Haul Truck Operation SWMS (Open-Cut Mining)
Rigid-body and articulated haul truck operation on open-cut mine bench. Covers berm heights (minimum half-wheel-diameter rule), blast exclusion zones, pit-edge proximity controls (1.5× wheel diameter from crest), light-vehicle interaction protocols, proximity detection system requirements, and pre-operational inspection.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Haul truck operation on open-cut mine benches is one of the highest-risk activities undertaken in the Australian extractives industry. Rigid-body trucks (Caterpillar 789/793, Komatsu 830/930E class) and articulated dump trucks operate in close proximity to pit edges, blast zones, light vehicles, ancillary plant, and personnel — often across 24-hour operations in variable visibility and weather. The consequences of loss of control, edge overrun, or collision with a light vehicle are typically catastrophic, with multiple Australian fatalities recorded in NSW, QLD and WA mining jurisdictions over the past decade.
This Safe Work Method Statement is constructed to satisfy the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013 (NSW) and the WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022, in particular Part 5 obligations relating to traffic management plans, principal control plans for roads and other vehicle operating areas, and mechanical engineering control plans. It also references the model WHS Regulation 2025 Schedule 3 High Risk Construction Work classification (Category 13 — powered mobile plant) where surface mining work intersects with construction activity.
Under section 19 of the WHS Act 2011 the mine operator must, so far as is reasonably practicable, eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety. A documented SWMS for haul truck operation is required before work commences, must be available for inspection by the Resources Regulator inspectorate, and must be reviewed if a control measure is revised or after any notifiable incident under Part 3 of the WHS Act.
Hazards identified
12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Truck rollover down highwall — operator fatality, structural loss of vehicle, mine production stoppage and Resources Regulator s.179 investigation
Loss of edge containment leading to truck departing roadway or dump platform
Light vehicle crush — multiple fatalities; haul truck operator has no line-of-sight to LV under bonnet height
Runaway truck, loss of directional control, collision with bench wall, infrastructure or other plant
Operator and machine exposure to flyrock, blast overpressure and post-blast fume
Microsleep, delayed reaction time, lane departure, dump-point overrun
Loss of Level 9 engineering control — collision with personnel or LV not detected
Catastrophic tyre rupture, projectile shrapnel up to 200m, exclusion of recovery crews for up to 24 hours
Failure to see oncoming traffic, road defects or pedestrians at switchbacks
Fall from height 3–4m, fractures, lost-time injury
Chronic lumbar injury, operator discomfort reducing alertness
Failure to coordinate dump-point queuing or respond to emergency call, increasing collision risk
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Apply hierarchy of control under WHS Regulation r.36: eliminate light vehicle access to active dump zones via positive isolation (boom gate, spotter, dispatch lock-out) before relying on PDS as a lower-order control
- 2Construct and maintain edge berms/windrows to a minimum height equal to half the wheel diameter of the largest truck using the road, in accordance with the site Traffic Management Plan and MDG 1 guidance
- 3Maintain a minimum standoff of 1.5 × wheel diameter from any pit crest, highwall edge or stockpile face during dumping; spotter required where standoff cannot be visually confirmed
- 4Mandatory pre-start inspection per AS/NZS ISO 3450:2016 covering service brake, secondary brake, park brake, retarder, steering, tyres, lights, mirrors, fire suppression and PDS — defects logged in the maintenance system and tagged out via lock-out/tag-out before next shift
- 5Proximity Detection System (Level 7–9 per EMESRT PR-5A) operational at all times; bypass requires written authorisation from the Site Senior Executive and a documented alternate control
- 6Positive radio communication on designated mine channel before entering any intersection, ramp, or dump zone; all light vehicles must call up haul trucks and receive acknowledgement before approach
- 7Blast exclusion: no plant or personnel inside the blast exclusion zone until the Shotfirer issues all-clear via radio and the zone is re-opened in the dispatch system
- 8Fatigue management plan compliant with the site Health Control Plan: maximum 12-hour shifts, mandatory in-cab fatigue monitoring (Guardian/SmartCap or equivalent), and stand-down protocol for any fatigue alert event
- 9Speed limits posted and enforced via dispatch GPS — typically 60 km/h empty haul, 40 km/h loaded, 25 km/h on ramps and 10 km/h at intersections and dump points
- 10Three points of contact maintained during all cab access/egress; access ladders inspected each pre-start; no carrying of items while climbing
- 11Operators hold current Standard 11 generic induction, site-specific induction, and verification of competency (VOC) for the specific truck model before solo operation
- 12Emergency response: in event of brake fade, use retarder and engage low gear; if runaway, steer into safety berm or escape lane — never attempt to dump load at speed
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates traffic management plan, principal control plans for roads/other vehicle operating areas, and mechanical engineering control plan covering haul trucks
Specifies service, secondary and parking brake performance for haul trucks; referenced in pre-start inspection criteria
Establishes berm height rule, road geometry, intersection design and light-vehicle/heavy-vehicle separation principles
Defines the nine control levels for vehicle interactions including PDS/CAS expectations adopted across Australian mines
General safety requirements for operation, maintenance and inspection of wheeled earth-moving plant
Risk management framework for powered mobile plant operations, including isolation and inspection requirements
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Haul trucks are powered mobile plant exceeding 3,500 kg gross vehicle mass operating in close proximity to personnel, light vehicles, edges and other plant. The work presents identified risks of overrun at the pit crest, rollover on highwall edges, and collision with light vehicles in mixed-traffic zones — each of which is a defined trigger under Schedule 3 of the model WHS Regulation.
Because this work is High Risk Construction Work where it intersects with construction activity, a SWMS must be prepared before work commences (WHS Regulation r.299), kept available at the workplace for the duration of the work, and produced to an inspector on request. Failure to prepare or comply with a SWMS for HRCW carries penalties of up to $6,000 for an individual and $30,000 for a body corporate per offence, in addition to potential Category 1–3 prosecution under sections 31–33 of the WHS Act for reckless or negligent conduct causing risk of death or serious injury.
Who this is for
- →Open-cut coal and metalliferous mine operators in NSW, QLD, WA and SA running rigid-body or articulated haul fleets
- →Mining contractors (Thiess, Downer, MACA-class) providing load and haul services under a contract of services
- →Site Senior Executives, Mine Managers and OCEs responsible for principal control plan documentation
- →HSE Advisors and Mining Engineers preparing or reviewing Traffic Management Plans
- →Training and Assessment personnel issuing VOC for haul truck operators
- →Quarry managers operating large rigid haul trucks under the Mines Regulation
What you receive
- ✓Fully editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) SWMS template, branded-ready
- ✓State-specific legislation schedule covering NSW, QLD, WA, SA and VIC mining and WHS instruments
- ✓Pre-populated hazard register with 12 identified hazards, consequences and priority ratings
- ✓Worker sign-on register with competency and VOC verification fields
- ✓Pre-operational inspection checklist aligned to AS/NZS ISO 3450:2016
- ✓Reference matrix to MDG 1, EMESRT PR-5A and AS 2958.1
- ✓Review and revision log compliant with WHS Regulation r.300
- ✓PDF read-only version for site distribution
Worked example
A haul truck operator commencing night shift at an open-cut coal mine in the Hunter Valley collects the SWMS from the crib room kiosk, signs the worker register acknowledging the 12 listed hazards, and completes the pre-start inspection on a Caterpillar 793F. During the inspection she identifies a slow leak on the front-left service brake accumulator. In line with the SWMS control requirements and AS/NZS ISO 3450:2016, she tags the truck out via the maintenance system and notifies the OCE — the truck is not returned to service until the defect is rectified and a brake performance test is signed off. Later in the shift, the dispatch system routes her to a new dump location near the northern highwall. Before reversing, she confirms the berm height is at least 1.4 metres (half the wheel diameter of the 793F's 2.7m tyre), establishes radio contact with the dozer operator on the dump, and verifies her PDS shows no light-vehicle proximity alerts. The SWMS hierarchy — eliminate LV access first, engineering control second — is the sequence she applies, and the documented evidence of her sign-on, the pre-start defect, and the dump-point standoff is what the Resources Regulator inspector reviews during a scheduled audit the following week.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (model) — primary duty of care s.19
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (model) — Part 4.5 Plant and Schedule 3 HRCW
- Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013 (NSW)
- Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022 (NSW)
- Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 (QLD) and Regulation 2017
- Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999 (QLD)
- Mines Safety and Inspection Act 1994 (WA) — being progressively replaced by WHS (Mines) Regulations 2022 (WA)
- Heavy Vehicle National Law (where haul roads cross public road interfaces)
Frequently asked questions
Is a SWMS legally required for haul truck operation in an open-cut mine?
Yes. Under WHS Regulation r.299 a SWMS is required for any High Risk Construction Work, and powered mobile plant of this scale falls within Category 13. In addition, NSW WHS (Mines) Regulation 2022 Part 5 requires the work to be covered by a Traffic Management Plan and Mechanical Engineering Control Plan — the SWMS operationalises those plans at the task level.
What berm height is required at dump points and along haul roads?
The accepted Australian industry rule, reflected in NSW Resources Regulator MDG 1, is a minimum berm height equal to half the wheel diameter of the largest vehicle using the road. For a Caterpillar 793 with a 2.7m tyre that is approximately 1.35m. Sites should document the rule in their Traffic Management Plan and verify berm heights during shift inspections.
Can a Proximity Detection System replace the need for spotters or LV exclusion?
No. PDS is a lower-order engineering control under EMESRT PR-5A. The hierarchy of control under WHS Regulation r.36 requires elimination or higher-order controls first — meaning LV access to active dump zones should be eliminated through dispatch lock-out, boom gates or positive isolation. PDS provides defence-in-depth, not primary protection.
How often must this SWMS be reviewed?
WHS Regulation r.300 requires review whenever a control measure is revised, after any notifiable incident, when work conditions change, or at the request of a HSR. As a matter of good practice, sites should also schedule an annual review and a review whenever the truck fleet, road geometry or PDS technology changes.
Does this SWMS cover articulated dump trucks (ADTs) as well as rigid-body trucks?
Yes. The hazards, controls and inspection criteria apply to both rigid haul trucks (Caterpillar 777/789/793/797 class, Komatsu 830/930E) and articulated dump trucks (Caterpillar 740, Volvo A40-A60, Bell B-series). The berm-height and standoff rules scale to the wheel diameter of the specific machine in use.
What competencies must operators hold before this SWMS authorises them to operate?
Operators must hold Standard 11 (or equivalent) generic mine induction, completed site-specific induction, and a current Verification of Competency (VOC) for the specific make/model of haul truck. The SWMS sign-on register includes fields to record each of these prior to solo operation.