Stabilising Road Pavement SWMS
In-situ pavement stabilisation covers cement and lime stabiliser spreader operation, dust suppression for hazardous chemical exposure, deep-mix stabilisation rotor operation, and recycling of bound and unbound pavements.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Road pavement stabilising covers the in-situ stabilisation of road pavement — mixing binders such as cement or lime into the existing pavement with a stabiliser machine to improve the pavement, then compacting it. The defining hazards are the powered mobile plant and the stabiliser, the dust and the binder chemicals (cement and lime are alkaline and irritant), the road traffic, and the manual handling. This document is written on the basis that road pavement stabilising is carried out with the plant, binder-dust, traffic and compaction controls in place.
Road pavement stabilising is carried out as construction work in connection with the plant, hazardous chemicals and traffic requirements, with the stabiliser operated safely, the binder dust and chemicals managed, the road traffic managed, and the compaction managed. Because the work is in an area of powered mobile plant movement and on or adjacent to a road, it is high risk construction work. The plant, the binder dust and chemicals, the traffic, and the compaction are the considerations. This document coordinates the plant, binder-dust, traffic and compaction controls so the road pavement stabilising is carried out safely.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Crush and run-over from the stabiliser and rollers
Respiratory and skin harm from the alkaline cement and lime binder dust
Being struck by road traffic on or adjacent to a road
Entanglement and injury from the rotating mixing drum
Crush from pedestrian and plant interaction
Burns and dermatitis from the alkaline binder
Respiratory exposure to dust from stabilising and compaction
Hearing damage from the stabilising plant
Run-over from reversing plant and trucks
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: use the road and civil plant — pavers, rollers, profilers, graders, rigs and trucks — safely to the plant requirements and the manufacturer's instructions, with guarding, pre-operational checks, competent operators and the plant maintained.
- 2Engineering: control the binder dust — cement and lime, which are alkaline and irritant — at the source with suppression and enclosed spreading, with respiratory protection, and protect skin and eyes against the alkaline binder.
- 3Engineering: manage the road traffic with a traffic management plan and traffic guidance scheme, accredited traffic controllers, signage, barriers and speed reduction, separating the workers and plant from the live traffic, because working on or near a live road is a serious hazard.
- 4Engineering: guard the rotating mixing drum on the stabiliser, and keep workers clear with isolation before any access.
- 5Engineering: separate pedestrians and powered mobile plant with designated routes, exclusion zones, spotters and a traffic management plan, because pedestrian and plant interaction is a leading cause of serious injury on civil sites.
- 6PPE: protect skin and eyes against wet alkaline concrete, which causes burns and dermatitis, with waterproof gloves and clothing and prompt washing of any contact.
- 7Engineering: control the dust from stabilising and compaction, and manage the noise from the plant.
- 8Engineering: manage reversing plant and trucks with a procedure, cameras and a spotter.
- 9Administrative: because the work is carried out in an area in which there is movement of powered mobile plant, prepare a SWMS for the high risk construction work before it commences, with the pedestrian and plant separation implemented.
- 10Administrative: because the work is on, in or adjacent to a road or traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians, prepare a SWMS for the high risk construction work before it commences, with the traffic management implemented.
- 11Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001), with the plant tickets, traffic control accreditation, confined space, and other competencies required for the work.
- 12Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, the traffic and plant movements, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
- 13Administrative: consult workers and any health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document available at the workplace.
- 14PPE: high-visibility clothing to AS/NZS 4602.1, eye protection, hearing protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
- 15Administrative: review and update this SWMS whenever the work scope changes, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, when new hazards are identified, or at minimum every 12 months.
- 16Administrative: confirm the work is completed safely, the excavation, plant and area are left in a safe condition, and the site is secured.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Controls for the road and civil plant, rigs, rollers and pavers used in the work, including guarding and safe operation.
Management of the bitumen, paints, solvents and fuels, including safety data sheets and exposure controls.
The separation of workers and plant from live road traffic, traffic guidance schemes and traffic control.
The general construction work duties for the civil road work, including the SWMS and principal contractor duties.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
The work is carried out in an area in which there is movement of powered mobile plant, which is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS before the work commences.
The work is carried out on or adjacent to a road in use by traffic other than pedestrians, which is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS and a traffic management plan before the work commences.
This is civil construction work that, in the circumstances described, is high risk construction work — involving in an area at a workplace in which there is movement of powered mobile plant; on, in or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians — so a SWMS must be prepared before the work commences, kept readily accessible, reviewed as necessary, and given to the principal contractor if one is appointed. The work is carried out in connection with the relevant construction, excavation, traffic, plant and other requirements, with the controls for the specific hazards applied. A failure in this work can cause a fatal trench collapse, traffic, plant, fall, gas or other serious injury, and breaches of the relevant legislation and the primary duty of care under the model WHS Act are actively enforced, with offence categories running from failure-to-comply through to reckless conduct, and the most serious breaches carrying imprisonment for individuals. Body-corporate maxima are substantial and indexed; the current maximum follows the prevailing schedule of the responsible regulator.
Who this is for
- →Stabilising crews and plant operators.
- →Road construction and stabilising contractors.
- →Civil and road construction businesses.
- →Councils and PCBUs requiring pavement stabilising.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the plant, binder-dust and traffic controls.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) fully compatible with Microsoft Word 2016 and newer, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- ✓Title page with editable fields for PCBU name, ABN, site or project address, work description, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the road pavement stabilising hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Pavement stabilising prompts referencing the plant and hazardous chemicals Codes of Practice, a powered-mobile-plant section, a binder-dust and alkaline-binder section, and a traffic and compaction record.
- ✓Licensing and competency prompts for the plant, traffic control, confined space and other work, and a plant pre-operational and inspection checklist where relevant.
- ✓Worker consultation record per the model WHS Act consultation duty and a worker sign-on register (blank, expandable).
- ✓Applicable legislation and Codes of Practice schedule pre-populated for the model WHS jurisdiction with a state-variance reference table covering the harmonised states, plus Victoria.
- ✓Emergency procedure template and a revision log.
Worked example
A stabilising crew is engaged to stabilise a road pavement in situ. The stabiliser and rollers are operated safely to the plant requirements, and the rotating mixing drum guarded with workers kept clear and isolation before any access. The binder dust — cement and lime, which are alkaline and irritant — is controlled at the source with suppression and enclosed spreading, with respiratory protection, and the skin and eyes protected against the alkaline binder. The road traffic is managed with a traffic management plan and accredited traffic controllers, and pedestrians and the plant separated. The dust from stabilising and compaction, and the noise, are controlled. Reversing plant and trucks are managed with a procedure, cameras and a spotter. Because the work is in an area of powered mobile plant movement and on a road, a SWMS is prepared for the high risk construction work. The stabilising is completed, the area secured, and the records retained.
Related legislation
- Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — the construction work, excavation, plant, traffic, confined spaces and falls provisions, and the Section 291 high risk construction work and SWMS duties, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- The construction work, excavation work, confined spaces and falls Codes of Practice, the traffic management guidance, and the relevant standards such as AS 5100 for bridges and AS 4678 for retaining structures, are called up by the relevant safety legislation for the civil road work.
- Essential services information is obtained through Before You Dig Australia for underground assets and the Look Up and Live information for overhead assets before excavating; plant operation, traffic control and confined space work require the relevant licences, accreditations and competencies.
- Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the construction, excavation, plant and high risk construction work provisions applying in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
What is the binder hazard in pavement stabilising?
The binders — cement and lime — are alkaline and irritant, presenting a respiratory and skin hazard, so the binder dust is controlled at the source with suppression and enclosed spreading, with respiratory protection, and the skin and eyes protected against the alkaline binder. The binder dust and the alkaline binder are key hazards in pavement stabilising.
Is pavement stabilising high risk construction work?
Yes — it is carried out in an area of powered mobile plant movement and on or adjacent to a road, both of which are high risk construction work requiring a SWMS before the work commences. Pavement stabilising triggers the powered-mobile-plant and traffic-corridor high risk construction work categories.
What is the stabiliser drum hazard?
The rotating mixing drum on the stabiliser presents an entanglement and injury hazard, so it is guarded, workers kept clear, and the machine isolated before any access. Guarding the rotating mixing drum and keeping workers clear prevents entanglement and injury.
How is the binder dust controlled?
The binder dust is controlled at the source with suppression and enclosed spreading, with respiratory protection, because the cement and lime dust is alkaline and irritant. Controlling the binder dust at the source manages the respiratory and skin hazard of the binders.
Who carries out pavement stabilising?
Road pavement stabilising is carried out by competent stabilising crews in connection with the plant, hazardous chemicals and traffic requirements, with the plant, binder-dust, traffic and compaction controls, and a SWMS for the high risk construction work. The pavement is stabilised with the plant, binder and traffic managed.