Gantry Crane / Overhead Crane Operations SWMS

Gantry crane and overhead crane operations — including electric overhead travelling (EOT) cranes, bridge cranes, and pendant or radio-controlled units — are routinely deployed in fabrication workshops, warehouses, precast yards, and construction sites across Australia to lift, traverse, and lower loads above workers and plant. These operations are classified as High Risk Construction Work under WHS Regulation 2011 r291 wherever loads are suspended above persons or where structural collapse could occur, and they are listed activities under section 291 of the model WHS Regulations. A documented, signed-on Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before work commences, must be reviewed when controls change or after any incident, and must be retained for the duration of the work plus two years where a notifiable incident occurs. This SWMS addresses crane pre-start inspection, lifting gear selection, exclusion zoning, communication protocols, and emergency lowering — aligned to AS 2550.1, AS 1418.1, and the Managing the Risk of Falling Objects Code of Practice.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Eliminate manual handling under suspended loads by sequencing work so personnel are removed from the lift zone before hoisting commences, verified via exclusion zone walk.
2. 2Elimination — Where feasible, replace overhead lifting with floor-level transfer systems, powered roller conveyors, or AGVs to remove the suspended load hazard entirely from the task.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute manual pendant control with radio remote control on lifts exceeding 3 tonnes so the operator can stand clear of the load path and maintain optimal sight lines.
4. 4Substitution — Substitute single-leg slings with engineered lifting beams or certified spreader bars for awkward loads to reduce sling angle stress and load instability during traverse.
5. 5Engineering — Install audible travel alarms, strobe beacons, overload limiters, and upper/lower hoist limit switches on all cranes; verify function during the daily pre-start inspection per AS 2550.1.
6. 6Engineering — Demarcate fixed exclusion zones beneath crane travel paths using floor-marked keep-clear zones, light curtains, or physical barricades preventing entry while load is airborne.
7. 7Administrative — Only HRWL-licensed dogger (DG) and crane operator (CN/CV) personnel may rig and operate; verify licences, conduct documented pre-start, and brief lift plan at toolbox before each shift.
8. 8Administrative — Implement standard AS 2550.1 hand signals and dedicated UHF channel for radio communication; nominate one signaller per lift and confirm via repeat-back protocol before motion.
9. 9PPE — Mandatory hi-vis long sleeve, AS/NZS 1801 hard hat with chinstrap, AS/NZS 2210.3 safety boots, AS/NZS 1337.1 impact eyewear, and cut-5 rigging gloves when handling slings or chains.
10. 10PPE — Issue AS/NZS 1891 compliant fall arrest harness with twin lanyard for any worker accessing crane walkways, gantry beams, or trolley maintenance platforms above two metres.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

At a mid-rise structural steel fabrication workshop in a regional industrial estate, the leading hand prints this SWMS and runs the pre-start brief at 6:45am before the day's column fabrication lifts. The dogger and EOT crane operator sign on after walking through the seven listed hazards, confirming their HRWL licences (DG and CN) are current and visible on the board. During the hazard walk, the operator identifies that the planned lift of a 4.2-tonne fabricated column will pass over the welding bays — referencing control item six, the team repositions floor-marked exclusion barricades and pauses the two welders until the load is landed. The signaller nominated for the shift confirms UHF channel 18 and runs a repeat-back test with the operator per control item eight. Mid-morning, a sling tag inspection reveals a frayed soft sling; work stops, the SWMS is reopened, and the team substitutes a certified spreader bar consistent with the engineered-beam control. The amendment is initialled on the SWMS sign-on sheet, all workers re-brief on the new rigging configuration, and the lift resumes. At shift end, the signed SWMS and amendment are filed in the site WHS register and retained per WHS record-keeping obligations.

Related legislation

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

Frequently asked questions