Product Overview

This Excavator SWMS is a site-ready Safe Work Method Statement developed to control risks associated with operating excavators and related attachments on Australian worksites and to support WHS compliance. It is a comprehensive document covering multiple aspects of excavator use, from set-up and operation through to specialised attachments, maintenance, loading and unloading, providing robust controls for High Risk Construction Work.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Safe operation of excavators and diggers in civil, construction, landscaping and demolition environments
• Use of mini diggers and mini excavators in confined or restricted access areas
• Application of ground anchors, including positioning, drilling, installation and verification of anchorage
• Controls to avoid rear end swing impacts, including exclusion zones, spotters and slew limits
• Operating excavation equipment around underground and overhead services, structures and public interfaces
• Use of excavator mulchers for vegetation clearing, including guarding, debris control and flying object risks
• Operation of hydraulic breakers, rock breakers and hydraulic hammers for rock breaking activities
• Use of transverse drum cutters on excavators, including vibration, dust and noise management
• Quick hitching procedures, including positive locking verification and attachment change-out controls
• Maintenance, inspection and replacement of excavator buckets and other attachments
• Safe loading and unloading of excavators from trucks, floats and trailers, including ramp use and securing
• Traffic management around operating excavators, including segregation of plant and pedestrians
• Controls for working on slopes, near excavations, edges and unstable ground to prevent tip-over or collapse
• Management of noise, vibration, dust and flying debris generated by excavation and breaking activities
• Emergency procedures, plant isolation and incident response related to excavator operations

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for excavator operators, civil contractors, earthmoving and demolition companies, landscapers, plant hire providers, and site supervisors managing excavation and rock breaking activities.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Code of Practice – Construction Work: Managing health and safety risks associated with construction activities, including excavation and use of mobile plant.
• Code of Practice – Excavation Work: Guidance on planning and carrying out excavation work safely, including ground stability and underground services.
• Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace: Requirements for the safe use, inspection, maintenance and operation of excavators and attachments.
• Code of Practice – Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces: Controls for work near edges, trenches, batters and while accessing/egressing plant.
• Code of Practice – Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work: Risk controls for high-noise excavation, rock breaking and mulching operations.
• Code of Practice – Hazardous Manual Tasks: Guidance on reducing manual handling risks during attachment changes, maintenance and access to plant.
• AS 2550.1 Cranes, Hoists and Winches – Safe Use – General Requirements: Referenced for general principles of safe use of lifting equipment where excavators are used for lifting loads.
• AS 4970 Protection of Trees on Development Sites: Referenced where excavation and mulching occur near retained trees and vegetation.
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017