Forging / Drop Hammer Operations SWMS

Forging and drop hammer operations involve shaping heated metal billets between dies using gravity-drop, steam, air, or hydraulic hammers, plus open and closed die presses generating impact energies exceeding 25 kilojoules per blow. The work combines billets heated to 1100-1250°C, repetitive high-amplitude impact, stored hydraulic and pneumatic energy, and airborne scale fragments — a hazard profile that routinely triggers serious crush, burn, hearing-loss, and hand-arm vibration injury claims across Australian forging shops. Under WHS Regulation 2011 r291 and equivalent state provisions, this work is classified as High Risk Construction Work where it intersects with structural fabrication, and as plant operation under r203-r215 in all other contexts, both of which mandate a documented Safe Work Method Statement before work commences. A SWMS is also required because the activity involves stored energy systems, hot metal handling, and exposure to mechanical vibration above the ISO 5349 exposure action value. This template provides a compliant, CIH-reviewed baseline that satisfies PCBU consultation and record-keeping duties across all eight Australian jurisdictions.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — eliminate manual billet handling near the hammer by specifying robotic manipulators or rail-mounted billet cars for all forgings exceeding 15 kg.
2. 2Elimination — remove personnel from the impact zone during ram cycling by interlocking light curtains tied to the hammer trip control circuit.
3. 3Substitution — substitute drop hammers with hydraulic presses for closed-die work where feasible, reducing peak impulse noise by 20-30 dB(C) and impact vibration.
4. 4Substitution — replace water-based die lubricants with graphite-free synthetic compounds to eliminate steam flash and reduce ejected scale velocity at the die face.
5. 5Engineering — install fixed scale shields, polycarbonate flash screens rated to AS/NZS 1337.1, and vibration-damped tong handles meeting ISO 10819 transmissibility limits.
6. 6Engineering — fit lockable safety props, ram blocks and dual-channel hydraulic isolation valves on all hammers and presses per AS 4024.1 plant safety requirements.
7. 7Administrative — implement vibration exposure rotation schedules capping daily A(8) at 2.5 m/s² and impulse noise exposure at LCpeak 140 dB per AS/NZS 1269.1.
8. 8Administrative — conduct documented pre-start inspections, isolation permits and toolbox briefings using this SWMS, with sign-on for every operator and manipulator before each shift.
9. 9PPE — issue Class 5 aluminised heat-reflective jackets, leggings and spats, Grade A safety boots with metatarsal guards, and IR-filter face shields to AS/NZS 1337.1.
10. 10PPE — provide double hearing protection (Class 5 earplugs plus earmuffs) achieving SLC80 of 26 dB minimum, and anti-vibration gloves certified to ISO 10819.

Applicable Codes of Practice

Worked example

At a regional drop forge producing axle components, the shift supervisor convenes a pre-start brief at 6:45 am before commissioning a 2-tonne steam hammer for a closed-die crankshaft run. Using this SWMS, he walks the four-person crew through the hazard register, focusing on stored energy in the accumulator, impulse noise above 140 dB(C), and the hot scale ejection pattern peculiar to the new die set. The team identifies that the polycarbonate flash screen on the operator side is chipped — a control listed under Engineering in the SWMS — and the supervisor isolates the hammer, tags out the steam supply, and arranges screen replacement before authorising production. Each operator signs the SWMS sign-on register confirming they have current audiometric baselines, fitted Class 5 earplugs plus muffs, and aluminised PPE meeting AS/NZS 1337.1. Two hours into the run, the manipulator operator reports increased vibration through the tongs. The supervisor refers back to the administrative control specifying rotation at the ISO 5349 A(8) action value, rotates the operator out, and documents the adjustment in the SWMS variation log. At smoko, the crew reviews whether the change requires a formal SWMS revision and consultation with the HSR — confirming that the rotation falls within existing controls but the chipped screen incident is captured as a corrective action. The SWMS functions as a living field document, not a filing-cabinet artefact.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS 4024 — Safety of machinery; Plant safety CoP

Frequently asked questions