Farming Machinery SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers planning, preparing, operating, maintaining and demobilising farming machinery activities, including tractor, implement, hay baling, bale handling, bale cutting and disc cultivation work. It supports management of plant interaction, moving parts, stored energy, materials, fuels and work-area hazards.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Plan the work and brief the team
• Inspect the paddock and establish exclusion zones
• Complete tractor and implement pre-start checks
• Connect implements and PTO equipment
• Set up and operate hay baling activities
• Clear baler blockages
• Handle and transport bales
• Operate bale-cutting equipment
• Operate a disc cultivator
• Refuel and manage fluids
• Maintain and clean machinery
• Demobilise machinery and sign off

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out farming machinery 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, including locally enacted duties for consultation, risk management, plant, hazardous manual tasks, noise, hazardous chemicals, electrical safety, personal protective equipment and emergency arrangements.
• Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks (guidance; confirm adoption or approval in the relevant jurisdiction).
• Safe Work Australia, Managing the risks of plant in the workplace Code of Practice (guidance; confirm adoption or approval in the relevant jurisdiction), including PTO guarding and plant isolation guidance.
• Rural plant Code of Practice 2024 as industry guidance for rural plant risk assessment, guarding, tractors, ROPS and attachments.
• Work near overhead and underground electric lines Code of Practice as guidance where agricultural machinery may approach electric lines; confirm applicable local electrical safety requirements and approach distances.
• AS/NZS 2153 Tractors and machinery for agriculture and forestry—Technical means for ensuring safety.
• AS 1121.4 Agricultural tractor power take-offs—Guards for PTO drive-shafts—Strength and wear tests and acceptance criteria.
• AS/NZS 2210.3 Personal protective equipment—Safety footwear.
• AS/NZS 1270 Acoustics—Hearing protectors.
• AS/NZS 1337.1 Personal eye-protection—Eye and face protectors for occupational applications.
• AS/NZS 1715 Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment.
• AS/NZS 1716 Respiratory protective devices.
• ISO 3471 Earth-moving machinery—Roll-over protective structures, where relevant to plant design or replacement ROPS.

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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