Grader Operations SWMS
Motor grader operations for road forming, finishing, maintenance and rural grading — blade control, articulation, tyre-loading, fatigue and public-interaction hazards.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Motor grader operations cover road forming, finishing, pavement maintenance and rural grading using articulated mouldboard plant, including blade control, circle rotation, scarifying and travel between sites. This work triggers WHS Act 2011 s.19 primary duty obligations and WHS Regulation 2025 Chapter 4 Part 4.5 (Plant) duties, and is High-Risk Construction Work under Schedule 3 (powered mobile plant and work on or near a road), requiring a documented SWMS before work commences.
Hazards identified
12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Operator crush injury or fatality from cabin inversion if ROPS or seatbelt inadequate.
Fatal crush injury from blind spots around articulation point and blade swing.
Serious or fatal vehicle impact where traffic management is inadequate or non-compliant.
Electrocution of operator and ground crew from arc flash or direct contact.
Gas explosion, electrocution or major utility damage from un-located buried services.
Loss of vehicle control, run-off-road incident or microsleep collision.
Fractures or sprains from wet or muddy steps, grab-rails or platforms.
Severe blunt trauma from rim or tyre rupture during inflation or overload.
Tissue necrosis from pressurised oil penetrating skin during hose failure.
Long-term spinal injury and noise-induced hearing loss exceeding exposure standards.
Silicosis and respiratory disease from unsealed pavement materials and dry grading.
Untrained person injury or property damage from uncontrolled plant movement.
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Verify HRWL or VOC competency, ROPS/FOPS certification and seatbelt use before each shift; isolate and tag faulty plant immediately.
- 2Implement exclusion zones with spotter and two-way radio when persons within 5m of articulation, blade or travel path.
- 3Deploy compliant Traffic Management Plan and Traffic Guidance Scheme to AS 1742.3 with TMI-qualified controllers for road works.
- 4Conduct DBYD search, pothole verification and overhead clearance assessment per ESV/SafeWork no-go zones before scarifying or raising stack.
- 5Apply fatigue management plan limiting shifts to 12 hours, mandatory breaks, and journey management for remote rural grading.
- 6Complete documented prestart inspection, follow three-points-of-contact cab access, and use lockout-tagout for blade and hydraulic servicing.
- 7Provide cabin HEPA filtration, water cart dust suppression, hearing protection and WBV-rated suspension seat per AS/NZS 1269 and ISO 2631.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Sets registration, guarding, maintenance and operator competency duties for powered mobile plant including graders.
Provides risk control framework for mobile plant operation, inspection, maintenance and operator training.
Mandatory standard for traffic guidance schemes when grading on or adjacent to public roads.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
A motor grader is registered powered mobile plant exceeding the threshold, with crush, rollover and struck-by risks during all operations.
Road forming and maintenance routinely occurs on trafficked or recently trafficked roadways exposing workers to public vehicle interaction.
HRCW classification mandates a SWMS prepared, available on site and reviewed before work starts; failure breaches WHS Reg 2025 r.299–303.
Who this is for
- →Civil contractors and road maintenance crews operating motor graders
- →Local government and shire works depots performing rural road grading
- →Mining, quarry and haul-road maintenance teams
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX SWMS pre-filled for grader operations
- ✓State-specific legislation schedule (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, NT)
- ✓Hazard register aligned to identified grader risks
- ✓Worker sign-on register for SWMS consultation evidence
Worked example
A council crew grading a rural shoulder on a 100km/h road uses this SWMS to document HRCW categories 13 and 14, set a TGS to AS 1742.3 with advance warning and a TMI-qualified controller, enforce a 5m exclusion around the articulation point with UHF spotter, complete prestart and DBYD checks, and brief operators on fatigue limits. Workers sign on, the SWMS sits in the cab, and the supervisor reviews it after a near-miss is reported.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 s.19 — Primary duty of care
- WHS Regulation 2025 r.213–228 — Plant general duties
- WHS Regulation 2025 r.291 — High-risk work licences
- WHS Regulation 2025 r.299–303 — SWMS for HRCW
- AS 2956.1 — Earth-moving machinery operator training