Furniture Removalist Operations SWMS

Furniture Removal covers the removal of furniture and household goods — packing, carrying, loading, transporting and unloading furniture and household items during a house move. It is hazardous-manual-tasks-led work, and the defining hazards are the manual handling of heavy and awkward items, the additional risk of moving items on stairs and uneven ground, the crush and pinch from the items and equipment, and the securing of the load in the vehicle for transport. This document is written on the basis that furniture removal is carried out with the manual-handling, stairs, crush and load-restraint controls in place.

Furniture Removal is carried out in connection with the hazardous manual tasks Code of Practice, with the heavy and awkward items handled with mechanical aids and team lifting, the movement on stairs and uneven ground managed, the crush and pinch hazards managed, and the load secured in the vehicle for transport. The manual handling, the stairs, the crush and pinch, and the load restraint are the considerations. This document coordinates the manual-handling, stairs, crush and load-restraint controls so the furniture removal is carried out safely.

Hazards identified

9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Engineering: use mechanical aids — trolleys, dollies, stair-climbers, pallet jacks and lifting equipment — and team lifting for the heavy and awkward loads, and manage the manual-handling and awkward-posture hazard with correct technique and the hierarchy of controls for hazardous manual tasks.
2. 2Administrative: manage the additional hazard of moving heavy items on stairs and uneven ground with appropriate equipment, team lifting and planning, recognising stairs increase the manual-handling and falling-load risk.
3. 3Engineering: manage the crush and pinch hazards from the items and equipment, keeping hands and feet clear and controlling the items.
4. 4Engineering: secure the load in the vehicle so it cannot move or fall during transport, with appropriate restraint.
5. 5Engineering: use the trolleys, dollies and lifting equipment safely, and manage the access and conditions at the premises.
6. 6Administrative: manage slips, trips and the work area, and the awkward postures and repetitive lifting with technique, task rotation and breaks.
7. 7Engineering: load and unload the vehicle safely, and confirm the items and load are handled and secured safely.
8. 8Administrative: all workers must hold the competencies and licences required for the work, including a High Risk Work Licence for forklift operation, a heavy vehicle driver licence for heavy vehicles, and any dangerous goods or other training required.
9. 9Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, traffic and plant movements, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
10. 10Administrative: consult workers and any health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document available at the workplace.
11. 11PPE: high-visibility clothing, eye protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, hearing protection where required, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
12. 12Administrative: review and update this SWMS whenever the work scope changes, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, when new hazards are identified, or at minimum every 12 months.

Applicable Codes of Practice

Worked example

Workers are engaged to carry out furniture removal. The heavy and awkward items are handled with mechanical aids — trolleys, dollies, stair-climbers and lifting equipment — and team lifting, managing the manual-handling hazard. The movement on stairs and uneven ground is managed with appropriate equipment, team lifting and planning, recognising stairs increase the manual-handling and falling-load risk. The crush and pinch hazards from the items and equipment are managed, keeping hands and feet clear and controlling the items. The load is secured in the vehicle so it cannot move or fall during transport, with appropriate restraint. The trolleys, dollies and lifting equipment are used safely, and the access and conditions at the premises managed. Slips, trips and the work area, and the awkward postures and repetitive lifting, are managed with technique, task rotation and breaks. The vehicle is loaded and unloaded safely. The items and load are confirmed handled and secured safely, and the records retained.

Related legislation

• Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
• Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — the plant, hazardous manual tasks, hazardous chemicals and High Risk Work Licence provisions, and the Section 291 high risk construction work and SWMS duties where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
• The Heavy Vehicle National Law and the Chain of Responsibility, the National Transport Commission Load Restraint Guide 2018, and the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, apply to heavy vehicles and the transport of dangerous goods, alongside the model WHS framework, and are administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and the state and territory dangerous goods regulators.
• Forklift operation requires a High Risk Work Licence (LF or LO class) under each state and territory's licensing scheme, and heavy vehicle driving requires the appropriate heavy vehicle driver licence; dangerous goods drivers require dangerous goods licensing and training.
• Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the plant, manual handling, hazardous chemicals and high risk construction work provisions applying in place of the model instruments, alongside the Dangerous Goods Act 1985.

Frequently asked questions