Product Overview

This Recycling Operations SWMS is a site-ready Safe Work Method Statement designed to identify hazards and implement controls for recycling plant and material handling activities, helping you maintain WHS compliance on every job. It provides comprehensive coverage of recycling processes including crushing, shredding, sorting, and separation to support safe, efficient and environmentally responsible recycling operations.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Safe operation, guarding and maintenance checks for cullet crushing equipment
• Use of eddy current separators including guarding, exclusion zones and lock-out procedures
• Handling, stacking and storage of recycled materials to prevent collapse, spills and manual handling injuries
• Magnetic separation processes, including safe access, cleaning and maintenance of magnets and conveyors
• Manual sorting of recyclables with controls for cuts, punctures, sharps, biohazards and repetitive strain
• Operating tyre shredders, including feed procedures, jam clearing, isolation and emergency stop use
• Recycling of plastic drums in bulk containers, including decanting, decontamination and spill management
• Recycling of individual plastic drums up to 110 litres, including inspection, triple-rinsing and safe cutting or crushing
• Collection, baling and processing of agricultural plastics such as silage wrap, chemical containers and irrigation pipe
• Tyre shredding and downstream handling of shredded rubber, steel and fibre products
• Traffic management for mobile plant, forklifts and trucks within recycling facilities
• Noise, dust and airborne contaminant control measures around crushers, shredders and sorting lines
• Housekeeping, waste segregation and fire prevention in recycling storage and processing areas

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for recycling facilities, waste management operators, transfer stations, resource recovery centres, tyre recycling plants, plastics recyclers, and site supervisors overseeing recycling operations on Australian worksites.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace – Safe use, guarding, maintenance and isolation of recycling machinery and equipment
• Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks – Controls for lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling and repetitive tasks in recycling operations
• Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks – Systematic identification, assessment and control of risks in recycling facilities
• Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work – Noise risk management around crushers, shredders and separation equipment
• Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces – Access, egress and working at height controls around platforms, hoppers and conveyors
• Code of Practice: Confined Spaces – Where applicable to maintenance inside hoppers, pits, tanks or enclosed process equipment
• Code of Practice: Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination – Engagement with workers and contractors in recycling operations
• AS/NZS 4024 Safety of Machinery (series) – Principles for guarding, emergency stops and safety control systems on recycling plant
• AS 1319 Safety Signs for the Occupational Environment – Signage for plant, PPE, traffic management and emergency information
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017