Aerial Tree-Climber Rescue SWMS

Aerial tree-climber rescue is a time-critical, high-consequence operation requiring a documented Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) before any climbing crew is deployed. This SWMS covers stand-by rescue arrangements and the recovery of a suspended, incapacitated climber from the canopy using aerial rescue techniques compliant with AS 2210.5 and the Industry Code of Practice — Amenity Tree Industry. It addresses pre-climb rescue planning, equipment selection, the 'aerial rescue within 15 minutes' principle to mitigate suspension trauma, and the controls required when a designated rescuer must ascend to a casualty.

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and WHS Regulation 2011 (and equivalent state regulations across NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, WA, TAS, ACT and NT), a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) must manage the risk of a fall from one metre or more (Reg 78) and ensure emergency procedures are established, tested and documented (Reg 43). Tree climbing using rope and harness systems above two metres is High Risk Construction Work under Regulation 291(a), triggering the mandatory requirement for a SWMS prepared before work commences (Reg 299).

This template has been reviewed by a Certified Industrial Hygienist and aligned to the model WHS framework, the Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice, and the General Guide for Working in the Vicinity of Overhead and Underground Electric Lines. It provides legally defensible documentation that a PCBU has consulted with workers (s47 WHS Act) and identified, assessed and controlled rescue-specific risks before any climber leaves the ground.

Hazards identified

6 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Document a site-specific aerial rescue plan before any climber leaves the ground, identifying the designated rescuer, rescue kit location and casualty extraction route, in accordance with WHS Regulation r43 emergency planning duties
2. 2Maintain a competent stand-by rescuer at ground level at all times the climber is aloft — the rescuer must hold a current arborist climbing qualification (AHCARB314 or equivalent) and current aerial rescue training refreshed within 12 months
3. 3Provide a dedicated, sealed and labelled aerial rescue kit at the base of every climbing tree containing a 60 m static rescue line, descent device rated to AS/NZS 1891.4, knife, prusik cord, and casualty pick-off strop
4. 4Conduct a documented pre-start toolbox talk covering the rescue plan, '000' emergency contact, GPS coordinates of site, and nearest hospital — recorded on the worker sign-on register
5. 5Apply minimum approach distances to overhead powerlines as per AS/NZS 4836 and the relevant state Electrical Safety Regulation; isolate or tiger-tail conductors before climbing where the no-go zone cannot be maintained
6. 6Verify the casualty's life support system (anchor, hitch, harness) before transferring load to the rescue line; use a redundant secondary attachment during pick-off
7. 7Limit suspension time post-incident to a target of less than 15 minutes from incapacitation to ground, consistent with SafeWork Australia guidance on suspension intolerance
8. 8Establish exclusion zone of at least 2× tree height beneath the rescue, controlled by a spotter with two-way radio communication on a dedicated channel
9. 9Inspect all PPE and life support equipment before each shift in accordance with AS/NZS 1891.4 Section 9, with records retained for the equipment register
10. 10After a rescue, remove all loaded equipment from service for engineer inspection and place the casualty under medical assessment regardless of apparent condition due to delayed reflow syndrome risk

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A three-person arborist crew is removing a 22-metre Eucalyptus saligna in a suburban Brisbane backyard. The climber, Jason, is 14 metres up performing a sectional dismantle when a wasp sting causes anaphylaxis; he becomes unresponsive, hanging in his harness on his climbing line. The ground-based stand-by rescuer, Mel, who has reviewed this SWMS and signed on at pre-start, immediately calls 000, instructs the third worker to meet the ambulance at the front gate with the site's GPS coordinates, and retrieves the labelled aerial rescue kit staged at the base. Following the documented rescue sequence, Mel installs an independent throw-line and access rope on a separate anchor identified during the pre-climb plan, ascends using a mechanical rope-walking system, reaches Jason within 7 minutes, attaches a pick-off strop to Jason's harness bridge, transfers his weight onto the rescue descender, cuts the climbing hitch, and lowers them both to the ground in a controlled descent. EpiPen is administered by the ground crew. Total suspension time: 11 minutes. The completed SWMS, sign-on register, and post-incident equipment quarantine record form the core of the notifiable incident report submitted to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland under s38 of the WHS Act.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth model) — ss19, 27, 33, 38, 47
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 — rr36, 43, 78, 79, 291, 299–303
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (VIC) and OHS Regulations 2017 Part 3.3 — Prevention of Falls
• Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA) and WHS (General) Regulations 2022
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (QLD) and Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 — exclusion zones
• Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act provisions for notifiable incidents in each jurisdiction
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) where tree works form part of a construction project

Frequently asked questions