Forklift operation SWMS, drafted for your job
Forklifts share sheds, yards and sites with people on foot, and the serious incidents come from struck pedestrians, tip-overs and loads dropping off the forks. Describe the job and the site: your SWMS is drafted around them, and you check it on site 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
Forklift operation
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 and plan the route | Faulty brakes and mixed traffic | High | Do the pre-start check and mark walkways and crossings |
| 2 | Pick up the load | Unstable or overweight pallets | High | Check capacity, wrap and fork spread before lifting |
| 3 | Travel to the drop | Pedestrians, slopes and blind corners | Extreme | Carry low, slow at crossings and use the horn |
| 4 | Stack or land the load | Falling stock and racking damage | High | Place squarely and check the rack before backing out |
| 5 | Park, refuel or charge | Gas build-up and unauthorised use | Medium | Park flat with forks down in the charge or gas area |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your forklift operation 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 forklift operation 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
Pedestrians struck by a forklift turning, travelling or reversing
Extreme- Separate walkways from forklift routes with barriers and marked crossings
- Make eye contact with the operator and keep the forks parked before approaching
- 2
Forklift tipping on slopes, edges or while cornering loaded
Extreme- Travel with the load low and tilted back and never turn on a slope
- Check the ground, ramps and dock plates carry the loaded machine before driving on
- 3
Unwrapped or overhanging pallet loads sliding off the forks
High- Check the load is stable, wrapped and inside the forklift's rated capacity
- Carry loads low and keep people out from under raised forks
- 4
Forklift driving off a dock edge or through a weak floor
Extreme- Use dock plates, wheel stops and door control while trucks are loaded
- Confirm floors and ramps are rated for the loaded forklift before crossing
- 5
Hands trapped between mast chains and carriage during adjustment
High- Keep hands off the mast and move the carriage only with the controls
- Shut down and isolate before clearing jammed pallets, chains or attachments
- 6
LPG bottle leaks or charging gases building up in the charge area
High- Change bottles and charge batteries in a ventilated area away from ignition
- Shut the bottle valve and check connections after fitting
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect and plan the routeFaulty brakes and mixed traffic → Do the pre-start check and mark walkways and crossings
- 2Pick up the loadUnstable or overweight pallets → Check capacity, wrap and fork spread before lifting
- 3Travel to the dropPedestrians, slopes and blind corners → Carry low, slow at crossings and use the horn
- 4Stack or land the loadFalling stock and racking damage → Place squarely and check the rack before backing out
- 5Park, refuel or chargeGas build-up and unauthorised use → Park flat with forks down in the charge or gas area
PPE for this job
- High-visibility clothing
- Safety boots
- Safety glasses
- Handling gloves for pallets
- Safety helmet in overhead risk areas
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
Forklift operation 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
How does the SWMS handle pedestrians and forklifts together?
By separating them — describe the yard or shed layout, and the draft marks walkways and crossings, sets approach rules and gives the operator stop signals. The crew checks them on site.
What load details should go in?
Name the pallets or products, their weight range and any awkward items. Include the forklift's rated capacity, the attachment in use, and the wrap, stability and fork-spread checks before travel.
Does this cover pedestrian-operated forklifts?
This page covers ride-on forklifts. Use the pedestrian-operated forklift page for walk-behind units, or describe both if the job uses both machines.
How much does a forklift operation 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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