Product Overview

This Forestry Operations SWMS is a comprehensive Safe Work Method Statement designed to identify hazards, assess risks, and implement controls for forestry, logging, and timber processing activities, supporting strong WHS compliance on Australian worksites. It provides end-to-end coverage of multiple high-risk forestry tasks, ensuring consistent, documented procedures for forestry operations safety from harvesting through to milling.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Safe driving and operation of log loaders in forest environments, log yards, and loading zones
• Manual and mechanical handling of heavy timber logs to minimise crush, pinch, and musculoskeletal injury risks
• Helicopter logging operations, including load rigging, exclusion zones, and communication with flight crews
• High altitude seed collection using elevated work platforms, climbing systems, or aerial access methods
• Operation of log loaders for stacking, sorting, and feeding logs to processing equipment
• Inspection, servicing, and maintenance of tree harvesters and associated cutting heads
• Use of metal detectors on fresh cut logs to identify embedded metal and prevent equipment damage
• Operating debarkers, including guarding, lock-out/tag-out, and safe clearing of blockages
• Programming and operating automated felling machines with appropriate guarding and emergency stops
• Sapping operations and removal of sapwood, including control of manual tool and blade-related hazards
• Sawmill operations involving sawing, cutting, and conveying timber through fixed and mobile plant
• Stripping bark from logs using mechanical or manual methods, with controls for flying debris and noise
• Timber milling, including cutting, planing, and finishing processes with dust and noise management
• Traffic management for interaction between mobile plant, trucks, and ground workers in forestry settings
• Emergency response planning for remote or isolated forestry worksites, including first aid and rescue arrangements

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for forestry contractors, logging crews, sawmills, timber processors, arborists, and site supervisors managing forestry and timber production activities.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice: Guidance on controlling risks associated with forestry machinery, mobile plant, and fixed plant
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice: Requirements for safe work environments, including remote and outdoor forestry sites
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice: Controls for manual handling of logs, timber, and equipment
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice: Noise control measures for sawmills, debarkers, and timber milling operations
• Managing Risks of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice: Fall prevention for high altitude seed collection and elevated access in forestry
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice: First aid requirements for forestry crews and remote operations
• AS 2727: Chainsaws – Guide to safe working practices: Guidance for chainsaw-related tasks associated with forestry and logging operations
• AS 1742.3: Manual of uniform traffic control devices – Traffic control for works on roads: Traffic management around forestry haul roads and loading areas
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017