Emergency Towing Accident Recovery and Roadside Safety SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers emergency towing, accident recovery and roadside safety from receiving a callout through to towing, unloading and reporting. It supports planning for traffic exposure, damaged vehicles, recovery equipment, suspended loads, vehicle movement and incident conditions.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Receive and assess emergency callout information
• Travel to the incident location and manage driving risks
• Assess the incident scene and establish traffic controls
• Position the tow truck and inspect recovery equipment
• Stabilise the damaged vehicle before recovery
• Rig the vehicle and operate boom and winch equipment
• Drag or reposition the vehicle where required
• Load and secure the vehicle for transport
• Tow the vehicle to its destination
• Unload, hand over, demobilise and report the incident

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out emergency towing, accident recovery and roadside activities.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

The template includes references relevant to the documented work, including:

• Applicable Commonwealth, state or territory WHS/OHS legislation and regulations.
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks; adopt or apply only where approved or otherwise relevant in the jurisdiction. The risk process requires hazard identification, elimination where reasonably practicable, higher-order controls and review.
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities; adopt or apply only where approved or otherwise relevant in the jurisdiction.
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace; adopt or apply only where approved or otherwise relevant in the jurisdiction.
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks; adopt or apply only where approved or otherwise relevant in the jurisdiction.
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work; adopt or apply only where approved or otherwise relevant in the jurisdiction.
• Relevant road authority traffic-management requirements and AS 1742.3, AS 1742.2 and AS 3845 series guidance for traffic-control devices and temporary road safety.
• Technical guidance: AS/NZS 4602.1 high-visibility garments, AS/NZS 2210.3 safety footwear, AS/NZS 1801 industrial safety helmets, AS/NZS 1337.1 eye protection, AS/NZS 2161 protective gloves, AS/NZS 1270 hearing protectors, AS 1353.2 fibre slings and AS 2321 chain slings.

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Standard SWMS Features (Click to Expand)

• Task-specific job steps, hazards and control measures
• Initial and residual risk ratings
• Assigned responsible persons for each job step
• Plant, equipment and PPE requirements where applicable
• Permits, qualifications and high-risk construction work details where applicable
• Worker consultation, sign-off and review sections