Concrete Agitator Truck (Driver/Operator) SWMS

Concrete agitator truck operations involve the on-road delivery and on-site discharge of wet concrete using a heavy rigid vehicle fitted with a rotating mixing barrel and articulated discharge chute. Drivers must manage vehicle positioning on uneven ground, conduct slump tests at the rear of the truck, manipulate chute extensions weighing up to 25kg, and discharge concrete into formwork, pumps, kibbles or directly into excavations — often while working alongside concrete placers, pump operators and other mobile plant. The work is conducted on construction sites where the driver is both a road user and a construction worker simultaneously, creating a complex risk profile.

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and WHS Regulation 2017 (and its 2025 amendments in NSW, QLD and harmonised jurisdictions), concrete agitator truck operations fall within the definition of construction work under Regulation 289. Where the work involves powered mobile plant on a construction site, work in or near a trench or shaft, or work where there is movement of powered mobile plant, it constitutes High Risk Construction Work (HRCW) under Regulation 291. A Safe Work Method Statement is therefore mandatory under Regulation 299 before work commences.

This SWMS has been prepared in accordance with the Safe Work Australia Construction Work Code of Practice, the Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice, and AS 1418.8 (Mobile Cranes — for chute and discharge configuration cross-reference). It addresses the PCBU's duty under sections 19 and 20 of the WHS Act and the principal contractor's coordination duties under Regulation 309.

Hazards identified

6 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Conduct a documented site-specific risk assessment on arrival, including ground bearing capacity, overhead and underground services, traffic flow and pedestrian exclusion zones — sign off with site supervisor before positioning truck
2. 2Use a trained spotter/traffic controller in high-visibility clothing for all reversing movements; spotter must remain in the driver's mirror line of sight and use standardised hand signals per AS 2890.2
3. 3Establish a 3m exclusion zone around the rear of the truck during chute operation using witches hats or barrier mesh; only the driver and authorised placer permitted within zone
4. 4Maintain minimum approach distances from overhead powerlines per the Work Near Overhead and Underground Assets Code of Practice — 3m for ≤132kV, 6m for 132–330kV, 8m for >330kV unless a Safe Work Method permit and spotter are in place
5. 5Use mechanical chute supports, two-person lifts for chute extensions over 15kg, and maintain chute sections at waist height during attachment to eliminate overhead lifting
6. 6Issue and enforce PPE: AS/NZS 1337.1 wide-vision goggles, AS/NZS 2161 chemical-resistant gauntlets, AS/NZS 2210.3 steel-cap rubber boots, AS/NZS 4602.1 Class D/N hi-vis, hard hat
7. 7Wash skin contact with concrete immediately using clean water for 15 minutes; eye splash requires 20-minute irrigation and medical assessment — emergency eyewash must be carried on truck
8. 8Comply with Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) fatigue management — maintain work diary, observe maximum 12-hour work day for standard hours, take mandatory rest breaks; report fatigue to dispatcher without penalty
9. 9Conduct daily pre-start inspection of barrel, chute pins, hydraulics, brakes, mirrors, reversing alarm and camera per manufacturer's schedule and AS 2550.1
10. 10Position truck on level ground (≤5° gradient) with parking brake engaged, wheels chocked on slopes, and outriggers/stabilisers deployed where fitted before commencing discharge
11. 11Conduct slump test from the side of the chute, never directly underneath; use slump cone tools rather than hands; never reach inside the barrel

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

Daniel is an owner-driver delivering a 6m³ load of 32MPa concrete to a residential slab pour in Western Sydney. On arrival, he conducts the documented site arrival assessment from this SWMS: he identifies that the driveway gradient exceeds 5°, the slab is within 4m of an 11kV overhead service, and the concreter has not established a pedestrian exclusion zone. Using the SWMS, Daniel refuses to position until the site supervisor barricades the chute zone, confirms the powerline distance, and provides a spotter. He then completes the pre-start checklist, dons gauntlets and goggles, performs the slump test from the side of the chute, and discharges in two stages while the spotter manages the placer's movements. Mid-pour, the placer steps backward toward the chute pivot. The spotter signals stop, Daniel halts the barrel rotation, and the placer is repositioned outside the exclusion zone before discharge resumes. After the pour, Daniel washes residual concrete from his forearm with the truck's onboard water within 30 seconds — preventing the alkali burn that sent his colleague to hospital last year. The signed SWMS, daily checklist and spotter sign-on are returned to the batching plant, where they are retained for two years per Regulation 300.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth model) — sections 19, 20, 28, 32
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (NSW) / equivalent state regulations — Part 6.3 Construction Work
• WHS Regulation 2011 r291 — High Risk Construction Work definition
• WHS Regulation 2011 r299–302 — SWMS preparation, availability, review and compliance
• Heavy Vehicle National Law Act 2012 — Chain of Responsibility and Fatigue Management
• Australian Road Rules and state Road Transport Acts
• Environment Protection Act 1970 (Vic) / equivalent — concrete washout and waterway protection
• AS/NZS 4801 / ISO 45001 — Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

Frequently asked questions