Load skate operations SWMS, drafted for your job
A machine on load skates can run away on a slight slope or topple as a wheel catches a joint. Placing and removing skates also puts hands near a load held by jacks. Describe the job and site so the draft reflects your work, then check the SWMS with the crew 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
Load skate operations
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Assess load and moving route | Top-heavy machinery and floor defects | High | Verify bearing points and prepare a level clear route |
| 2 | Jack and block machinery | Unsupported load and jack movement | High | Use suitable jacks and blocking before skate placement |
| 3 | Seat skates and brief crew | Skate slip and confused movement | High | Check seating and agree stop signals |
| 4 | Move machinery into position | Runaway load and doorway crush gaps | High | Control movement with restraints and keep crush zones empty |
| 5 | Block, remove skates and lower | Jack instability and trapped hands | High | Support load and lower through a planned sequence |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your load skate operations 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 load skate operations 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
Machine toppling as a load skate crosses a floor joint
High- Assess load balance and prepare a firm level route before jacking
- Bridge suitable joints with secured plates and keep people outside the fall zone
- 2
Hands crushed while placing skates beneath jacked machinery
High- Support the raised load with suitable blocking before positioning skates
- Use placement tools and keep hands out from beneath unsupported equipment
- 3
Loaded skates running away down a sloping floor
High- Choose a level route or another moving method for unsuitable slopes
- Use a planned restraint system; do not rely on workers holding the load
- 4
Skates slipping from smooth machinery support points
High- Use skates matched to the load and suitable bearing points
- Check seating and restraint before movement and after each change of direction
- 5
Workers pinned between skated machinery and doorway posts
High- Clear the route and mark crush zones before moving equipment
- Use one movement leader and stop before anyone enters a restricted gap
- 6
Jacks tilting while load skates are removed
High- Prepare stable jack positions and blocking at the landing point
- Lower in a controlled sequence with workers clear of the load footprint
How the job usually runs
- 1Assess load and moving routeTop-heavy machinery and floor defects → Verify bearing points and prepare a level clear route
- 2Jack and block machineryUnsupported load and jack movement → Use suitable jacks and blocking before skate placement
- 3Seat skates and brief crewSkate slip and confused movement → Check seating and agree stop signals
- 4Move machinery into positionRunaway load and doorway crush gaps → Control movement with restraints and keep crush zones empty
- 5Block, remove skates and lowerJack instability and trapped hands → Support load and lower through a planned sequence
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Handling gloves
- Safety glasses
- Safety helmet where overhead hazards exist
- High-visibility clothing in shared work 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
Load skate operations 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 do we choose skates for the machine?
The load, centre of gravity, bearing points and floor route decide the selection. The draft covers checking those details and the skate arrangement before the equipment is raised.
Can we move a machine across floor joints?
Only after assessing the joint and the loaded skate arrangement. The draft covers route preparation, secured bridging where suitable, and stopping if a wheel catches or the load shifts.
How much does a load skate operations 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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