Stump grinder operation SWMS, drafted for your job
A stump grinder throws wood chips and buried debris while its cutting wheel works close to soil, underground services and uneven garden ground. Tell us 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
Stump grinder 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 stump and locate services | Hidden metal and buried cables | High | Mark services and check the stump before selecting the method |
| 2 | Set screens and position grinder | Thrown debris and unstable ground | High | Separate the throw area and use a stable approach |
| 3 | Check guards and stop controls | Exposed cutting wheel | High | Test controls and keep guards in place |
| 4 | Grind stump and roots | Wheel contact and service strike | Extreme | Stay at the control station and stop before clearing |
| 5 | Isolate and restore the ground | Coasting wheel and open stump hole | Medium | Wait for the wheel to stop and backfill the hole |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your stump grinder 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 stump grinder 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
Contact with the stump grinder wheel during clearing
Extreme- Keep guards fitted and exclude people from the cutting wheel area
- Shut down, isolate and wait for the wheel to stop before clearing roots or chips
- 2
Wood chips and buried stones thrown towards nearby windows
High- Inspect the stump for stones and metal before grinding
- Use debris screens and keep people outside the grinder’s throw area
- 3
Grinding teeth striking irrigation pipes or buried electrical cables
Extreme- Locate underground services and mark their route before grinding below the surface
- Change the removal method where the stump overlaps a service or its location is uncertain
- 4
Stump grinder sliding or overturning on sloping garden ground
High- Choose a stable approach and keep the machine within the maker’s terrain limits
- Stop if tracks sink or the grinder loses stable contact with the ground
- 5
Operator trapped between the grinder and a fence
High- Plan the grinding sweep with clear operator space beside fences and walls
- Keep the control position outside the machine’s travel and swing path
- 6
Dust and noise at the stump grinder control station
Medium- Maintain teeth, guards and dust controls to reduce unnecessary grinding exposure
- Keep others away and use hearing and respiratory protection suited to the material
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect stump and locate servicesHidden metal and buried cables → Mark services and check the stump before selecting the method
- 2Set screens and position grinderThrown debris and unstable ground → Separate the throw area and use a stable approach
- 3Check guards and stop controlsExposed cutting wheel → Test controls and keep guards in place
- 4Grind stump and rootsWheel contact and service strike → Stay at the control station and stop before clearing
- 5Isolate and restore the groundCoasting wheel and open stump hole → Wait for the wheel to stop and backfill the hole
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Face shield over safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Work gloves for handling debris
- Respiratory protection for wood dust
- Long trousers
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
Stump grinder 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 this cover a tracked stump grinder in a small yard?
Yes. Describe the grinder and yard access. The draft covers stable positioning, fences, debris screens, service locations and keeping the operator clear of the machine’s movement.
Can the grinder remove roots near underground services?
Only after the service route and work method have been checked. The draft covers locating services and changing the removal method where grinding could strike a pipe or cable.
How much does a stump grinder 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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