Soil Compaction & Grading SWMS

Soil compaction and grading involves the use of powered mobile plant — vibratory rollers, plate compactors, graders, dozers and loaders — to level, shape and densify soil to specified engineering tolerances on civil, subdivision and building sites. The work exposes operators and ground workers to crushing and run-over risk from plant, hand-arm and whole-body vibration, respirable crystalline silica in dry soil dust, noise above 85 dB(A), unstable ground and edge collapse near excavations, and struck-by hazards from articulated machinery operating in shared zones.

Under section 291 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), work involving the movement of powered mobile plant is high risk construction work, and section 299 requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be prepared before the work commences. Controls must follow the hierarchy in section 36 — eliminating pedestrian exposure through exclusion zones and separation, engineering ROPS/FOPS and proximity detection, then administrative traffic management and PPE — and the SWMS must be reviewed under section 302 if controls fail or the work changes.

Hazards identified

12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Eliminate pedestrian/plant interaction by sequencing works so compaction and grading occur in exclusion zones with no ground workers present; use physical barriers and signage to define the zone.
2. 2Substitute walk-behind plate compactors with ride-on trench rollers or remote-controlled compactors in confined trenches to remove operator proximity to the vibrating drum.
3. 3Verify all mobile plant has current ROPS/FOPS certification to AS 2294 and reversing alarms/cameras compliant with AS 1742.3; isolate and tag out plant that fails pre-start inspection.
4. 4Use Dial Before You Dig, on-site service locator (AS 5488.1 quality level A/B) and hand-expose services before ripping or deep grading; maintain no-go offsets around live utilities.
5. 5Suppress silica dust with water carts, misting or damp-down of fill material to keep RCS below the 0.05 mg/m³ WES; conduct atmospheric monitoring under AS 2985 where dry-condition work is unavoidable.
6. 6Where site history indicates fill or demolition material, obtain a hazardous materials survey and manage suspected ACM in accordance with the SafeWork NSW Code of Practice — How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace.
7. 7Implement a documented Traffic Management Plan with dedicated haul routes, spotters for reversing plant, and radio communication between operators and ground crew.
8. 8Rotate operators to limit whole-body vibration exposure with reference to ISO 2631-1 action values; ensure suspension seats are maintained and adjusted to operator weight.
9. 9Provide hearing protection to AS/NZS 1270 (Class 5 near compactors), P2 respirators to AS/NZS 1716, safety eyewear to AS/NZS 1337.1, high-visibility clothing to AS/NZS 4602.1, and safety footwear to AS/NZS 2210.3.
10. 10Conduct daily pre-start inspections, toolbox talks and verify operator High Risk Work Licences (LR/LB) and VOC records for the specific plant class before work commences.
11. 11Establish emergency response for entrapment, utility strike and heat illness; ensure a trained first aider and communications are available on site at all times.
12. 12All workers must hold CPCCWHS1001 (White Card); consult the workforce on the SWMS content under section 47 of the WHS Act, and review controls under section 302 of the WHS Regulation 2025 if an incident, near-miss or scope change occurs.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A civil contractor is compacting a Class 2 subgrade for a new residential subdivision at Marsden Park in Sydney's north-west. A 12-tonne smooth-drum vibratory roller and a walk-behind plate compactor are operating in adjacent lots while surveyors set out kerb lines. Prior to mobilisation, the site supervisor issued the Soil Compaction & Grading SWMS, confirmed the roller operator's LR licence and VOC, and verified ROPS certification to AS 2294. A 5-metre exclusion zone was demarcated around the roller with witches' hats and a spotter was assigned. Dial Before You Dig plans identified a 400 mm potable water main under the pad — hand-exposed and marked before ripping. Water carts damped the surface every 30 minutes to suppress silica dust. Mid-shift, the surveyor attempted to enter the roller's zone; the spotter halted the plant, the supervisor consulted the crew under section 47 of the WHS Act, and the SWMS was reviewed under section 302 to strengthen radio-check protocols before work resumed.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)
• Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW)
• Roads Act 1993 (NSW) — where works interface with public roads
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW)
• Contaminated Land Management Act 1997 (NSW) — where fill or ACM is suspected

Frequently asked questions