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Delivery Driver Courier and Goods Handling Risk Assessment

Delivery Driver Courier and Goods Handling Risk Assessment

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Delivery Driver Courier and Goods Handling Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Delivery Driver, Courier and Goods Handling operations using this management-level Risk Assessment, focused on planning, systems, and governance rather than task-by-task work instructions. This document supports WHS Act compliance, demonstrates organisational Due Diligence, and helps protect your business from prosecution, enforceable undertakings and operational liability.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • WHS Governance, Duties and Consultation: Assessment of officer due diligence, PCBU responsibilities, consultation arrangements with workers and HSRs, and integration of courier and delivery risks into the overall WHS management system.
  • Vehicle Procurement and Fleet Safety Standards: Management of vehicle selection criteria, ANCAP ratings, safety technology (e.g. reversing cameras, telematics), and procurement policies for a compliant and fit-for-purpose delivery fleet.
  • Vehicle Maintenance, Inspection and Pre-Start Systems: Systems for scheduled servicing, defect reporting, pre-start checklists, and controls to prevent use of unsafe vehicles in delivery and courier operations.
  • Driver Competency, Licensing and Training: Verification of licences, competency assessments, induction and refresher training programs covering road rules, defensive driving, load restraint and client-site expectations.
  • Fatigue, Working Hours and Scheduling Management: Controls for shift length, breaks, rostering, use of subcontractors, and scheduling practices that minimise fatigue risk and discourage unsafe driving behaviours.
  • Journey Management and Route Planning: Planning protocols for route selection, traffic and weather considerations, GPS and telematics use, and communication systems for monitoring driver location and welfare.
  • Parking, Loading Zones and Site Access Management: Management of delivery locations, loading dock arrangements, kerbside parking, shared zones with pedestrians, and coordination with clients to reduce traffic interface risks.
  • Reversing, Manoeuvring and Low-Speed Vehicle Control: Controls for high-risk manoeuvres in driveways, warehouses and residential streets, including spotter use, technology aids, site rules and driver training.
  • Road Safety, Speed Management and Residential Area Controls: Policies and monitoring for speed compliance, school zones, high pedestrian areas, and managing community expectations around courier and delivery activities.
  • Manual Handling and Handling Equipment for Large Appliances: Assessment of musculoskeletal risks, selection and maintenance of trolleys and lifting aids, and training in safe techniques for large and awkward items.
  • Load Securing, Unloading and Large Item Handling Systems: Systems for load restraint compliance, vehicle layout, use of tie-downs and restraints, and procedures for safe unloading at varied client sites.
  • Site Access, Signage and Client Interface Management: Protocols for pre-delivery site assessment, access restrictions, communication with clients, and managing conflicts or unsafe client expectations.
  • Remote, Isolated and After-Hours Work Management: Controls for lone work, high-crime areas, after-hours deliveries, communication check-in procedures and emergency response arrangements.
  • Contractor, Labour-Hire and Third-Party Delivery Management: Governance over subcontractors, gig-economy drivers and labour-hire workers, including competency verification, WHS onboarding and performance monitoring.
  • Incident Management, Reporting and Continuous Improvement: Systems for incident and near-miss reporting, investigation, corrective actions, and ongoing review of delivery and courier risk controls.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Operations Managers, Fleet Managers and Safety Professionals responsible for planning, overseeing and governing Delivery Driver, Courier and Goods Handling operations across their organisation.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. WHS Governance, Duties and Consultation
  • • Lack of clearly defined WHS responsibilities for senior management, schedulers, and supervisors overseeing delivery drivers
  • • Inadequate consultation with delivery drivers and offsiders about hazards encountered during deliveries, including narrow alleys, ramps and residential streets
  • • Failure to integrate delivery-driver WHS risks into the broader corporate WHS management system
  • • Inadequate incident reporting, investigation and corrective action processes for road incidents, vehicle damage, near misses and manual handling injuries
  • • Poor contractor management where third‑party labour or transport providers are used without aligning WHS standards
  • • Insufficient resourcing (time, budget, staffing) allocated to manage delivery-driver and goods handling risks
2. Vehicle Procurement and Fleet Safety Standards
  • • Selection of vehicles not suited to delivery routes involving narrow passages, alleys, ramps and dense residential areas
  • • Procurement of vehicles without adequate safety features (e.g. low ANCAP rating, no reversing cameras, no stability control)
  • • Inadequate specification of load capacity leading to overloading with large appliances and fridges
  • • Lack of engineered load restraint points to secure large goods during transport
  • • Inconsistent fit-out of delivery vans, causing poor ergonomics and higher manual handling risks
3. Vehicle Maintenance, Inspection and Pre-Start Systems
  • • Inadequate preventive maintenance leading to brake, steering or tyre failure during deliveries
  • • Absence of a systematic daily pre-start check process for vans and trucks
  • • Failure to detect defects that increase risk when parking on non-stable surfaces, ramps or steep gradients
  • • Poor record keeping of maintenance, inspections and defect rectification
  • • Delayed repair of critical safety systems such as lights, indicators, reversing alarms and cameras
4. Driver Competency, Licensing and Training
  • • Drivers operating vehicles without appropriate class of licence or insufficient experience for larger vans
  • • Lack of competency in manoeuvring in narrow passages, alleys, congested carparks and ramps
  • • Insufficient training in safe reversing, blind-spot management and use of spotters
  • • Poor understanding of safe speeds in residential areas, school zones and shared traffic-pedestrian environments
  • • Inadequate training in safe use of manual handling equipment such as trolleys and dollies for fridges and large appliances
  • • Limited training in hazard recognition at delivery sites, including unstable surfaces and unclear signage
5. Fatigue, Working Hours and Scheduling Management
  • • Excessive driving hours between multiple sites without adequate breaks
  • • Unrealistic delivery schedules that encourage speeding, risky manoeuvres and skipping rest breaks
  • • Extended duty days involving both driving and heavy manual handling of appliances
  • • Poor management of early starts, late finishes and shift rotations
  • • Inadequate monitoring of fatigue risks for drivers working across multiple employers or contracts
6. Journey Management and Route Planning
  • • Absence of formal journey plans for routes involving multiple sites and long travel distances
  • • Inadequate planning for known high-risk areas such as narrow alleys, one-way streets and low-clearance carparks
  • • Insufficient consideration of school zones, peak traffic, and residential speed limits when scheduling deliveries
  • • Drivers relying on ad hoc navigation, increasing risk of last-minute manoeuvres due to unclear signage or directions at delivery sites
  • • Lack of contingency planning for roadworks, weather events or traffic incidents
7. Parking, Loading Zones and Site Access Management
  • • Lack of formal procedures for assessing safe parking options in already full carparks and on-street environments
  • • Parking on non-stable or uneven surfaces (verges, gravel, sloping driveways) increasing risk of vehicle movement or roll-away
  • • Inadequate control of loading and unloading in shared-traffic areas such as residential streets and shopping centre access roads
  • • Poor planning for access to loading bays, ramps and docks at retail stores and customer premises
  • • Insufficient coordination with clients regarding designated delivery points and traffic controls
8. Reversing, Manoeuvring and Low-Speed Vehicle Control
  • • Frequent reversing in tight spaces, ramps and narrow alleys without structured controls
  • • Limited visibility when backing towards loading docks, residential driveways or store entrances
  • • Reliance solely on technology (cameras, sensors) without defined procedures for manual checks or use of spotters where available
  • • Inadequate controls to separate pedestrians and other vehicles from reversing areas
  • • Pressure to complete deliveries quickly leading to unsafe manoeuvres
9. Road Safety, Speed Management and Residential Area Controls
  • • Speeding or inappropriate speed selection, especially in residential streets and shared zones
  • • Failure to adequately adjust driving for weather, traffic and road conditions during deliveries
  • • Distraction from navigation devices, mobile phones or in-cab systems while travelling between multiple sites
  • • Inconsistent application of slow-down measures around schools, parks and high pedestrian areas
  • • Lack of systemic monitoring of driver behaviour on the road
10. Manual Handling and Use of Handling Equipment for Large Appliances
  • • Systemic reliance on manual lifting rather than mechanical aids for large fridges and appliances
  • • Lack of standardised equipment (trolleys, dollies, stair-climbers) appropriate to the size and weight of goods
  • • Insufficient planning for access constraints such as stairs, narrow doorways and uneven paths from truck to store or residence
  • • Inadequate procedures for team lifts and coordination between driver and offsider
  • • Poor maintenance and inspection systems for trolleys and manual handling equipment
11. Load Securing, Unloading and Large Item Handling Systems
  • • Inadequate load restraint systems resulting in movement of fridges and large appliances during travel
  • • No standardised unloading procedures for large items at client sites or stores
  • • Lack of planning for unloading on sloped driveways, ramps or uneven surfaces
  • • Unclear responsibilities between driver and client staff during loading and unloading activities
  • • Insufficient controls for public and customer access near unloading zones
12. Site Access, Signage and Client Interface Management
  • • Unclear or inadequate signage at delivery sites leading to confusion, last-minute manoeuvres or unsafe parking
  • • Inconsistent information provided by clients about access routes, loading bays and restrictions
  • • Delivery to residential or commercial premises where access hazards (ramps, tight corners, low clearances) are not communicated in advance
  • • Lack of formal arrangements with regular client sites regarding traffic management during deliveries
  • • Miscommunication with store staff about timing and location of deliveries
13. Remote, Isolated and After-Hours Work Management
  • • Drivers working alone in remote areas or at night without adequate communication systems
  • • Limited assistance available during incidents, breakdowns or injuries while travelling between sites
  • • Poor visibility and additional security risks at after-hours deliveries in back-of-store alleys and loading docks
  • • Inadequate monitoring of driver locations and welfare during long or remote delivery runs
14. Contractor, Labour-Hire and Third-Party Delivery Management
  • • Contractors performing delivery tasks without meeting organisational WHS standards
  • • Inconsistent training and competency verification for agency or labour-hire drivers and offsiders
  • • Gaps in communication regarding routes, site hazards and manual handling requirements for third-party operators
  • • Lack of oversight of contractor fatigue, vehicle condition and load restraint practices
15. Incident Management, Reporting and Continuous Improvement
  • • Under-reporting of road incidents, property damage, near misses and manual handling injuries
  • • Inconsistent incident investigation practices that fail to identify systemic causes such as poor scheduling or inadequate training
  • • Lack of feedback loops to drivers on lessons learned from incidents and corrective actions taken
  • • Failure to monitor WHS performance indicators specific to delivery and goods handling activities

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice: Guidance on safe use of vehicles and handling equipment as plant.
  • Safe Work Australia – Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice: Requirements for managing musculoskeletal risks from manual handling of goods and appliances.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice: Expectations for safe access, egress and amenities at delivery and client sites.
  • Safe Work Australia – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice: Framework for identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing controls.
  • AS 4024 Safety of Machinery (series): Relevant principles for guarding and safe use of mechanical handling aids where applicable.
  • AS/NZS 4801 / ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems — requirements for systematic WHS governance.
  • National Heavy Vehicle Law and associated guidelines (where applicable): Chain of Responsibility, fatigue and load restraint obligations for heavier vehicles in the fleet.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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