Managing Stevedoring Risks: Practical WHS Guide

Managing stevedoring risks starts with planning the job before cargo or workers arrive, then keeping people clear of moving plant and suspended loads. The work area, vessel, cargo, lifting gear, access routes and emergency arrangements should all be checked before operations begin. Controls must then be supervised, recorded and reviewed as conditions change.

Information current: 5 August 2026.

What stevedoring work includes

Stevedoring covers activities directly connected with loading or unloading vessel cargo, stacking and storing cargo on the wharf, and receiving or delivering cargo within a terminal or facility. It includes container, roll-on/roll-off, break-bulk and bulk operations.

This matters to builders, subcontractors and tradies working around ports even when they are not stevedores. Construction, maintenance, electrical, mechanical and repair work can put them beside cargo operations, cranes, forklifts, trucks, ship access points and restricted areas.

Main hazards to control

The risk picture changes with the vessel, cargo, weather, tide, shift and other contractors. Common hazards include:

suspended or unstable loads, falling objects and shifting cargo
powered mobile plant, reversing vehicles and pedestrian interaction
falls from ladders, gangways, decks, containers and open hatches
restricted or enclosed spaces, poor ventilation, fumigants, fumes and low oxygen
damaged lifting gear, cranes, forklifts, electrical leads or access equipment
hazardous manual tasks during lashing, twist-lock work and cargo handling
noise, fatigue, poor lighting, heat, wind, rain and reduced visibility
unclear radio signals, hand signals, responsibilities or stop-work authority.

What should be sorted before work starts

Pre-arrival planning should cover the load or discharge sequence, vessel and cargo type, inspections, people, plant, skills, timing, weather, tide and surge. The stevedore, vessel representative, port or terminal, transport operators and affected contractors should share relevant information and agree who controls each interface.

Before starting, inspect the vessel and work area. Check access and egress, housekeeping, lighting, cargo presentation, lifting equipment that will be used and unresolved defects. Confirm that an emergency plan fits the actual site, is understood by the workgroup and covers communication, evacuation, medical assistance and emergency-service access.

Workers and health and safety representatives should be consulted about hazards and practical controls. Inductions, pre-starts and toolbox talks should tell workers what has changed, what the safe work procedure requires and what recent incidents or near misses mean for today's task.

What good controls and documents usually cover

Use higher-order controls first. Remove the hazard where reasonably practicable; otherwise use safer methods or equipment, isolation, barriers and engineering controls before relying on procedures and PPE.

A practical control set may include:

a traffic management plan with separate pedestrian routes, barriers, exclusion zones, one-way movements and controlled reversing
lift plans or procedures that identify the load, equipment, safe working limits, competent people, communication method and exclusion zone
vessel and plant inspection records, defect reporting, maintenance evidence and action close-out
safe work procedures for cargo, plant, working at height, isolation and access
atmospheric testing, ventilation and entry controls where holds or enclosed areas may have unsafe air
emergency, rescue, first aid and communication arrangements
induction, training, competency and toolbox records.

Documents should match the actual vessel, terminal, cargo, plant and work sequence. Supervisors should verify that controls are in place, not simply recorded.

When a SWMS or another site-specific document applies

Stevedoring does not automatically require a SWMS. If building, maintenance or repair work is also high risk construction work, check the local WHS/OHS rules and prepare the required SWMS before that work begins. Examples may include work involving a fall risk, a confined space or an area where powered mobile plant is moving.

For stevedoring operations, other site-specific documents may be more directly relevant, such as a vessel inspection, risk assessment, traffic management plan, lift procedure, emergency plan, permit or safe work procedure. Use the document required for the task and keep it aligned with current conditions.

Practical warning signs

Pause and reassess if:

cargo weight, presentation or lift method is uncertain
pedestrians are walking through plant or lifting zones
access routes are blocked, slippery, dark or poorly guarded
wind, lightning, tide, heat or visibility has changed
radios or hand signals are inconsistent
plant, lifting gear or ship equipment is damaged or overdue for inspection
fumes, dust, fumigants or low oxygen may be present
the vessel, terminal and contractors disagree about who controls the risk
a change to the sequence has not been communicated.

How Blue Safe helps

Blue Safe provides compliant WHS documents tailored to the client's activities, applicable Australian WHS/OHS requirements, jurisdiction and industry. This can include risk assessments, SWMS where applicable, safe work procedures, traffic management documents, emergency arrangements, registers and supporting records.

Blue Safe guarantees the document compliance of the WHS documents it provides, including eligible customer documents after Blue Safe has reviewed and upgraded them. Customers actively put the compliant documents into practice through controls, consultation, training, actions, records and evidence.

Official sources

Local requirements vary, so check current regulator material for the jurisdiction where the work is carried out. Safe Work Australia's national Model Code is general orientation and is not automatically applicable law in every jurisdiction.

Managing risks in stevedoring