Grain Silo / Bin Entry SWMS
SWMS template for grain silo / bin entry. Covers Lockout, isolation of unloading, confined space entry.. 8-state AU coverage, CIH-reviewed editable DOCX, available as an instant download.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Grain silo and bin entry is one of the highest-fatality tasks in Australian agriculture, combining confined space risks with engulfment, mechanical, and atmospheric hazards. Workers entering silos to clear bridged grain, inspect structural integrity, remove rodent infestations, or repair sweep augers face the real possibility of being buried in flowing grain within seconds, asphyxiated by oxygen-deficient atmospheres, or struck by energised unloading equipment. Under WHS Regulation 2025 and AS 2865, any entry into a grain silo or bin meets the legal definition of confined space work, triggering mandatory permit, atmospheric testing, and standby person duties. A documented Safe Work Method Statement is required before entry commences, must be developed in consultation with affected workers, and must remain available at the worksite for the duration of the task. This SWMS template addresses lockout-tagout of unloading systems, atmospheric monitoring, fall protection, retrieval systems, and emergency response specific to grain storage structures.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Burial within 4-5 seconds causing asphyxiation, crush injury, and death; recovery often impossible without specialist rescue
Rapid loss of consciousness, hypoxic brain injury, or fatality within minutes of entry without atmospheric pre-testing
Acute pulmonary oedema, cardiac arrhythmia, and fatal respiratory failure at concentrations above 0.3 ppm
Deflagration or explosion causing severe burns, blast trauma, structural collapse, and multiple fatalities
Amputation, degloving, crush injuries, and traumatic death from inadequate isolation of mechanical drives
Fractures, spinal injury, traumatic brain injury, or fatality from falls exceeding two metres without arrest systems
Heat exhaustion, heat stroke, syncope, and impaired cognition compromising self-rescue capacity in confined space
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Remove the need for entry by using external pole-mounted cameras, vibration de-bridging hammers, or contracted vacuum extraction from outside the silo wall.
- 2Elimination — Empty the silo completely through normal unloading and verify zero residual grain via external inspection ports before any internal task is scheduled.
- 3Substitution — Replace internal sweep auger inspection with externally-mounted sensor arrays and remote condition monitoring to eliminate routine internal entries for diagnostic purposes.
- 4Engineering — Apply lockout-tagout to all unloading augers, sweep drives, aeration fans, and fill conveyors per AS/NZS 4836 with verification of zero energy state before entry.
- 5Engineering — Install permanent fall-arrest anchor points at roof hatches and use a tripod-mounted mechanical retrieval winch with full-body harness for every entrant per AS/NZS 1891.
- 6Engineering — Continuously monitor atmosphere with calibrated 4-gas detector measuring O2, LEL, CO, and phosphine; ventilate mechanically until readings stabilise within AS 2865 limits.
- 7Administrative — Issue a written confined space entry permit signed by a competent person, valid for one shift, with documented atmospheric test results and isolation verification.
- 8Administrative — Station a dedicated standby person at the entry point with communication, retrieval winch control, and authority to initiate rescue without entering the space.
- 9Administrative — Conduct pre-start SWMS review with all entrants, confirm fumigation history, post-fumigation clearance certificate, and emergency response plan before permit issue.
- 10PPE — Provide P2 respirators or supplied-air respirators where phosphine is detected, full-body harness, hard hat, safety eyewear, anti-static coveralls, and steel-capped boots.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates risk assessment, entry permit, atmospheric testing, standby person, and rescue arrangements for all silo entries classified as confined spaces.
Specifies PCBU duties for hazard identification, isolation, ventilation, and competency requirements directly applicable to grain silo entry operations.
Governs isolation and lockout procedures for sweep auger drives, aeration fans, and unloading conveyors before any entry commences.
Defines anchor point, harness, and retrieval system requirements for vertical entry through silo roof hatches and ladder descents.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Silo and bin interiors meet the AS 2865 confined space definition due to restricted entry, limited ventilation, and stored grain atmospheres harmful to workers.
Flowing, bridged, or crusted grain creates active engulfment risk capable of burying an entrant within seconds during sweep operation or crust collapse.
Grain dust, mould spores, and phosphine fumigation residues exceed exposure standards and require atmospheric monitoring with respiratory controls during entry.
PCBUs must consult workers, document the SWMS, and retain it for two years after the work or for the duration of any notifiable incident investigation; penalties are substantial and indexed annually under the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Broadacre grain growers operating on-farm silo storage
- →Bulk handling and grain receival site operators
- →Agricultural contractors providing silo cleaning services
- →Stockfeed mill and seed processing facility supervisors
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX template — Microsoft Word compatible
- ✓State-specific WHS legislation schedule (NSW/VIC/QLD/SA/WA/TAS/NT/ACT)
- ✓Hazard register with risk ratings + hierarchy-of-control mapping
- ✓Worker sign-on register, pre-start checklist, and incident escalation flow
Worked example
At a regional grain receival site, a maintenance supervisor schedules entry into a 2,000-tonne steel silo to repair a jammed sweep auger after harvest. The morning of the task, the supervisor convenes a pre-start brief at the silo base with the two-person entry crew and the nominated standby person. They open this SWMS, walk through each identified hazard, and confirm the silo was not fumigated within the previous 14 days by reviewing the chemical application register. The crew verifies lockout-tagout on the sweep drive isolator, unloading conveyor starter, and aeration fan circuit, then attaches personal danger tags. Atmospheric testing with a calibrated 4-gas detector returns 20.8% oxygen, 0% LEL, and non-detect phosphine after 15 minutes of forced ventilation. The supervisor signs the confined space entry permit, the entrants don full-body harnesses connected to a tripod retrieval winch, and the standby person confirms two-way radio communication. Mid-task, the entrant reports rising dust levels obscuring vision. Referencing the SWMS control hierarchy, the standby person halts work, increases ventilation rate, and requires entrants to switch from P2 to supplied-air respirators before resuming. The permit is closed out at task completion, lockouts removed in reverse sequence, and the SWMS sign-on sheet retained on the site compliance file.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS 2865 — Confined spaces