Earthmoving equipment SWMS, drafted for your job
Excavators, loaders and dozers change the ground they stand on, while blind spots and moving attachments put nearby crews at risk. Tell us the job and the site: your SWMS is drafted around them, and you check it with the crew before work starts.
A$39per job
However many high-risk activities it covers.
- However many high-risk activities it covers.
- 3 for A$99
- 10 for A$249
- Yearly A$129 for 120
- Monthly A$60 for 10
You review it on site before work starts.
Your Business
Safe Work Method Statement
Version 1
Draft
Earthmoving equipment
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Inspect machine and attachments | Faulty locks and hydraulics | High | Check attachment engagement, hoses, brakes and warning devices |
| 2 | Set travel and work zones | People in plant routes | Extreme | Separate pedestrians and mark loading and swing zones |
| 3 | Excavate, push or load | Soft edges and blind spots | High | Maintain firm standing ground and stop when visibility is lost |
| 4 | Change earthmoving attachments | Dropped bucket or stored pressure | High | Lower, isolate and verify the locking system |
| 5 | Park and isolate the machine | Uncontrolled attachment movement | High | Lower attachments, apply parking controls and remove the key |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your earthmoving equipment SWMS will contain
An A4 document your crew can read on site, a PDF for the builder and a sign-on register.
- Job and site detailsYour business, the site, the principal contractor, the dates.
- High-risk construction workThe categories your job involves, ticked.
- Step-by-step methodEach step with its hazards, risk rating and controls.
- How controls are checkedWho puts each control in place, monitors and reviews it.
- PPE, plant and permitsEquipment and training the job needs.
- Emergency planAssembly point, first aid, nearest hospital to confirm on site.
- Consultation and reviewWho was consulted, when it is reviewed.
- Sign-on registerYour crew signs by QR or on paper.
High-risk construction work
Categories this task often involves
You tick the ones your job involves. Each ticked category gets its own steps and controls, in your state's wording.
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
State notes
Rules depend on your state
Pick your state when you start. Your state's regulator publishes the rules and guidance for this work.
Hazards and controls
What goes wrong on a earthmoving equipment job, and how the SWMS controls it
These rows are written for this task. Your draft adds the ones your site and method need.
- 1
Earthmoving plant rolling on soft edges and uneven haul routes
Extreme- Prepare firm travel routes and keep machines away from unsupported edges
- Reassess ground after rain and stop if tracks sink or ground cracks
- 2
Workers struck by excavator swing or loader bucket movements
Extreme- Barrier pedestrian routes away from swing and loading areas
- Stop plant if anyone enters the operating zone or the spotter disappears
- 3
Buckets or earthmoving attachments dropping after a changeover
High- Use the machine’s attachment locking system and check positive engagement
- Test the attachment close to the ground in an empty area
- 4
Fluid injection checking leaking earthmoving attachment hoses
High- Lower attachments and isolate stored pressure before inspecting hydraulic equipment
- Use a leak detection aid and keep hands away from suspected leaks
- 5
Back strain jolting across rutted earthmoving haul tracks
Medium- Grade travel routes and use a maintained suspension seat
- Adjust the seat and vary tasks when jolting or discomfort develops
- 6
Cable or pipe strikes during bulk earthmoving passes
Extreme- Locate services and establish marked no-dig areas before stripping ground
- Expose uncertain services using a suitable method before mechanical excavation
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect machine and attachmentsFaulty locks and hydraulics → Check attachment engagement, hoses, brakes and warning devices
- 2Set travel and work zonesPeople in plant routes → Separate pedestrians and mark loading and swing zones
- 3Excavate, push or loadSoft edges and blind spots → Maintain firm standing ground and stop when visibility is lost
- 4Change earthmoving attachmentsDropped bucket or stored pressure → Lower, isolate and verify the locking system
- 5Park and isolate the machineUncontrolled attachment movement → Lower attachments, apply parking controls and remove the key
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- High visibility clothing
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Handling gloves
Your draft lists the PPE your site and method need.
After you finalise
Brief your crew and send it to your builder
Crew signs by QR
Send to my builder
PDF and register
Builder sent it back?
Make their changes and re-issue the same job free. Workers re-sign the new version.
Questions
Earthmoving equipment SWMS questions
- Last reviewed
- 21 October 2026
- How
- Hazard rows checked against the task; no legal line is stated unless it is logged from primary text.
- Next review
- Every six months, or when the method or rules change
Can it cover excavators, loaders and dozers together?
Yes. List each machine and the digging, loading or grading work it will do. The draft can cover their shared site movements while keeping attachment changes, standing ground and operator checks specific to each machine.
What happens when rain changes the earthmoving area?
Stop and reassess the ground and haul routes. The draft includes checking soft edges, drainage and machine standing areas before restarting, with routes changed where the ground no longer supports the planned work.
How much does a earthmoving equipment SWMS cost?
One job uses 1 SWMS when you finalise: A$39 for one, however many high-risk activities it covers. AI drafting needs a SWMS pack or plan. Packs and Yearly cost less per SWMS.
Is this a template?
No. You describe the job and the site, and the SWMS is drafted for them. You edit anything, then finalise it.
Who checks the SWMS?
You do, with your crew, on site before work starts. The draft gives you a strong starting point; the person running the work makes sure it matches the site.
My builder sent it back. What now?
Open it, make the changes they asked for and re-issue it. Corrections to the same job are free.
How does my crew sign it?
Show the QR code on your phone or print the A4 sign-on sheet. Workers read and sign on their own phones without an account.
Does it work in my state?
Yes. You choose the state before drafting, and the document names the law that applies there. Victoria uses its OHS Regulations.
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