Mini / Spider Crane Operations SWMS
Mini and spider crane operations (Maeda, Unic, Jekko) covers indoor/restricted access lifts, outrigger setup on suspended floors, vacuum lifting attachment integration, and CN/CT crane licence compliance.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Mini and spider crane operations using Maeda, Unic, Jekko and similar tracked compact cranes present distinct risks beyond conventional mobile crane work because they are routinely deployed indoors, on suspended slabs, in atriums, lift shafts, glazed facades and other restricted-access environments where outrigger loadings, overhead obstructions and bystander exposure are tightly constrained. Under WHS Regulation 2025 Schedule 1, any crane lift on a construction site is classified High Risk Construction Work, triggering the mandatory requirement for a Safe Work Method Statement prepared in consultation with workers before work commences. The compact footprint of these cranes often gives a false impression of low risk, yet outrigger point-loads can exceed 4 tonnes per pad on suspended floors, and tipping incidents during indoor glazing and HVAC lifts continue to be reported to regulators. This SWMS addresses CN/CT high risk work licence verification, vacuum lifter integration, ground bearing capacity assessment, and dual-control operation in restricted sightline conditions.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Catastrophic structural collapse, crushing fatalities, multi-million dollar property damage, prosecution under WHS Act s31 reckless conduct
Falling load fatality, lacerations from shattered glazing, secondary impact injuries to ground personnel below
Electrocution, arc flash burns, structural penetration of sprinkler or gas services causing secondary emergency
Crush amputation injuries to fingers and hands, degloving wounds requiring surgical reconstruction and permanent impairment
Regulatory prosecution of PCBU and operator, insurance voidance, immediate cease-work notice, individual fines and reputational damage
Load swing collision with workers or finished surfaces, exceedance of dynamic load chart causing structural failure
Carbon monoxide poisoning, asphyxiation, lithium-ion thermal runaway fire in occupied building requiring evacuation
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where feasible, eliminate the lift entirely by specifying pre-installed components, modular delivery sequencing or permanent building maintenance units during design review under Safe Design principles.
- 2Elimination — Remove all non-essential personnel from the lift exclusion zone established at 1.5 times load radius before slewing or boom extension commences.
- 3Substitution — Substitute internal combustion spider crane models with battery-electric variants (Maeda MC285, Jekko SPX) for all indoor lifts to eliminate exhaust gas exposure.
- 4Substitution — Replace manual taglines with rigid push-pull poles where load orientation control is required in confined indoor lifts under 3 metre radius.
- 5Engineering — Verify suspended slab capacity via structural engineer certificate and deploy steel spreader mats sized to keep outrigger pad pressure below documented allowable bearing load.
- 6Engineering — Use vacuum lifters certified to AS 4991 with dual-circuit redundancy, audible low-vacuum alarm and secondary mechanical safety strap rated to 2x working load.
- 7Administrative — Verify CN (non-slewing) or CT (slewing) high risk work licence currency for every operator and dogger CD licence for all riggers before lift commencement.
- 8Administrative — Conduct documented pre-start lift study including load chart verification, ground assessment, exclusion zone marking and emergency rescue plan signed by competent person.
- 9PPE — Issue and enforce wear of AS/NZS 1801 hard hats, AS/NZS 1337.1 impact-rated eye protection, AS/NZS 2210.3 safety footwear and high-visibility AS/NZS 4602.1 garments.
- 10PPE — Provide cut-resistant gloves to AS/NZS 2161.3 Level D for riggers handling wire rope slings, glazing edges and vacuum lifter rubber seal positioning.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates pre-operational inspection, load chart compliance, outrigger deployment and competent operator requirements applied directly to spider crane setup and lift execution.
Governs design, testing and inspection of vacuum lifters and below-the-hook attachments including the dual-circuit redundancy and proof-load certification required for glass lifts.
Provides regulator-endorsed guidance on lift planning, exclusion zones, dogger and rigger duties, and pick-and-carry operations directly referenced in WHS Reg 2025 compliance audits.
Imposes design registration, item registration and high risk work licensing duties on PCBUs operating cranes above 10 kNm capacity including most spider crane models.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Mini and spider crane operations constitute crane use under any rated capacity, automatically triggering HRCW classification regardless of indoor deployment or compact footprint.
Telescoping boom sections, slewing rings and outrigger deployment mechanisms present documented pinch and crush hazards to operators, riggers and adjacent trades during setup and operation.
PCBU must prepare SWMS in consultation with workers before HRCW commences, retain records for two years post-incident, and produce on inspector request — penalties substantial and indexed annually under the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Crane hire companies servicing commercial fit-out projects
- →Glazing contractors installing curtain wall and atrium panels
- →Principal contractors managing indoor structural steel lifts
- →HVAC and mechanical services installers on suspended slabs
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX template — Microsoft Word compatible
- ✓State-specific WHS legislation schedule (NSW/VIC/QLD/SA/WA/TAS/NT/ACT)
- ✓Hazard register with risk ratings + hierarchy-of-control mapping
- ✓Worker sign-on register, pre-start checklist, and incident escalation flow
Worked example
On a 14-storey commercial refurbishment, a glazing subcontractor is scheduled to install 280kg structural glass panels into a level 9 atrium using a Maeda MC305C spider crane and a vacuum lifter. At the 6:30am pre-start, the site supervisor opens this SWMS on a tablet and walks the three-person crew through it line by line. The CT-licensed operator confirms the structural engineer's certificate authorising 3.2 tonne point loads on the level 9 slab and lays out 1200x1200mm steel spreader mats under each outrigger as the SWMS requires. The dogger identifies a previously unnoticed sprinkler main running across the proposed slew path — a hazard the SWMS flags under overhead services contact — and the crew adjusts the crane setup position 1.8 metres south to create clearance, documenting the change on the SWMS variation page. Each worker signs the daily sign-on register acknowledging they have read the controls and hold current CT, CD or general construction induction tickets. During the third lift, the vacuum lifter low-vacuum alarm activates briefly; per the SWMS emergency response section the operator lowers the panel to a stable rest position, the rigger reseats the seal, and a fresh vacuum test is performed before the lift resumes. The SWMS is re-signed after the variation and retained on site for the regulator-mandated two-year period.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS 2550 — Cranes, hoists and winches; AS 1418 series