Gang mower operation SWMS, drafted for your job
A gang mower’s cutting units extend beyond the tow vehicle and can swing across paths, while slopes and wet turf change the stability of the whole combination. 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
Gang mower 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 field and towing combination | Wet slopes and weak edges | High | Choose stable mowing routes and mark obstacles before starting |
| 2 | Connect mower and hydraulic services | Drawbar crush and stored pressure | High | Secure both machines and verify hitch and hose connections |
| 3 | Test controls and cutting units | Unexpected reel or lift movement | High | Test from the operator position in a clear area |
| 4 | Mow and turn in planned runs | Wide reel sweep and trailing frame | High | Keep the field closed and allow room for all cutting units |
| 5 | Lower, isolate and clean units | Reel contact and falling frames | High | Lower or mechanically support units before isolation and cleaning |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your gang mower 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 gang mower 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
Tow vehicle and gang mower overturning on wet turf batters
Extreme- Choose mowing routes suited to the whole combination and keep away from weak edges
- Stop if traction is lost or the ground no longer supports the mower
- 2
Workers crushed between the tow vehicle and gang mower drawbar
Extreme- Secure both machines against movement before anyone enters the hitch gap
- Use a clear coupling signal and check pins and retainers before travel
- 3
People struck by outer gang mower reels beside field paths
High- Close the full mowing area including the sweep of trailing cutting units
- Stop the reels and vehicle when anyone enters the cutting path
- 4
Hands caught in gang mower reels during grass build-up removal
High- Lower cutting units and isolate drive and stored hydraulic energy before cleaning
- Use cleaning tools and keep hands outside reel and bedknife pinch points
- 5
Raised gang mower cutting frames dropping during inspection
High- Lower units to the ground or install the specified mechanical supports
- Release hydraulic pressure before inspecting lift cylinders or hose connections
- 6
Gang mower frame swinging into fences during tight field turns
High- Plan headland turns with room for the full trailing frame
- Keep observers outside articulation points and do not reverse into blind corners
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect field and towing combinationWet slopes and weak edges → Choose stable mowing routes and mark obstacles before starting
- 2Connect mower and hydraulic servicesDrawbar crush and stored pressure → Secure both machines and verify hitch and hose connections
- 3Test controls and cutting unitsUnexpected reel or lift movement → Test from the operator position in a clear area
- 4Mow and turn in planned runsWide reel sweep and trailing frame → Keep the field closed and allow room for all cutting units
- 5Lower, isolate and clean unitsReel contact and falling frames → Lower or mechanically support units before isolation and cleaning
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- High visibility clothing
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Handling gloves
- Sun protective clothing
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
Gang mower 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
Does it cover a tractor towing several gang cutting units?
Yes. Describe the tractor, hitch and cutting unit layout. The draft includes the combined turning path, coupling checks and keeping ground workers outside the full mowing sweep.
Can the gang mower reels be cleared with the engine stopped?
Stopping the engine is only part of isolation. The draft includes lowering or supporting cutting units, isolating the reel drive and releasing stored hydraulic energy before tools are used to remove grass.
How much does a gang mower 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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