BlueSafe

Tools and Material Handling at Height Risk Assessment

This risk assessment covers handling, securing, raising and lowering tools and materials while working at height.

Activities covered include

  • Plan the work area and manage activities below and around the work location
  • Raise and lower tools and materials using suitable methods and containers
  • Prepare for fall, dropped-object and related emergency incidents

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Tools and Material Handling at Height Risk Assessment
  • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • Pre-filled Content - Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • Customisable - Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Product Overview

This risk assessment covers handling, securing, raising and lowering tools and materials while working at height. It supports planning and risk management by identifying fall, dropped-object, manual-handling, electrical and changing-site-condition hazards.

Activities & Risks Covered

This assessment addresses activities and risks including:

  • Plan the work area and manage activities below and around the work location
  • Access work positions while carrying tools or materials
  • Set up work platforms, edge protection and safe material storage areas
  • Secure tools and small equipment at height
  • Handle and store materials to prevent movement, instability and clutter
  • Raise and lower tools and materials using suitable methods and containers
  • Manage work near electrical services or energised equipment
  • Review wind, rain, lighting and changing site interfaces
  • Provide training, supervision and clear communication for handling tasks
  • Prepare for fall, dropped-object and related emergency incidents

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses handling tools or materials at height.

Activities & Hazards Covered

Activity Potential Hazards
Planning and work area set-up
  • Dropped tools or materials striking workers or the public below
  • Unplanned work over accessways, plant routes or occupied areas
  • Inadequate selection of controls for work at height and falling object risks
  • Poor consultation leading to conflicting activities in the same area
Access to height and carrying items
  • Loss of balance while accessing the work position with tools or materials
  • Overreaching or three-point contact being lost while carrying items
  • Slips, trips and falls on access ways, ladders or platforms
  • Objects dropped during ascent or descent
Establishing the work platform and edge protection
  • Workers or materials falling from an incomplete or unsuitable platform
  • Items rolling or being kicked from edges
  • Falls through penetrations, gaps or unprotected openings
  • Platform overloading from stacked materials and equipment
Securing tools and small equipment
  • Hand tools, battery tools or components falling onto persons below
  • Tool lanyards snagging and creating entanglement or balance hazards
  • Unsecured tools falling into plant, structures or energised equipment
  • Workers placing tools on edges where they can be dislodged
Handling and storing materials at height
  • Materials slipping, rolling or being blown from the work area
  • Strains, sprains and crush injuries from awkward manual handling
  • Collapse or instability of stacked materials
  • Trips caused by poor housekeeping and excess material at the work face
Raising and lowering tools and materials
  • Dropped loads due to poor lifting method or unsuitable container
  • Loads striking structures, workers or the public during movement
  • Loose items falling from buckets, boxes or slings
  • Workers standing under suspended or moving loads
Work near electrical services or energised equipment
  • Electric shock from conductive tools, materials or plant contacting live parts
  • Dropped metal items entering energised equipment
  • Arc flash or fire from inappropriate tools or poor isolation
  • Restricted movement causing loss of control of tools at height
Environmental conditions and changing site conditions
  • Wind causing loss of control of materials, sheets, tools or debris
  • Rain, glare or poor lighting reducing footing and visibility
  • Unexpected interface with other trades, mobile plant or public access
  • Changed conditions making existing controls ineffective
Training, supervision and communication
  • Workers using incorrect handling methods or unsuitable equipment
  • Inexperienced workers failing to recognise dropped object or fall hazards
  • Mixed messages during lifting or transfer of materials
  • Controls not being followed consistently
Emergency response and dropped object or fall incident
  • Delayed rescue after a fall or suspended worker incident
  • Further injury during recovery of dropped items or unstable materials
  • Poor communication during an emergency
  • Inadequate first aid response

Need to tailor this risk assessment?

Use the BlueSafe Portal to add site-specific activities, hazards, controls, responsibilities and review details before the assessment is put into use.

Acceptance Guaranteed: If your client or principal requests changes during document review, BlueSafe will help revise the document at no extra cost and support resubmission until it is accepted.

Legislation & References

The template records model guidance used to inform the documented controls. Applicable WHS/OHS laws and adopted Codes vary by state or territory, so confirm the current local requirements when tailoring the assessment:

  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing the risk of falls at workplaces — 3.2 Identifying the hazards; p. 16.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Hazardous manual tasks — 4.1 The hierarchy of control measures; p. 31.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace — 3. First aid equipment, facilities and training; p. 12.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing the work environment and facilities — 1.2 Managing risks associated with the work environment and facilities; p. 12.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing electrical risks in the workplace — 2.1 Identifying the hazards; p. 14.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of plant in the workplace — Plant hazard identification — Traffic movements in the workplace; p. 17.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Construction work — 6.2 Workplace specific induction training; p. 41.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks — 3. Step 2 — How to assess risks; p. 15.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Activity-specific hazard identification and control measures
  • Initial and residual risk ratings
  • Assigned responsible persons for each activity
  • Risk matrix and assessment classification
  • Review, monitoring and sign-off fields
  • Site-specific customisation before use

Suitable for Industries

Building and ConstructionLandscaping ContractorsWarehousing and DistributionAir Conditioning and RefrigerationCarpentry and JoineryFire Protection ServicesCivil Construction and EarthworksDemolitionFencing ContractorsElectrical and SolarFlooring and TilingMetal Fabrication and WeldingRoofing ContractorsHandyman and Property MaintenanceGlazing and WindowsConcrete and FormworkShopfitting and Cabinet MakingPainting and DecoratingPlumbing and Gasfitting

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