Pedestrian-Controlled (Walk-Behind) Forklift SWMS
Walkie stacker and pedestrian-controlled forklift operations for low-bay pick and staging — tiller-arm positioning, crush-zone management, floor-surface assessment, battery charging and emergency stop protocols.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Pedestrian-controlled (walk-behind) forklift operations cover walkie stackers and tiller-steer LPOs used for low-bay picking, staging and load transfer in warehouses and distribution centres. Although units under 750 kg tiller-steer mass do not require an HRW licence, they remain powered mobile plant under WHS Regulation 2025 Chapter 4 Part 4.5, requiring documented risk assessment, operator competency, and SWMS where crush, traffic interaction or HRCW Category 13 exposures exist.
Hazards identified
10 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Severe abdominal or pelvic crush injury when reversing into racking, walls or pallets.
Crush fractures and degloving injuries from inadequate footwear or proximity to wheels.
Struck-by injuries from poorly secured, overloaded or unevenly stacked pallets falling from height.
Collision causing serious injury where segregation, sightlines or warning systems are inadequate.
Operator and bystanders struck by tipping mast or falling load on slopes.
Explosion, chemical burns or eye injury during charging, topping-up or battery exchange.
Musculoskeletal strain from repeated pushing, pulling and stretch-wrap application tasks.
Misuse causing collision or load drop where induction and verification of competency missed.
Crush incident where pre-start inspection misses defective safety-critical controls.
Loss of traction, tip-over or load slip from spills, oil, water or damaged concrete.
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Verify operator competency through documented theory and practical assessment aligned to AS 2359.2 before authorising solo use.
- 2Conduct documented pre-start inspection each shift covering belly-button reverse, brakes, horn, forks, wheels and battery condition.
- 3Enforce 3-metre exclusion zone and segregated pedestrian walkways with line-marking, mirrors and convex mirrors at blind corners.
- 4Restrict gradients to manufacturer specification; travel with load upgrade and forks lowered 100–150 mm during transit.
- 5Charge batteries only in designated ventilated bay with eyewash, spill kit, no ignition sources, and PPE per SDS.
- 6Apply load-rating chart limits; centre loads on forks and reject damaged, overhanging or unevenly stacked pallets.
- 7Park with forks lowered, key removed and isolated when unattended or during breaks to prevent unauthorised use.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Establishes risk management duties for powered mobile plant including pedestrian forklifts under WHS Regulation Part 4.5.
Sets operational, inspection and operator training benchmarks for walkie stackers and pedestrian-controlled industrial trucks.
Guides segregation, sightlines and pedestrian interaction controls critical to walk-behind forklift operations in shared zones.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Pedestrian forklifts are powered mobile plant; work falls within HRCW Category 13 regardless of HRW licensing exemption under 750 kg.
HRCW status mandates a SWMS prepared before work starts, available on site, and reviewed if controls fail (WHS Reg s.299–303).
Who this is for
- →Warehouse, 3PL and distribution centre operators using walkie stackers for picking and staging
- →Retail and manufacturing site supervisors managing low-bay pedestrian forklift fleets
- →WHS managers preparing HRCW Category 13 documentation for non-licensed pedestrian plant
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX SWMS pre-populated for pedestrian forklift operations
- ✓State-specific WHS legislation schedule (NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, NT)
- ✓Hazard register with risk-ranked controls and residual scoring
- ✓Worker sign-on register for SWMS consultation evidence
Worked example
A Sydney 3PL deploys two walkie stackers for inbound pallet staging. The SWMS identifies tiller-arm crush, pedestrian interaction and battery charging as HIGH risks. Controls include belly-button function checks each shift, painted segregation lines, a ventilated charging bay with eyewash, and verified operator competency under AS 2359.2. After implementation, a near-miss reverse incident is captured by the belly-button activation, validating control effectiveness and triggering a documented SWMS review.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Model)
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 — Chapter 4 Part 4.5 Plant
- WHS Regulation s.299–303 High Risk Construction/Hazardous Work SWMS duties
- AS 2359.2:2013 Powered industrial trucks — Operations
- Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice