Product Overview

Summary: This Resource Recovery Centre Safe Operating Procedure sets out clear, practical steps for running a safe, compliant and efficient waste and recycling facility in Australia. It integrates WHS, environmental and operational controls so your team can manage traffic, machinery, hazardous wastes and public interactions with confidence.

A resource recovery centre is a high‑risk environment where heavy vehicles, mobile plant, members of the public and a wide range of waste streams all converge on a single site. Without a robust, documented procedure, small lapses in process can quickly escalate into serious incidents, environmental breaches or costly service disruptions. This Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, step‑by‑step framework for how your facility is run each day – from site opening and traffic management through to waste acceptance, segregation, load inspection, emergency response and end‑of‑day close‑down checks.

Developed for Australian conditions and regulatory expectations, the SOP helps you translate WHS and environmental duties into clear, usable instructions for frontline staff. It addresses common problem areas such as managing aggressive customers, handling unknown or prohibited wastes, coordinating plant movements around public areas, and ensuring staff use the correct PPE for each waste stream. By implementing this procedure, councils and waste operators can demonstrate due diligence, improve safety performance, protect the environment and deliver a consistent, professional service to the community.

Key Benefits

• Ensure consistent, safe operation of the resource recovery centre across all shifts and staff.
• Reduce the risk of vehicle and plant collisions through clear traffic management and exclusion zone controls.
• Minimise environmental harm by standardising waste acceptance, segregation and spill response practices.
• Strengthen WHS compliance and due diligence under Australian legislation, reducing the likelihood of regulatory action.
• Improve customer experience and throughput by streamlining gatehouse, weighing, and unloading processes.

Who is this for?

• Resource Recovery Centre Managers
• Transfer Station Operators
• Local Government Waste Services Coordinators
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• Operations Supervisors
• Gatehouse and Weighbridge Attendants
• Plant and Machinery Operators (loaders, forklifts, compactors)
• Environmental and Sustainability Officers
• Contract Waste Service Providers

Hazards Addressed

• Vehicle and mobile plant collisions with pedestrians or other vehicles
• Struck‑by and crush injuries from loaders, forklifts and compactors
• Slips, trips and falls on uneven, wet or contaminated surfaces
• Manual handling injuries from lifting, pushing or pulling waste items
• Exposure to hazardous substances (chemicals, asbestos, sharps, dust, fumes)
• Fire and explosion risks from flammable, reactive or incompatible wastes
• Biological hazards from putrescible waste and sharps
• Noise and vibration exposure from plant and equipment
• Heat stress, cold stress and other outdoor environmental exposures
• Aggression or violence from members of the public or contractors
• Environmental contamination from spills, leaks or improper storage of wastes

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Terms
• 3.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Competency Requirements
• 4.0 Site Layout, Traffic Management and Pedestrian Controls
• 5.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements
• 6.0 Pre‑Start Checks and Daily Site Inspection
• 7.0 Gatehouse, Weighbridge and Customer Induction Procedures
• 8.0 Waste Acceptance Criteria and Load Inspection
• 9.0 Handling of Prohibited, Hazardous and Unknown Wastes
• 10.0 Waste Segregation, Storage and Stockpile Management
• 11.0 Operation of Plant and Equipment (loaders, forklifts, compactors)
• 12.0 Manual Handling and Safe Work Practices
• 13.0 Management of Public Access and Customer Behaviour
• 14.0 Environmental Controls (dust, noise, odour, litter and stormwater)
• 15.0 Spill Response, Fire Prevention and Emergency Procedures
• 16.0 Incident Reporting, Near Misses and Corrective Actions
• 17.0 Cleaning, Housekeeping and End‑of‑Day Close‑Down
• 18.0 Training, Induction and Competency Assessment
• 19.0 Document Control, Review and Continuous Improvement

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and relevant state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 and corresponding state and territory regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
• AS/NZS 4801: Occupational health and safety management systems (superseded but still widely referenced)
• AS/NZS ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• Relevant state and territory waste and environmental protection legislation (e.g. POEO Act in NSW, EP Act in other jurisdictions)
• Local government and EPA guidelines for resource recovery centres and transfer stations