Courier / Last-Mile Delivery Driving SWMS

Courier and last-mile delivery covers the delivery of parcels and goods to the final destination — collecting, transporting and delivering parcels by vehicle to homes and businesses on a delivery round. The hazards are the driving and road traffic, the manual handling of parcels, getting in and out of the vehicle repeatedly, and the access to varied premises. This document is written on the basis that courier and last-mile delivery is carried out with the driving, manual-handling, vehicle-access and premises controls in place.

Courier and last-mile delivery is carried out in connection with the road traffic and manual handling requirements, with the driving and road traffic managed, the manual handling of parcels managed, the repeated vehicle access managed, and the access to varied premises managed. The driving and traffic, the manual handling, the vehicle access, and the premises are the considerations. This document coordinates the driving, manual-handling, vehicle-access and premises controls so the courier and last-mile delivery is carried out safely.

Hazards identified

9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Administrative: drive safely to the conditions and the road rules, managing the driving and road traffic, and the vehicle maintained.
2. 2Engineering: use mechanical aids — trolleys, dollies, stair-climbers, pallet jacks and lifting equipment — and team lifting for the heavy and awkward loads, and manage the manual-handling and awkward-posture hazard with correct technique and the hierarchy of controls for hazardous manual tasks.
3. 3Engineering: get in and out of the vehicle safely using steps and handholds, and manage the repeated vehicle access and the strain it causes.
4. 4Administrative: manage the access to varied and unknown premises, assessing each for slips, trips, falls and hazards, and do not proceed where unsafe.
5. 5Administrative: manage dogs and aggressive behaviour at premises with awareness and a procedure, and manage lone working with appropriate arrangements.
6. 6Administrative: manage the time pressure and fatigue of the delivery round with realistic scheduling.
7. 7Engineering: load and organise the vehicle to manage the manual handling and stability, and handle heavy or awkward parcels with care.
8. 8Administrative: all workers must hold the competencies and licences required for the work, including a High Risk Work Licence for forklift operation, a heavy vehicle driver licence for heavy vehicles, and any dangerous goods or other training required.
9. 9Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, traffic and plant movements, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
10. 10Administrative: 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.
11. 11PPE: high-visibility clothing, eye protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, hearing protection where required, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
12. 12Administrative: 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.

Applicable Codes of Practice

Worked example

A courier is engaged to deliver parcels on a last-mile round. The driving and road traffic are managed by driving safely to the conditions and the road rules, with the vehicle maintained. The manual handling of parcels is managed with mechanical aids where required and correct technique. Getting in and out of the vehicle is managed safely using steps and handholds, and the repeated vehicle access and strain managed. The access to varied and unknown premises is managed, assessing each for slips, trips, falls and hazards, and the courier does not proceed where unsafe. Dogs and aggressive behaviour at premises are managed with awareness and a procedure, and lone working managed with appropriate arrangements. The time pressure and fatigue are managed with realistic scheduling. The vehicle is loaded and organised to manage the manual handling and stability, and heavy or awkward parcels handled with care. The deliveries are carried out safely, 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 plant, hazardous manual tasks, hazardous chemicals and High Risk Work Licence provisions, and the Section 291 high risk construction work and SWMS duties where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
• The Heavy Vehicle National Law and the Chain of Responsibility, the National Transport Commission Load Restraint Guide 2018, and the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, apply to heavy vehicles and the transport of dangerous goods, alongside the model WHS framework, and are administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and the state and territory dangerous goods regulators.
• Forklift operation requires a High Risk Work Licence (LF or LO class) under each state and territory's licensing scheme, and heavy vehicle driving requires the appropriate heavy vehicle driver licence; dangerous goods drivers require dangerous goods licensing and training.
• Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the plant, manual handling, hazardous chemicals and high risk construction work provisions applying in place of the model instruments, alongside the Dangerous Goods Act 1985.

Frequently asked questions