Truck-Mounted Crane Operation SWMS

Truck-mounted articulating cranes (commonly Hiab, Palfinger or Effer units) are used across construction, landscaping, civil and materials supply sectors to load, transport and place palletised goods, precast elements, steel, plant and bulk bagged product. Operation of this plant constitutes High Risk Construction Work under section 291 of the WHS Regulation 2025 because it involves powered mobile plant, lifting operations over or near workers, and frequently occurs adjacent to public roads or live traffic. Operators must hold the relevant HRWL (CN slewing or C0 non-slewing) class, and the PCBU must prepare, consult on and implement a Safe Work Method Statement before work commences. The SWMS must address ground-bearing capacity for outrigger deployment, exclusion zones within the swing radius, load chart compliance, rigging integrity and proximity to overhead electrical assets. This document provides a compliant, auditable SWMS aligned with WHS Reg 2025 s299–s306 duties.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Where practicable, use forklift or telehandler delivery direct to ground level to remove the need for crane lifting over personnel entirely.
2. 2Elimination — Schedule lifts outside hours when other trades are on site, eliminating concurrent activity exposure within the crane swing radius and drop zone.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute heavy single lifts with smaller pre-split loads to remain within 75% of rated capacity on the manufacturer's load chart at working radius.
4. 4Engineering — Deploy outriggers fully onto engineered timber or composite pads sized to keep ground bearing pressure below tested soil capacity (refer AS 2550.1).
5. 5Engineering — Fit and verify operation of load moment indicator (LMI), anti-two-block, and boom angle limit devices before each shift per AS 1418.11.
6. 6Administrative — Complete documented lift study for loads exceeding 80% capacity, including exclusion zone plan, dogger position and communication protocol per AS 2550.1.
7. 7Administrative — Verify operator holds current HRWL class CN or C0, dogger holds DG licence, and both are recorded on the SWMS sign-on register before commencement.
8. 8Administrative — Maintain minimum approach distance from overhead powerlines per Code of Practice Working Near Overhead and Underground Electric Lines; use spotter where within 6.4 m.
9. 9PPE — Wear AS/NZS 1801 hard hat, AS/NZS 1337.1 impact eyewear, AS/NZS 2210.3 steel-cap boots and AS/NZS 4602.1 Class D/N hi-vis during all lifting operations.
10. 10PPE — Riggers and doggers to wear AS/NZS 2161.2 cut-resistant gloves when handling wire rope slings, chains and shackles to prevent laceration and pinch injury.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

At a pre-start brief on a suburban townhouse civil works project, the truck-mounted crane operator and dogger open this SWMS on a tablet at the tailgate. The operator walks through the seven hazards with the site supervisor, focusing first on outrigger stability — the delivery point is on recently backfilled service trench, so the team selects the engineered composite outrigger pads listed in the engineering controls and increases pad footprint to keep bearing pressure below the geotech-tested 150 kPa limit. They identify a 22 kV overhead line running parallel to the kerb and apply the 6.4 m exclusion zone control from the Code of Practice, nominating a dedicated spotter and revising the lift sequence so the boom never slews north of the cab. Both workers sign the SWMS register, confirming HRWL currency. Mid-task, a plumber arrives unannounced and walks toward the swing radius. The dogger halts the lift using the agreed radio call sign, the operator parks the load, and the SWMS exclusion zone control is re-briefed with the plumber before resumption. The amendment, including the additional spotter position, is recorded in the SWMS variation log and re-signed by all workers, satisfying WHS Reg 2025 s301 review obligations.

Related legislation

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

Frequently asked questions