Stock Picking and Shelving Access SWMS

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

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Product Overview

This Stock Picking and Shelving Access Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is a detailed safety document designed to identify hazards and implement controls when accessing and working with stock at height. It provides comprehensive coverage of multiple stock picking, shelving and storage tasks to support WHS compliance and safer work at heights in warehouses, retail and storage environments.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

Accessing high shelves using pulleys, hoists or mechanical aids for safe lifting and lowering of stock
Accessing high stock areas in warehouses, storerooms and racking systems
Accessing high storage areas above shoulder height, including mezzanines and overhead racks
Accessing overhead compartments, cupboards and storage units safely using appropriate equipment
Fetching keys or small items from high places without overreaching or using unsafe makeshift platforms
Managing material and tool storage at height to prevent falling objects and dropped loads
Working at height while fitting cupboards, shelving and storage fixtures
Working at heights on rack storage systems, including stock placement and retrieval
Selection and safe use of step ladders, platform ladders and mobile step units for stock picking
Use of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) or order picker machines for high-level stock access
Manual handling of stock at height, including safe lifting, carrying and team lifts to minimise strain
Housekeeping and traffic management around shelving and racking to reduce slips, trips and collision risks
Emergency procedures for falls, near misses and incidents involving stock or equipment at height

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for warehouse and logistics workers, retail staff, shopfitters, cabinet makers, maintenance teams, and site supervisors responsible for stock picking, shelving installation and storage access at height.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Job Step / Activity	Potential Hazards
Pre-start planning and induction	• Unfamiliar emergency procedures • Unclear pedestrian and forklift interaction • Unidentified overhead obstructions • Inadequate training for work at height • Poor communication of exclusion zones
Assess stock and storage areas	• Overloaded racking • Unstable stacked goods • Unlabelled weight limits • Restricted access to emergency exits • Crush hazard from falling items
Selecting access equipment	• Incorrect ladder selection • Unrated mobile platform use • Incompatible pulley or hoist equipment • Use of makeshift climbing surfaces • Mechanical failure due to overloading
Setting up ladders and small platforms	• Ladder tip-over • Slipping on ladder rungs • Contact with live electrical installations • Obstruction in access path • Foot traffic collision with ladder
Using pulleys for high shelves	• Pulley rope failure • Falling loads from height • Uncontrolled swinging loads • Entanglement in ropes or sheaves • Overloading anchor points
Accessing high stock and storage areas	• Falls from height • Loss of balance on platforms • Struck by moving stock picker • Structural failure of high storage platforms • Inadequate edge protection
Accessing overhead compartments and cupboards	• Overreaching from ladder • Falling cupboard doors or panels • Dropping tools or materials • Cupboard detachment from wall • Head strike on open doors
Fetching keys and light items from high places	• Short-duration ladder misuse • Objects dropped onto people below • Climbing on furniture • Loss of balance reaching for small items
Managing material and tool storage at height	• Unsecured tools on high shelves • Overloaded high storage • Poor housekeeping on elevated platforms • Falling sharp or heavy objects • Blocked access pathways at height
Working at height fitting cupboards	• Falls from step platforms • Manual handling strain while lifting cupboards • Dropped cupboards during installation • Drilling into concealed services • Exposure to dust and noise
Working at heights in rack storage	• Falls from order picker • Collision with racking or structures • Entanglement with overhead services • Instability from uneven loading of picker • Contact with moving forklifts
Manual handling of stock at height	• Musculoskeletal strain from awkward postures • Sudden load shift while lifting • Loss of grip on items above shoulder height • Crush injury between stock and racking
Housekeeping and closing the work area	• Trip hazards from packaging • Obstructed access ways • Unsecured access equipment • Residual items left near edges • Unreported damage to racking or equipment

Need to add specific site requirements?

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

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks – Guidance on identifying hazards, assessing and controlling risks
Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces – Requirements and controls for working at heights and preventing falls
Model Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks – Risk management for lifting, carrying and handling stock
Model Code of Practice: Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination – Duties for consultation with workers and other duty holders
AS/NZS 1891 Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices – Selection, use and maintenance of fall-arrest equipment where applicable
AS 1657 Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders – Design, construction and installation – Requirements for safe access structures
AS 4084 Steel storage racking – Design and safe use of pallet racking and storage systems
Work Health and Safety Act 2011
Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017

Standard SWMS Features (Click to Expand)

Operational guidelines, with a step-by-step approach to safe work
Possible hazards that may be encountered
Step-by-step safety procedures to follow
Before work starts – Guidelines and Checks
Safety measures and guides
Operational Safety Checks
Before and After Risk Ratings
Risk Assessment Matrix
High Risk Work Involved
Emergency Evacuation Procedure
Plant and Equipment
Qualifications and Permits
Specific Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Company Personnel Sign-off form

Suitable for Industries

Transport and LogisticsWarehousing and DistributionRetail and Wholesale

$96.8

Includes all formats + 2 years updates

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Stock Picking and Shelving Access SWMS

• 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