HIAB & Truck Loader Crane Operations SWMS

HIAB and truck-mounted loader crane operations involve articulated knuckle-boom cranes mounted on rigid or semi-trailer chassis, used to load, unload, and place materials at construction sites, civil works, and material yards across Australia. The work combines mobile plant operation, slewing crane lifting, and roadside delivery — frequently in live traffic corridors or alongside pedestrians and other trades. Under WHS Regulation 2025 r.291, a Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory because the work is high-risk construction work involving loads suspended over people (Schedule 3 Cat. 4) and structural failure risk from outrigger ground-bearing pressure (Cat. 5). Operators must hold a current HRW licence (C0, C2 or CN depending on capacity and slew configuration) under r.162, and the crane must comply with AS 2549:2004 Cranes — Vehicle Loading. This SWMS documents lift planning, outrigger deployment, load chart verification, exclusion zone control, and rigging duties required before any lift commences.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Where practicable, schedule deliveries directly to ground-level laydown areas eliminating the need to lift over occupied structures, scaffolds, or active work zones below.
2. 2Elimination — Refuse the lift and reschedule if ground conditions, wind speed above manufacturer limits, or overhead service clearances cannot be verified before set-up.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute manual sling rigging with engineered lifting frames, vacuum lifters, or proprietary brick/block clamps rated and tagged to AS 4991:2004 for the load type.
4. 4Engineering — Deploy all outriggers fully extended onto timber or engineered bog mats sized per ground-bearing pressure calculation in the lift study; verify chassis level within manufacturer tolerance.
5. 5Engineering — Use load moment indicator (LMI) and rated capacity limiter functional per AS 2549:2004 cl.2.9; do not bypass cut-outs or override anti-two-block devices.
6. 6Administrative — Complete a documented lift plan referencing the load chart, radius, boom angle, and rigging configuration before each non-routine lift; dogger and operator sign-on.
7. 7Administrative — Establish and barricade an exclusion zone equal to the lift radius plus load dimension; post spotters and use clear hand signals or UHF channel per AS 2550.1.
8. 8Administrative — Verify operator HRW C0/C2/CN licence under r.162 and dogger DG licence; confirm currency before site entry and record on the daily prestart.
9. 9PPE — Hi-vis Class D/N garments to AS/NZS 4602.1, AS/NZS 1801 hard hat, AS/NZS 2210.3 safety footwear with metatarsal protection, and AS/NZS 2161.3 cut-resistant rigging gloves.
10. 10PPE — UV-rated safety eyewear to AS/NZS 1337.1 and Class 5 hearing protection to AS/NZS 1270 when working near hydraulic power packs and traffic noise above 85 dB(A).

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a suburban townhouse civil project, a precast panel delivery arrives kerbside on a residential street. The HIAB operator opens this SWMS at the truck cab before deploying outriggers. At the toolbox brief with the site supervisor and dogger, they walk through the hazard register — identifying soft verge ground on the driver's side, a Telstra aerial cable 6 metres overhead, and pedestrian footpath traffic. Using the SWMS controls, they select 600 × 600 mm timber bog mats under the verge-side outriggers per the engineering control, mark out a 9-metre exclusion zone with bunting and witches hats, and station a traffic spotter under the administrative control. The operator confirms his HRW C2 licence and the dogger's DG ticket on the prestart sign-on sheet attached to the SWMS. Mid-lift, a pedestrian approaches the exclusion zone — the spotter halts the slew immediately, the operator parks the load, and the SWMS clause requiring lift suspension on zone breach is followed. Once the footpath clears, the lift resumes under the documented signalling protocol. After completion, the dogger inspects the slings against AS 4991, notes a damaged shackle for removal, and the supervisor countersigns the SWMS as evidence of consultation and compliance with WHS r.291.

Related legislation

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

Frequently asked questions