Quarry Excavation SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers quarry excavation activities from planning and access control through drilling, blasting, excavation, plant maintenance and rehabilitation. It supports work planning and risk management for unstable ground, rockfall, plant interaction, silica dust, explosives, water and changing conditions.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Plan the work and inspect quarry conditions
• Set up access, traffic controls and exclusion arrangements
• Complete plant pre-start checks
• Scale and inspect the quarry face
• Drill blast holes
• Prepare blast controls and load, stem and connect blast holes
• Clear the area and fire the blast
• Inspect the blast and manage misfires
• Excavate and load blasted rock
• Manage water and dust
• Refuel and maintain plant
• Rehabilitate the area and complete sign-off

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out quarry excavation 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 duties to eliminate or minimise risks, consult workers, provide safe plant and systems of work, manage construction work risks and meet jurisdiction-specific mining, quarrying, explosives, dangerous-goods and regulator-notification requirements.
• Safe Work Australia Model Code of Practice: Excavation Work, as adopted or approved in the relevant jurisdiction; use as guidance only and verify local legal status. It identifies explosives work as high-risk construction work and requires a SWMS before blasting begins.
• Safe Work Australia Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace, as adopted or approved in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Safe Work Australia Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces, as adopted or approved in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Safe Work Australia Model Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace, as adopted or approved in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Safe Work Australia Model Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work, as adopted or approved in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Safe Work Australia Model Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks, as adopted or approved in the relevant jurisdiction.
• AS 2187.2 Explosives—Storage and use—Use of explosives; blasting must be planned and controlled by a licensed competent person.
• Australian Code for the Transport of Explosives by Road and Rail.
• AS/NZS 1270 Hearing protectors; AS/NZS 1337.1 Personal eye-protection equipment; AS/NZS 1801 Occupational protective helmets; AS/NZS 2210.3 Personal protective equipment—Safety footwear; AS/NZS 4602.1 High-visibility safety garments.
• Model WHS laws and model Codes of Practice do not automatically have legal effect in every jurisdiction; confirm the applicable mining, quarrying, explosives and WHS/OHS requirements with the regulator for the work location.

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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