Wood chipper SWMS, drafted for your job
A chipper pulls a branch in the moment it touches the rollers, and it can pull a hand or a loose sleeve with it. Thrown chips and a jam cleared while the drum still turns are the other ways this job goes wrong. Describe the work and the site: your SWMS is drafted around those details, ready for your crew to check before starting.
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
Wood chipper
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Set up and inspect the chipper | Unstable machine and faulty stops | High | Level ground; check guards and emergency stops |
| 2 | Aim the discharge chute | Chips thrown at people or road | High | Direct away from people, paths and traffic |
| 3 | Feed branches butt-first | Pull-in and kickback | Extreme | Stand to the side; feed the butt end first |
| 4 | Manage jams and blockages | Drum still turning | Extreme | Isolate; wait for stopped drum; tools only |
| 5 | Shut down and clean up | Stored movement and sharp blades | High | Drum stopped before opening; chips cleared |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your wood chipper 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
High-risk work on this job
This task is not usually high-risk construction work. If your job involves any category, tick it when you start and the SWMS covers it.
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 wood chipper 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
Hands or clothing pulled into the feed rollers
Extreme- Use the maker's feeding method from beside the hopper; keep hands outside the infeed
- Check the feed stop and reverse before use; secure clothing and use close-fitting gloves only where the maker specifies
- 2
Chips ejected from the discharge chute at people
High- Aim the chute away from workers, paths and traffic before starting
- Keep the deflector fitted and shut down before redirecting the chute
- 3
Jam cleared while the drum still turns
Extreme- Shut down, isolate the start and wait for the drum to stop completely
- Clear blockages with tools, never hands, and only with guards closed again to restart
- 4
Branch kickback whipping the feeder at the infeed
High- Trim side branches and feed timber within the chipper's capacity
- Stand to the side and let the rollers take the branch
- 5
Blade contact opening the housing for maintenance
High- Isolate and wait for stopped movement before opening the housing
- Lock the drum per the machine's procedure before touching the blades
- 6
Chipper moving or tipping on uneven setup ground
High- Set up on firm level ground with hitch, supports and wheel chocks arranged as the maker specifies
- Do not operate on ground that cannot support the chipper
- 7
Noise and wood dust at the infeed
Medium- Wear hearing protection and a face shield while chipping
- Work upwind where practical and use a respirator when dust hangs
How the job usually runs
- 1Set up and inspect the chipperUnstable machine and faulty stops → Level ground; check guards and emergency stops
- 2Aim the discharge chuteChips thrown at people or road → Direct away from people, paths and traffic
- 3Feed branches butt-firstPull-in and kickback → Stand to the side; feed the butt end first
- 4Manage jams and blockagesDrum still turning → Isolate; wait for stopped drum; tools only
- 5Shut down and clean upStored movement and sharp blades → Drum stopped before opening; chips cleared
PPE for this job
- Safety helmet
- Hearing protection
- Face shield or goggles
- Safety boots
- Close-fitting work clothing
- High-visibility 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
Wood chipper 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 feeding long or branchy material?
Yes. The draft covers trimming branch forks, feeding from beside the hopper using the maker's method and keeping hands outside the infeed. Describe the machine and feeding tools so the crew can review these steps.
What do we do when the chipper jams?
A jam is a stop-work point. The draft covers isolating the start, waiting for all movement to stop and clearing with tools using the maker's method before guards are refitted.
Can one person run the chipper alone?
The draft can include a second worker able to reach the emergency stop while staying clear of branches and feed paths. Describe the crew and machine so you can review supervision and emergency arrangements before chipping.
How much does a wood chipper 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.
Related
Related SWMS
