Planning, Scheduling and Fatigue Management for Dogging Work
  • • Doggers and riggers working excessive hours or shifts leading to fatigue and poor decision-making
  • • Inadequate planning and resourcing, resulting in time pressure and shortcutting of lifting controls
  • • Undue production pressure overriding safe lifting practices and systems
  • • Insufficient supervision of high-risk dogging and slinging activities on night shift or remote sites
10. Contractor, Subcontractor and Crane Hire Management
  • • Inconsistent safety standards and procedures between principal contractor and crane hire or rigging subcontractors
  • • Use of contractors without appropriate HRW licences, insurance or proven competence in dogging and rigging
  • • Poor integration of contractor lift plans, SWMS and risk assessments with site-specific requirements
  • • Inadequate monitoring and verification of contractor compliance during lifting operations
11. Documentation, Procedures and SWMS Integration
  • • Absence of clear, accessible procedures for dogging, slinging, rigging and crane operations
  • • Outdated or inconsistent documentation leading to confusion about required controls
  • • Poor integration between high-level risk assessments, lift plans and task-level SWMS
  • • Failure of workers to understand or follow documented procedures due to complexity or poor communication
12. Risk Management, Incident Reporting and Continuous Improvement
  • • Lack of systematic identification and review of dogging and rigging risks at the organisational level
  • • Under-reporting of near misses related to lifting operations, including dropped loads and signalling errors
  • • Ineffective incident investigation processes that do not identify underlying system causes
  • • Failure to share lessons learned from lifting incidents across sites or projects
13. Emergency Preparedness for Lifting Incidents
  • • Inadequate preparedness for incidents such as dropped loads, entrapment, equipment failure or crane instability
  • • Lack of clear roles and responsibilities during lifting-related emergencies
  • • Insufficient access to rescue equipment and first aid in areas where dogging and rigging work is conducted
  • • Poor coordination with external emergency services for complex sites or remote locations
14. Health, Ergonomics and Manual Handling in Rigging Activities
  • • Musculoskeletal injuries from manually handling heavy chains, slings, spreader bars and lifting gates
  • • Poor ergonomic design of storage areas and racks for lifting gear, leading to awkward postures and overreaching
  • • Cumulative strain from repetitive rigging activities such as attaching and detaching slings
  • • Lack of consideration of individual health limitations when allocating dogging and rigging tasks

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

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Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • Code of Practice – Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace: Guidance on safe use of cranes, lifting equipment and associated plant.
  • Code of Practice – Construction Work: Requirements for planning, consultation and risk management for high risk construction activities including dogging and rigging.
  • Code of Practice – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Framework for hazard identification, risk assessment and control in lifting operations.
  • AS 2550 series: Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use standards relevant to crane operations and lifting practices.
  • AS 1418 series: Cranes, hoists and winches – Design and operational requirements for lifting equipment.
  • AS 4991: Lifting devices – Requirements for design, verification, marking and safe use of lifting devices.
  • AS 1353 & AS 4497: Flat synthetic-webbing slings and roundslings – Selection, inspection and safe use requirements.
  • AS 3775 & AS 2321: Chain slings and short-link chain – Specification, testing and safe use for lifting applications.
  • 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

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