Hi-Rail Plant Operations SWMS

Hi-rail plant operations involve road-registered vehicles fitted with retractable steel rail wheels that allow on-tracking and travel within the rail corridor for maintenance, inspection, and construction support tasks. The work sits at the intersection of road vehicle dynamics, rail traffic exposure, and frequently energised overhead line (OHL) environments, creating a multi-hazard profile that no generic plant or driving procedure adequately addresses. Under WHS Regulation 2025, hi-rail operation is High Risk Construction Work because it occurs in or adjacent to a road or railway corridor used by traffic and involves powered mobile plant operating near energised electrical installations. The Rail Safety National Law Act 2012 and ONRSR framework impose parallel duties on the rail transport operator and contracted PCBUs, while each network operator (TfNSW, ARTC, QR, MTM, V/Line) mandates specific on-tracking protocols, protection officer arrangements, and possession authorities. A documented SWMS is mandatory before any hi-rail unit enters the danger zone, and must be reviewed at every pre-start with the operator, protection officer, and fellow workers.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Where feasible, complete works from adjacent road access or maintenance road, removing the need to on-track the hi-rail unit into the live rail corridor entirely.
2. 2Elimination — Schedule all hi-rail movements within absolute possession or track occupancy authority so no rail traffic shares the work zone during the task.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute road-based elevated work platforms or rail-mounted trolleys for hi-rail trucks where the task scope and reach permit safer alternatives.
4. 4Engineering — Fit and verify operation of audible and visual on-tracking alarms, derailment detection, dead-man controls, and OHL proximity warning systems on every shift.
5. 5Engineering — Apply mechanical wheel stops, scotch blocks, and parking brake interlocks at stabling points; verify rail wheel locking pins are fully engaged before travel.
6. 6Engineering — Maintain documented OHL clearance envelopes using boom limiters and physical stops set below the minimum 600mm approach distance to live traction wires.
7. 7Administrative — Obtain written network operator on-tracking authority, protection officer briefing, and possession documentation before any wheel deployment occurs.
8. 8Administrative — Conduct documented pre-start with operator, protection officer, and ground crew using this SWMS, confirming exclusion zones, communications channels, and emergency protocols.
9. 9Administrative — Enforce fatigue management with maximum 12-hour shifts, mandatory breaks every 2 hours, and competency verification against network operator hi-rail accreditation.
10. 10PPE — Hi-vis day/night rail-spec garments to AS/NZS 4602.1, rated safety footwear, impact gloves, hard hat with chin strap, and arc-rated clothing where OHL exposure is credible.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a Tuesday night possession of a suburban electrified corridor, a maintenance contractor is using a hi-rail tipper to deliver ballast to a turnout renewal site. At 21:30, the crew assembles at the nominated on-tracking location for the pre-start brief. The supervisor opens this SWMS on a ruggedised tablet and walks the operator, protection officer, and three ground crew through each hazard line. When discussing OHL contact, the operator confirms the tipper boom limiter is set and the protection officer notes the traction is isolated and earthed under permit, but the SWMS control still requires the 600mm physical exclusion to remain enforced in case the earth fails. Each worker signs on against the document. During on-tracking, a ground crew member notices the rear rail wheel locking pin has not fully seated — a hazard captured in the derailment row of the SWMS. Work stops, the SWMS is re-opened, the control is re-applied, and the pin is correctly engaged before travel resumes. At the 02:00 break, the supervisor reviews fatigue controls in the SWMS and rotates the operator with the qualified backup before resuming ballast delivery, with all amendments logged on the signed sheet.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS/NZS 3000 — Electrical installations

Frequently asked questions