Product Overview

Summary: This Rig Alignment and Placement Safe Operating Procedure sets out a clear, step-by-step method for safely positioning and aligning drilling or piling rigs on Australian worksites. It helps organisations control ground stability, load, and exclusion-zone risks while ensuring rigs are installed accurately, efficiently, and in line with WHS obligations.

Incorrect rig alignment and placement can quickly turn into a high‑risk situation, particularly on congested or geotechnically challenging sites. This SOP provides a structured, practical framework for assessing ground conditions, planning access and egress, establishing exclusion zones, and safely positioning and aligning rigs prior to drilling, piling or lifting operations. It guides workers through pre-start checks, communication protocols, use of spotters, and verification of verticality and alignment, ensuring that the rig is stable, correctly oriented and ready for safe operation.

Developed for Australian construction, civil and resources environments, this procedure helps businesses demonstrate due diligence under WHS legislation while improving productivity and reducing rework. By standardising how rigs are brought onto site, set up, aligned to design coordinates and signed off for use, companies can minimise the risk of tip‑overs, structural clashes, underground service strikes and costly delays. The SOP also supports consistent training and competency assessment, so new and existing operators follow the same safe, repeatable process every time.

Key Benefits

• Reduce the risk of rig tip‑over, ground failure and structural impact incidents through systematic planning and placement controls.
• Ensure consistent, accurate rig alignment to design coordinates and tolerances, reducing rework and quality defects.
• Strengthen compliance with Australian WHS duties by documenting a defensible, risk-based approach to rig setup and positioning.
• Improve communication between operators, spotters, engineers and supervisors with defined roles, signals and hold points.
• Streamline onboarding and training by providing a clear, step-by-step reference for safe rig alignment and placement.

Who is this for?

• Drilling Rig Operators
• Piling Rig Operators
• Site Supervisors
• Construction Project Managers
• WHS Advisors and Safety Officers
• Civil Engineers
• Geotechnical Engineers
• Fleet and Plant Managers
• Rig Dogmen and Spotters

Hazards Addressed

• Rig instability and tip‑over due to inadequate ground bearing capacity or incorrect outrigger deployment
• Contact with overhead powerlines, structures, services or plant during rig slewing or mast raising
• Striking underground services (gas, water, electrical, communications) during placement and alignment activities
• Crushing and pinch-point injuries to workers in proximity to moving rigs and outriggers
• Vehicle and plant collisions in shared access ways and during rig manoeuvring
• Falls from height during rig setup, mast inspection or alignment checks
• Noise and vibration exposure during alignment verification and test operations
• Manual handling strains from handling alignment equipment, pads, bog mats and cribbing

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Terminology
• 3.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Competency Requirements
• 4.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and References
• 5.0 Pre‑Planning and Engineering Requirements
• 6.0 Site Assessment and Ground Condition Verification
• 7.0 Underground and Overhead Services Identification and Control
• 8.0 Traffic Management and Access/Egress Planning
• 9.0 Required Plant, Tools and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• 10.0 Pre‑Start Inspections and Rig Readiness Checks
• 11.0 Rig Positioning, Levelling and Outrigger Setup
• 12.0 Alignment to Design Coordinates and Verticality Checks
• 13.0 Establishment of Exclusion Zones and Spotter Requirements
• 14.0 Communication Protocols, Hand Signals and Permit Requirements
• 15.0 Verification, Sign‑Off and Handover to Operations
• 16.0 Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control Measures
• 17.0 Emergency Procedures and Incident Response
• 18.0 Environmental Considerations (noise, vibration, spoil and run‑off)
• 19.0 Training, Induction and Competency Assessment
• 20.0 Inspection, Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
• 21.0 Document Control and Review History

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state and territory WHS Regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Plant in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Construction Work
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Excavation Work
• AS 2550 series: Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use (as applicable to mobile plant and lifting operations)
• AS 1418 series: Cranes, hoists and winches – Design and construction (as applicable)
• AS/NZS 3012: Electrical installations – Construction and demolition sites
• AS 1726: Geotechnical site investigations (for ground assessment guidance)
• AS/NZS ISO 31000: Risk management – Guidelines