Recovery Vehicle Safety SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers recovery requests, roadside work zones, vehicle assessment, recovery operations, repairs, loading, transport and demobilisation. It supports planning the recovery work and managing risks from traffic, vehicle movement, equipment, terrain and stored energy.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Receive recovery requests and confirm available information and resources
• Establish roadside work zones for traffic, visibility and unauthorised-entry risks
• Inspect recovery equipment before use
• Assess the stranded vehicle, terrain, slopes, overhead hazards and fuel leaks
• Stabilise stranded vehicles before recovery work begins
• Rig and operate winch recovery systems
• Recover vehicles from mud or wedging
• Recover buses and heavy vehicles
• Conduct roadside repairs where required
• Load, secure and transport recovered vehicles
• Demobilise, manage residual hazards and complete sign-off

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out vehicle recovery 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.
• Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of plant in the workplace.
• Model Code of Practice: Hazardous manual tasks.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the work environment and facilities.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the risks of fatigue at work.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing electrical risks in the workplace.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the risk of falls at workplaces.
• Model Code of Practice: Construction work, where recovery activities form part of construction work or are undertaken on or adjacent to a traffic corridor.
• AS 1742.3 Manual of uniform traffic control devices—Traffic control for works on roads.
• AS/NZS 4602.1 High visibility safety garments.
• AS/NZS 2210.3 Personal protective equipment—Safety footwear.
• AS/NZS 1270 Acoustics—Hearing protectors.
• AS 1353 series Flat synthetic-webbing slings.
• Relevant vehicle manufacturer instructions, recovery-equipment manufacturer instructions, rated capacity markings and road authority traffic-management requirements.

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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