Road-Rail Excavator Operations SWMS

Road-rail excavator operations involve a hybrid plant item — commonly referred to as a Hi-Rail excavator — that trAS/NZStions between road wheels and rail guide wheels to access live or possessed rail corridors for maintenance, ballast handling, sleeper changeouts, and overhead structure works. The work occurs within the rail danger zone, frequently adjacent to live running lines, energised overhead traction, and signalling infrastructure, and almost always requires a network access permit, qualified protection officer, and integration with the rail operator's safeworking rules. Under WHS Regulation 2025, this work is classified as High Risk Construction Work because it occurs in or adjacent to a rail corridor, involves powered mobile plant interacting with workers on foot, and exposes workers to traffic. A documented Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before work commences, must be developed in consultation with workers under s47–s48, and must be available at the workplace for the duration of the activity. This SWMS structures the on/off-tracking sequence, derailment prevention, exclusion zones, and signaller communications protocols.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Schedule works during full track possession with absolute occupation so no live rail traffic can enter the worksite for the duration of plant operation.
2. 2Elimination — Isolate and earth overhead traction through the network operator before any boom or attachment is raised above the safe approach distance.
3. 3Substitution — Where possession is unavailable, substitute road-rail excavator works for hand-held methods or use lower-reach plant that cannot infringe the overhead wire envelope.
4. 4Engineering — Fit and verify boom slew limiters, height restrictors and proximity alarms set to network-specified clearances before tracking-on at the designated access point.
5. 5Engineering — Use certified on/off-tracking pads with level tolerance verified by inclinometer, and rail-wheel locking pins engaged and visually confirmed prior to rail travel.
6. 6Engineering — Install red-zone exclusion barriers, look-out activated warning systems (LOWS), and audible reversing alarms tuned for corridor ambient noise.
7. 7Administrative — Hold a documented pre-start using this SWMS, network access permit, possession protection plan and worksite protection officer briefing with sign-on by every worker.
8. 8Administrative — Maintain continuous radio contact on the nominated channel between operator, protection officer and signaller, with positive confirmation before every track movement or slew.
9. 9Administrative — Restrict operation to ticketed operators holding current rail industry worker (RIW) card, Hi-Rail competency, and fatigue-managed roster compliant with rail safety national law.
10. 10PPE — High-visibility long-sleeve rail-spec garments (day/night TTMC-W17), rated safety helmet with chin strap, impact eyewear, hearing protection and steel-capped boots worn at all times in the corridor.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a regional branch line sleeper renewal program, the day-shift crew arrives at the designated road-rail access pad thirty minutes before the possession start. The supervisor opens this SWMS at the tailgate, walks the operator, protection officer, two trackworkers and the signaller's representative through each hazard line by line, and confirms the network access permit number and possession limits on the cover sheet. The operator confirms the Hi-Rail excavator's pre-start inspection — guide wheel locks, boom height limiter set to 4.2 metres for the de-energised but not earthed overhead, slew restrictor configured for single-line working — and signs on. The protection officer confirms LOWS placement and radio channel. During on-tracking, an unscheduled freight movement is reported on the adjacent line; the SWMS adjacent-line protocol is applied, the operator stops slewing, the boom is brought to the cradled position, and the crew withdraws to the nominated position of safety until the protection officer confirms the line is again under protection. The SWMS is then re-briefed for the change in conditions, every worker re-signs the amendment register, and works resume. At handback the document is filed with the daily diary, the protection officer's log and the network access permit close-out for the mandatory two-year retention period.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS 2550 — Cranes, hoists and winches; AS 1418 series

Frequently asked questions