Production Logging — Chainsaw Felling SWMS
SWMS template for production logging — chainsaw felling. Covers Production-scale, mark + cut, escape route.. 8-state AU coverage, CIH-reviewed editable DOCX, available as an instant download.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Production logging using chainsaw felling is one of the highest-risk activities in Australian workplaces, with the forestry and logging industry consistently recording fatality rates well above the national average. This SWMS covers production-scale felling operations including tree assessment and marking, scarf and back cuts, controlled directional felling, and establishment of safe escape routes — all activities that expose workers to crushing, kickback, and struck-by hazards from falling trees and limbs.
Under the model Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the WHS Regulation 2011 (with state-based equivalents in WA and Victoria's OHS Act 2004), a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) must manage risks associated with plant, falling objects, and high-risk work. The Safe Work Australia Guide to Managing Risks of Tree Trimming and Removal Work and the Forest Operations Code of Practice in each state provide the benchmark for reasonably practicable controls.
A documented SWMS is legally required before this work commences because chainsaw felling triggers multiple High Risk Construction Work categories under r291. The SWMS must be available for inspection at the workplace, reviewed if controls fail or conditions change, and signed by every worker performing the task. Failure to prepare or comply with a SWMS is a Category 2 or 3 offence carrying penalties up to $1.5M for a body corporate.
Hazards identified
6 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Fatal crushing injuries to feller or nearby workers from tree falling outside intended fall zone
Severe lacerations to head, neck, torso or upper limbs; potential fatality
Serious head and crush injuries from overhead material falling without warning
Worker unable to clear fall zone in time, resulting in crushing or lower-limb fractures
Permanent neurological damage, vascular impairment and irreversible hearing loss
Burns to operator, equipment fire, or wildfire ignition during Total Fire Ban periods
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Conduct a documented pre-felling tree assessment covering lean, defects, hang-ups, root condition, surrounding trees and overhead hazards before each tree — record on the felling plan
- 2Establish and physically mark a fall zone of at least two tree lengths in radius; exclude all non-essential personnel and verify the zone is clear before commencing the back cut
- 3Plan and clear two escape routes at 45° to the rear of the intended fall direction, removing trip hazards and brush before commencing cuts; retreat a minimum of 5 metres as the tree begins to fall
- 4Use only chainsaws fitted with a functioning chain brake, anti-vibration mounts, throttle interlock and sharp, correctly tensioned chain; complete and document daily pre-start inspection
- 5Apply correct cutting technique — scarf cut of 45° to a depth of one-third trunk diameter, with a back cut leaving a hinge of approximately 10% of diameter — in accordance with AS 2727 Chainsaws — Guide to safe working practices
- 6Mandatory PPE: AS/NZS 1801 forestry helmet with mesh visor and Class 5 earmuffs, AS/NZS 4453.3 cut-resistant chaps or trousers, high-visibility shirt, steel-capped chainsaw boots and cut-resistant gloves
- 7Operators must hold a current nationally recognised competency (FWPCOT2236 Fall trees manually or equivalent) and a verification of competency must be on file before work commences
- 8Maintain visual or radio communication with a second competent person within calling distance — no solo felling permitted in production operations per state Forest Safety Codes
- 9Refuel only on bare ground at least 3 metres from the cutting area with the engine stopped and cooled; cease all operations during declared Total Fire Ban or when Forest Fire Danger Index exceeds the site threshold
- 10Manage hang-ups using mechanical assistance (winch, skidder or feller buncher) — never fell another tree into a hang-up and never work beneath one
- 11Implement a vibration exposure schedule limiting continuous chainsaw use and rotating tasks to keep daily exposure below the ELV in AS 2763, with health monitoring for HAVS where exposure approaches the action value
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates a written SWMS before work begins where work involves a risk of a person falling more than 2m, plant, or other prescribed HRCW activities applicable to felling operations
Sets the baseline for hazard identification, fall zones, escape routes and competency expectations for chainsaw felling
Defines safe cutting techniques, scarf and back-cut geometry, hinge sizing, kickback avoidance and operator positioning
Specifies the cut-resistant performance requirements for chaps and trousers worn by chainsaw operators
Specifies head protection requirements for forestry helmet systems used during felling
Applies to chainsaw noise exposure which routinely exceeds 100 dB(A) — requires controls and audiometric testing
Each state code prescribes minimum standards for harvesting plans, faller separation distances and supervision in production forestry
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Felled trees, dislodged limbs and 'widow-makers' present an extreme risk of falling objects within and beyond the intended fall zone
Chainsaws are high-risk hand-held cutting plant and production felling typically involves skidders, forwarders or feller bunchers operating in proximity to fallers
Production felling near forestry roads, boundaries or rural lots frequently encounters overhead powerlines requiring no-go zones under the Electrical Safety Code
Because this work falls within multiple HRCW categories under r291, a SWMS MUST be prepared before work starts, kept available for inspection, complied with by every worker, and reviewed if an incident or change occurs. Failure to prepare a SWMS for HRCW is a Category 3 offence; failure leading to serious injury or death may be prosecuted as Category 2 (up to $1.5M body corporate) or Category 1 reckless conduct (up to $3M body corporate and 5 years imprisonment for individuals).
Who this is for
- →Production forestry contractors and harvesting crews operating on public or private native and plantation estates
- →Self-employed fallers and contract chainsaw operators working under a head harvesting contract
- →Forestry company safety managers and harvesting supervisors responsible for SWMS approval and crew sign-on
- →Land clearing and arboricultural businesses undertaking commercial-scale felling outside urban tree work
- →Plantation managers (softwood and hardwood) coordinating motor-manual felling alongside mechanised operations
- →RTOs and trainers delivering FWPCOT2236 and FWPCOT3266 competencies who require a compliant template for assessment
What you receive
- ✓Fully editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) SWMS template branded to your business
- ✓State-specific legislation schedule covering NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT and NT WHS/OHS regulations and Forest Operations Codes
- ✓Pre-populated hazard register with risk matrix scoring aligned to AS/NZS ISO 31000
- ✓Worker sign-on register and daily toolbox talk record
- ✓Pre-start chainsaw and PPE inspection checklist
- ✓Tree-by-tree felling plan and escape route diagram template
- ✓CIH-reviewed control measures mapped to the hierarchy of control
- ✓Free minor revisions for 30 days and email support from a qualified WHS practitioner
Worked example
A four-person harvesting crew is contracted to fell a 35-hectare radiata pine compartment in the Green Triangle. Before the shift starts, the crew supervisor opens the SWMS on a tablet, confirms the day's coupe, weather (wind under 40 km/h, FFDI 18) and that all four workers — two fallers, a skidder operator and a landing hand — have signed the sign-on register and hold current FWPCOT2236 competencies. The lead faller works through the SWMS pre-felling assessment for each tree: identifying a 6° lean, a forked top and one dead limb. He marks the intended fall direction, clears two escape routes back at 45°, and confirms the second faller is more than two tree-lengths away. The SWMS prompts him to verify chain brake function and hinge thickness before the back cut. After the tree falls, he retreats along the cleared escape route, waits for overhead debris to settle, and records the felled tree on the daily log. When a hang-up occurs mid-afternoon, the SWMS hang-up procedure is followed — the area is cordoned, work stops, and the skidder is brought in to safely dislodge the tree rather than felling another into it.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth model) — primary duty of care s.19
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 — Chapter 6 Construction Work (r291–r299)
- Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (VIC) and OHS Regulations 2017
- Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA) and WHS (General) Regulations 2022
- Electrical Safety Act and no-go zone requirements for work near powerlines
- Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations — fuel storage on forestry sites
- Rural Fires Act / state Bushfire Acts — Total Fire Ban obligations during operations
Frequently asked questions
Is a SWMS legally required for chainsaw felling in production forestry?
Yes. Production felling involves multiple High Risk Construction Work categories under r291 of the WHS Regulation — falling objects, high-risk hand-held plant and frequently work near powerlines. A written SWMS must be prepared before work starts, kept at the workplace, complied with, and reviewed when conditions change. The same obligation applies under Victoria's OHS Regulations as a 'high risk construction work' SWMS and under WA's WHS Regulations 2022.
Does this SWMS cover both native forest and plantation felling?
Yes. The template addresses common production felling scenarios in both hardwood native coupes and softwood/hardwood plantations. It includes prompts for site-specific factors — slope, defects, dead stags, harvesting plan zones — that you populate during the pre-felling assessment. It does not cover mechanised harvester/feller-buncher operation, which requires a separate plant-specific SWMS.
Who is qualified to perform chainsaw felling under this SWMS?
Operators must hold the relevant nationally recognised unit of competency — typically FWPCOT2236 Fall trees manually for basic felling and FWPCOT3266 for advanced or larger trees — plus a documented Verification of Competency from the PCBU. State Forest Operations Codes also require minimum supervision arrangements; the SWMS includes a competency register to record this.
How often must the SWMS be reviewed?
The SWMS must be reviewed and revised whenever controls are found to be inadequate, an incident or near-miss occurs, the work method changes, new plant is introduced, or a worker raises a concern. As a practical minimum we recommend a documented review at the start of each new coupe and at least annually. The template includes a revision history page to evidence this.
Does the document include controls for working near powerlines?
Yes. The SWMS includes no-go zone distances aligned with the Code of Practice for Work Near Overhead and Underground Electric Lines, requirements to consult the network operator for asset isolation or observers, and prompts to identify lines during the pre-felling assessment. Felling within the no-go zone without authorisation is prohibited.
Will this SWMS satisfy a principal contractor or auditor on a state forest contract?
The template is structured to meet the SWMS content requirements of r299 (or state equivalents) — hazards, controls, who is responsible, how they will be monitored and reviewed — and aligns with the audit criteria used by AFS/PEFC and FSC certified operations. You will still need to populate site-specific information (coupe, harvesting plan reference, crew names) before submission.