BlueSafe
Landscaping Activities Risk Assessment

Landscaping Activities 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

Landscaping Activities Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Landscaping Activities at a management and systems level, ensuring your policies, planning and controls are robust, documented and defensible. This Landscaping Activities Risk Assessment supports WHS Risk Management, Due Diligence obligations and helps protect your business from regulatory enforcement and operational liability under the WHS Act.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • WHS Governance, Duty of Care and Legislative Compliance: Assessment of organisational WHS responsibilities, safety leadership, consultation arrangements and the integration of legal duties into landscaping operations.
  • Planning, Job Design and Contract Management: Management of pre-start planning, scope definition, client and subcontractor interfaces, and the inclusion of safety requirements in contracts and service agreements.
  • Worker Competency, Induction and Training Systems: Evaluation of competency standards, licences and tickets, site-specific inductions, refresher training and verification of competency for landscaping teams.
  • Plant, Equipment and Procurement Management: Controls for selecting suitable mowers, trimmers, blowers and other landscaping plant, including procurement criteria, guarding, noise and vibration considerations and supplier documentation.
  • Plant Maintenance, Inspection and Tagging Systems: Systems for scheduled servicing, pre-start checks, defect reporting, tagging and removal from service of unsafe landscaping equipment.
  • Hazardous Chemicals and Biological Risk Management: Management of fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, fuels and exposure to biological agents such as mould, allergens, sharps and animal waste, including SDS access and safe storage.
  • Traffic, Vehicle and Public Interface Management: Protocols for operating vehicles, trailers and ride-on plant in public areas, managing work near roads, pedestrian separation, signage and protecting members of the public.
  • Environmental and Outdoor Exposure Management: Assessment of UV exposure, heat and cold stress, adverse weather, noise, dust, vegetation, slopes and ground conditions impacting landscaping activities.
  • Manual Tasks, Ergonomics and Workload Management: Controls for lifting, pushing, pulling and repetitive tasks associated with turf, soil, plants and equipment, including ergonomic tool selection and task rotation.
  • Fatigue, Psychological Health and Workforce Wellbeing: Management of work hours, scheduling, remote and isolated work, psychosocial hazards, workload pressures and support systems for worker wellbeing.
  • Incident, Hazard Reporting and Investigation Systems: Processes for capturing near misses, injuries and hazards, conducting root cause analysis and implementing corrective and preventive actions across landscaping operations.
  • Emergency Preparedness and First Aid Systems: Planning for medical emergencies, fire, chemical exposure, severe weather and public incidents, including first aid resources, communication protocols and emergency response coordination.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Operations Managers, Contract Managers and Safety Officers responsible for planning, managing and overseeing Landscaping Activities across multiple sites or contracts.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. WHS Governance, Duty of Care and Legislative Compliance
  • • Lack of clear WHS roles, responsibilities and accountability for landscaping activities under WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulation
  • • Inadequate understanding by officers and managers of due diligence obligations relating to high‑risk landscaping tasks (e.g. chainsaw use, elevated work, plant and traffic interaction)
  • • Failure to consult, cooperate and coordinate WHS duties with clients, host PCBUs, subcontractors and labour‑hire providers on landscaping sites
  • • Absence of a documented WHS management system tailored to landscaping operations, leading to ad hoc safety practices
  • • Poor integration of WHS requirements into contracts, scopes of work and service agreements for landscaping projects
  • • Insufficient monitoring, review and verification that WHS policies and procedures are being implemented in the field
2. Planning, Job Design and Contract Management
  • • Landscaping scopes of work developed without formal WHS risk assessment, leading to high‑risk methods being normalised (e.g. unnecessary manual handling, unsafe access on slopes, ad hoc traffic setups)
  • • Inadequate consideration of site‑specific hazards such as underground services, overhead powerlines, steep or unstable terrain, water bodies and public interface during planning
  • • Unrealistic timeframes and budgets that encourage shortcuts, fatigue and inadequate supervision
  • • Poorly defined responsibilities between principal contractor, client, landscaper and subcontractors regarding site control, emergency response and permit systems
  • • Lack of pre‑qualification of landscaping subcontractors and suppliers regarding their WHS capability and past performance
  • • Failure to plan for environmental conditions (extreme heat, UV exposure, storms, bushfire risk) in scheduling and resourcing
3. Worker Competency, Induction and Training Systems
  • • Landscaping workers operating plant, chainsaws, brushcutters, mowers and chemical application equipment without formal competency verification
  • • Inadequate training on the specific WHS risks associated with landscaping, including traffic interaction, public safety, wildlife, snakes, insects and allergen exposure
  • • Lack of structured induction for new workers, labour‑hire staff and subcontractors regarding site rules, emergency arrangements and critical risk controls
  • • Inconsistent understanding of safe operating procedures and risk assessments across crews due to informal, on‑the‑job training only
  • • No documented process for assessing literacy, language and numeracy barriers that may affect understanding of safety instructions and labels
  • • Insufficient refresher training and verification of ongoing competence for high‑risk tasks and equipment use
4. Plant, Equipment and Procurement Management
  • • Procurement of landscaping plant and equipment that does not meet Australian standards or is not fit for intended use (e.g. lack of guarding, poor stability on slopes)
  • • Use of ageing or poorly maintained mowers, brushcutters, chainsaws, blowers, chippers, loaders and trailers increasing risk of mechanical failure and injury
  • • Lack of standardisation of plant across the fleet, resulting in inconsistent controls, training and spare parts
  • • Inadequate selection of plant for specific terrain, leading to rollovers, loss of control and musculoskeletal strain
  • • Failure to include noise and vibration exposure considerations in plant selection and change management
  • • Insufficient control over hired or subcontractor‑supplied plant, including limited visibility of maintenance and inspection history
5. Plant Maintenance, Inspection and Tagging Systems
  • • Inadequate preventative maintenance of landscaping plant leading to mechanical failure, loss of control, fires and exposure to fumes or debris
  • • No formal system for pre‑use checks, defect reporting and isolation of unsafe plant
  • • Use of damaged or non‑compliant electrical tools, extension leads and portable RCDs in outdoor conditions
  • • Failure to verify that guards, safety interlocks and emergency stops on plant remain functional over time
  • • Inconsistent servicing intervals due to dispersed worksites and competing production priorities
  • • Lack of documented evidence to demonstrate maintenance compliance following incidents or regulatory inspections
6. Hazardous Chemicals and Biological Risk Management
  • • Uncontrolled use, storage and transport of herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers, fuels and cleaning agents used in landscaping
  • • Lack of current Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and risk assessments for hazardous chemicals routinely used by landscaping crews
  • • Inadequate systems for mixing, decanting, labelling and disposing of chemicals leading to exposure, environmental harm and regulatory breaches
  • • Failure to consider combined exposures to chemicals, dust, pollens, mould, animal droppings and other biological agents when planning works
  • • Poor management of chemical application near sensitive receptors such as schools, waterways, playgrounds and public thoroughfares
  • • Insufficient monitoring of worker health in relation to repeated chemical and allergen exposure
7. Traffic, Vehicle and Public Interface Management
  • • Landscaping crews operating in close proximity to live traffic without adequate traffic management planning and oversight
  • • Movement of vehicles, trailers, plant and pedestrians within depots, client sites and public spaces without clear separation and control
  • • Insufficient systems to manage reversing, loading and unloading of trailers, plant and materials in public or congested areas
  • • Lack of coordination with road authorities, local councils or facility owners regarding temporary traffic controls and public access restrictions
  • • Inadequate procedures for securing worksites, tools, plant and materials to protect members of the public, including children, from entering work areas
  • • Poor journey management for crews travelling between multiple landscaping sites, contributing to fatigue and driving risk
8. Environmental and Outdoor Exposure Management
  • • Chronic exposure of landscaping workers to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, heat stress, cold, wind and adverse weather
  • • Inadequate planning for severe weather events such as storms, lightning, high winds and heavy rain that may make landscaping work unsafe
  • • No systematic approach to managing wildlife and environmental hazards such as snakes, spiders, bees, wasps, ticks and aggressive domestic animals
  • • Insufficient control of slips, trips and falls risks associated with uneven ground, embankments, wet grass, mulch and debris across varying sites
  • • Lack of structured hydration, shade and work‑rest arrangements for hot conditions and high‑exertion tasks
  • • Failure to incorporate seasonal and climatic factors into resource allocation, job rotation, PPE selection and scheduling
9. Manual Tasks, Ergonomics and Workload Management
  • • Systemic reliance on high‑effort manual handling for materials such as soil, pavers, plants, turf, rocks and green waste due to inadequate mechanical aids and poor job design
  • • Repetitive and sustained use of handheld landscaping equipment resulting in musculoskeletal disorders and vibration exposure
  • • Inadequate planning for workforce rotation, rest breaks and variation of tasks leading to cumulative strain injuries
  • • Equipment and vehicle layouts that require awkward postures when accessing or securing tools and materials
  • • Lack of structured process for assessing and redesigning high‑risk manual tasks across different landscaping contracts
  • • Production targets that implicitly encourage rushing and unsafe lifting practices
10. Fatigue, Psychological Health and Workforce Wellbeing
  • • Long workdays, early starts, travel between multiple landscaping sites and seasonal peak workloads leading to fatigue
  • • Work in isolation or small mobile crews with limited supervision and support, increasing psychosocial and physical risk
  • • Exposure to aggressive members of the public, client pressures and competing priorities without clear escalation pathways
  • • Under‑resourced teams resulting in sustained high workload and stress, especially during seasonal peaks or after weather delays
  • • Stigma or lack of awareness regarding mental health, preventing early reporting of psychological strain
  • • No formal arrangements for discussing workload, job control, bullying, harassment or conflict in landscaping crews
11. Incident, Hazard Reporting and Investigation Systems
  • • Under‑reporting of hazards, near misses and minor injuries in landscaping activities due to complex, slow or punitive reporting processes
  • • Inconsistent classification, recording and analysis of incidents across different crews and sites, limiting learning
  • • Failure to meet notifiable incident reporting obligations under the WHS Act 2011 for serious landscaping‑related events
  • • Poor quality or superficial incident investigations that focus on worker behaviour rather than underlying system and management failures
  • • Lack of feedback to workers and subcontractors on actions taken following reports, reducing trust in the WHS system
  • • No centralised system for tracking corrective actions, leading to recurrence of similar landscaping incidents
12. Emergency Preparedness and First Aid Systems
  • • Landscaping crews working across dispersed and remote sites without adequate emergency planning, communication or location information
  • • Insufficient first aid resources, training and systems given the nature of landscaping hazards (cuts, amputations, crush injuries, bites and stings, heat stress, chemical exposure)
  • • Lack of coordination with host workplaces, local emergency services and clients regarding site‑specific emergency arrangements
  • • Inadequate processes for responding to severe weather, bushfire risk, vehicle incidents or medical emergencies while travelling between sites
  • • Failure to test and review emergency procedures for landscaping operations, resulting in confusion during actual events
  • • No systematic recording or review of emergency drills or real emergency responses to inform improvements

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
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Guidance on systematic risk management processes.
  • Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Plant in the Workplace: Requirements for the safe selection, use and maintenance of plant and equipment.
  • Model Code of Practice: Hazardous Chemicals: Duties for storage, handling and risk control of hazardous substances such as pesticides and fuels.
  • Model Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work: Controls for noise exposures from powered landscaping equipment.
  • AS/NZS 4801 / ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems — requirements for systematic WHS governance.
  • AS 1319: Safety signs for the occupational environment — Requirements for safety signage in public and outdoor work areas.
  • Safe Work Australia Guidance on Preventing Heat-related Illness: Management of heat stress and environmental exposure for outdoor workers.
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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