Scissor lift and telehandler SWMS: base template and example

When mobile plant work needs a SWMS

• Safe Work Australia lists construction work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant as high risk construction work, and a SWMS must be prepared before that work starts. Work from a scissor lift may also involve a risk of a fall over 2 metres.
• Licences depend on the machine. Safe Work Australia says a high risk work licence is needed for boom-type elevating work platforms with a boom of 11 metres or more. Scissor lift operators must be trained, informed and instructed.
• Telehandler licensing varies by state and territory. In Victoria, for example, a high risk work licence is needed for non-slewing telehandlers over 3 tonnes. Check your own regulator, and your principal contractor may have extra requirements.

Not sure whether your job needs a SWMS? Read what a SWMS is and when it's required.

Need to record an incident instead? Get the free incident report template.

Controls to think about

• SafeWork NSW's guidance on mobile plant starts with separating people from plant: a traffic plan, separate walkways, barriers or exclusion zones, and spotters where visibility is limited.
• For elevating work platforms, Safe Work Australia says to inspect the plant before use and as the manufacturer recommends, and to fix faults before it's used.
• Check overhead clearance before raising a scissor lift, keep telehandler loads within the load chart, and know how to use the ground controls or emergency lowering before work starts. Your SWMS should show which controls you'll use for each work step.

What to include in a mobile plant SWMS

• The plant on site: what it is, its capacity and who operates it
• Operator training, and licences where your regulator requires them
• The traffic plan, walkways and exclusion zones
• Ground conditions, floor openings and overhead hazards
• Load charts, pre-start checks and the manufacturer's instructions
• Emergency lowering and rescue, and sign-off from everyone on the job

Filled-in scissor lift and telehandler SWMS example

Example only, not for use as your own SWMS. This is the base template filled in for a fictional job: installing cable trays from a scissor lift while a telehandler moves materials in the same warehouse. Click a page to enlarge it.

This example includes risk scores. They aren't legally required, and WorkSafe Victoria advises leaving risk matrices and scores out of a SWMS, so check what your regulator expects. Your own SWMS must be specific to your job and site, and prepared in consultation with the workers doing the work.

How to fill one in for mobile plant work

1. Fill in the project details, including the plant on site and where it will operate.
2. Tick the high risk construction work box for powered mobile plant, plus falls over 2 metres if you're working from a platform, and every hazard that applies.
3. List your plant and equipment, with capacities, attachments and platform heights.
4. Write the job steps in order, from pre-start checks to parking up, with the controls for each step and who is responsible.
5. Talk it through with the crew, have everyone sign it before work starts, and review it whenever the job, plant or site changes.

Build your mobile plant SWMS online, or get it into the app

The Shadow Forms SWMS builder is a tool on our website that guides you step by step through creating a SWMS for your job, including work with mobile plant. It's a draft only, so have a competent person review it before use. Enter your email address and you can download it as a PDF.

The PDF is a copy only. To complete it digitally, upload it and we can add it to the app, Shadow Forms branded. If you have your own uniquely branded SWMS, or want this example adjusted to your business, we can do that too. Upload a form, or get in touch.

Need a JSA instead? Try the free JSA template.

Just need a quick check before you start? Get the free Take 5 template.