Crawler Crane Operations SWMS

Crawler crane operations involve the deployment, set-up and use of lattice or telescopic boom crawler cranes for heavy lifting on civil, infrastructure and commercial construction sites. The work routinely involves lifts exceeding the duty chart on uneven or made ground, slewing of suspended loads near workers and structures, and travel of the crane under load — each of which is classified as High Risk Construction Work under WHS Regulation 2011 r291(g) (risk of falling object), r291(h) (powered mobile plant) and r291(p) (tilt-up/precast erection where applicable). A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before this work commences and must be prepared in consultation with operators, dogmen, riggers and the principal contractor under WHS Act s47. The SWMS must document the lift plan, ground bearing assessment, exclusion zones and emergency procedures, and be kept available for inspection for the duration of the high risk construction work, then retained for at least two years (longer if a notifiable incident occurs).

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Where feasible, prefabricate and lift modules at ground level or use mobile tower cranes with fixed bases to eliminate crawler travel under load on suspect ground.
2. 2Elimination — Reschedule lifts outside forecast wind windows above 9.6 m/s at the hook and cease operations when lightning is within 10 km per AS 1418.5 Appendix C.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute a larger duty crawler so the planned lift sits below 75% of rated capacity at maximum radius, removing critical-lift classification under AS 2550.1.
4. 4Substitution — Replace single-point picks with engineered lifting beams and certified rigging frames to substitute uncontrolled load geometry with a fixed, calculated configuration.
5. 5Engineering — Install certified crane mats or steel road plates sized to the bearing pressure calculation in the lift study, signed by a competent ground engineer per AS 2550.1 clause 6.4.
6. 6Engineering — Operate cranes only with functioning rated capacity indicator, anti-two-block and load moment limiter calibrated within 12 months and logged in the plant logbook.
7. 7Administrative — Implement a documented lift plan signed by the crane supervisor, rigger and PCBU representative before each non-routine lift in accordance with the Tower and Mobile Crane CoP.
8. 8Administrative — Establish a hard-barricaded exclusion zone covering the full slew radius plus load drop zone, controlled by a dedicated spotter with two-way radio on a dedicated channel.
9. 9PPE — Issue and enforce high-visibility long-sleeve garments to AS/NZS 4602.1, Class 2 hard hats to AS/NZS 1801, steel-cap boots to AS/NZS 2210.3 and cut-resistant rigging gloves.
10. 10PPE — Provide impact-rated safety eyewear to AS/NZS 1337.1 and Class 5 hearing protection for ground crew within 7 m of the diesel power pack during sustained operations.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a regional water treatment upgrade, the lift supervisor opens the Crawler Crane Operations SWMS at the 6:30 am pre-start brief in the site shed. A 180-tonne lattice crawler is scheduled to set a 28-tonne sedimentation tank module at 22 m radius — 71% of rated capacity. Working through the SWMS hazard register, the dogman flags that overnight rain has saturated the southern pad. The crew references control 5 (engineered crane mats with bearing pressure calculation) and the supervisor pauses the lift until the geotech contractor re-tests the pad and re-signs the lift plan. The SWMS exclusion zone diagram is marked up on the site plan and a second spotter is added to cover the slew tail swing near the temporary site office, satisfying control 8. Each worker signs the SWMS sign-on register, confirming they have been consulted under WHS Act s47. Mid-lift, wind at the hook anemometer reaches 8.4 m/s and is climbing. The dogman calls a hold on the dedicated radio channel, the operator boom-up parks the load, and the team re-reads the SWMS wind threshold (9.6 m/s). The lift resumes only when the three-minute average drops, with the adjustment noted on the SWMS as a field amendment and countersigned, ready for regulator inspection.

Related legislation

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

Frequently asked questions