Load Shifting & Slinging SWMS

Load shifting and slinging covers the rigging, attachment, movement and landing of loads using cranes, hoists or mobile plant. Dogmen and riggers work in close proximity to suspended loads, taglines and moving plant, often at height on structures or scaffolds. The task combines mechanical energy (stored in slings, chains and hoist ropes), gravitational energy (a suspended mass), and the unpredictability of load swing, wind and operator sightlines. Sling failure, load contact, crush between load and structure, and falls from elevated work positions have all produced fatalities on NSW construction sites.

Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), section 291 defines high risk construction work. This task engages section 291(a) — a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres — and section 291(o) — work in or adjacent to areas with movement of powered mobile plant. Section 299 requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be prepared before the work commences, and section 302 requires review whenever controls are revised or an incident occurs. Controls follow the hierarchy under section 36 of the Regulation.

Hazards identified

12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Eliminate the need to work under or near suspended loads by pre-planning lift paths, exclusion zones and landing sequences before the crane arrives on site.
2. 2Substitute manual slinging with engineered lifting attachments (clutches, spreader beams, vacuum lifters) matched to the load, particularly for precast concrete elements manufactured to AS 3850.1.
3. 3Verify all lifting gear is rated, tagged and inspected in accordance with AS 2550.1 (cranes — safe use), AS 1418.1 (cranes — general requirements) and AS 4991 (lifting devices); withdraw any gear failing pre-use inspection.
4. 4Establish engineered exclusion zones and drop zones around the lift area using hard barriers and signage; permit only the dogman inside the zone during the lift.
5. 5Where powerlines are within reach of the crane or load, apply SafeWork NSW no-go zone distances and engage the network operator for de-energisation, tiger tails or a permit before work proceeds.
6. 6Control fall risks at elevated slinging and landing positions using edge protection, fall-arrest systems or elevating work platforms in accordance with AS/NZS 1891.4 and the Managing the risk of falls at workplaces Code of Practice.
7. 7Confirm load mass, centre of gravity and rigging configuration on a documented lift study for any lift above routine parameters or any tandem/critical lift; the crane crew must reject uncertain loads.
8. 8Control silica and asbestos exposure when handling concrete, masonry or demolition loads: wet-suppress cutting, avoid dry sweeping in landing areas, and stop work if suspected ACM is disturbed pending licensed removal under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) Chapter 8.
9. 9Use radios on a dedicated channel with confirmed hand signals per AS 2550.1; only one dogman directs the crane at any time, and 'STOP' from any worker is universally obeyed.
10. 10Verify all personnel hold current High Risk Work Licences — CN (dogging), CI/CV/CT (rigging) or the relevant crane class — and that the crane operator's licence class matches the plant.
11. 11Issue PPE appropriate to the task: hi-vis to AS/NZS 4602.1, safety helmet with chin strap to AS/NZS 1801, safety footwear to AS/NZS 2210.3, cut-resistant gloves and eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1.
12. 12All workers hold CPCCWHS1001 (White Card); the SWMS is developed in consultation with the workers carrying out the lift under section 47 of the WHS Act 2011 (NSW), signed on before work, and reviewed under section 302 of the WHS Regulation 2025 (NSW) after any incident, near-miss or change to plant, load or lift plan.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A structural steel subcontractor is erecting a four-storey commercial frame in Parramatta. A 50 t mobile crane is lifting 6 m columns from a laydown area on Macquarie Street through a shared vehicle zone to the erection face. Two dogmen (CN licence) sling loads at ground level and receive them at 8 m on the partially completed frame. The SWMS identifies section 291(a) (fall > 2 m at the erection face) and section 291(o) (crane and site forklift movement in the laydown). Controls include an engineered spreader beam sized to the columns, a documented lift plan signed by the crane supervisor, a hard-barricaded exclusion zone on Macquarie Street coordinated with a City of Parramatta traffic control plan, edge protection and twin-lanyard harnesses to AS/NZS 1891.4 at the erection face, and a dedicated UHF channel for dogman-to-operator communication. The SWMS is signed on by all workers before the first lift and reviewed after a near-miss involving wind gust load swing on day two.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Chapter 6 Construction work
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Chapter 5 Plant and structures
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Chapter 7 Hazardous chemicals (respirable crystalline silica)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Chapter 8 Asbestos
• Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2014 (NSW) — powerline clearances

Frequently asked questions