Scraper Operations SWMS

Scraper operations involve self-propelled or towed motor scrapers performing bulk earthworks, cut-and-fill sequencing, and push-pull tandem loading across civil construction and mining-adjacent sites. The work combines large mobile plant operating at speed on graded haul roads with exposed cutting edges, articulated steering, and significant respirable crystalline silica generation during dry cutting. Under WHS Regulation 2011 r291 and equivalent provisions in the WHS Regulation 2025, scraper operations constitute High Risk Construction Work because they involve powered mobile plant working near workers, exposure to airborne contaminants, and operation on uneven or unstable terrain. A documented Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before work commences and must be available for inspection by the regulator, the principal contractor, and every worker on the task. This SWMS template addresses operator competency, exclusion zones, dust suppression, push-pull communications, and roll-over protection in line with AS 2294 and the Excavation Work Code of Practice.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Where feasible, sequence bulk cut to allow excavator and articulated dump truck combination instead of scrapers on slopes exceeding plant ground-slope rating per AS 2294.1.
2. 2Elimination — Remove all non-essential personnel from active scraper working zone by establishing a positive-isolation hard barrier and single controlled entry point monitored by a spotter.
3. 3Substitution — Replace dry cutting in silica-bearing strata with pre-wetted cutting using water cart spray bars maintaining surface moisture above 8% to suppress respirable dust generation.
4. 4Substitution — Use GPS machine guidance and proximity detection systems (RFID tags on PPE) in place of verbal spotter-only control for exclusion zone management during loading cycles.
5. 5Engineering — Verify ROPS and FOPS certification on every scraper to AS 2294.1 and confirm seatbelt interlock, reversing alarm, and 360-degree camera or radar are operational pre-start.
6. 6Engineering — Install and maintain pressurised cab with HEPA filtration tested to AS 1715 to keep in-cab respirable silica below 25% of the workplace exposure standard.
7. 7Administrative — Enforce documented haul road standard: maximum 10% sustained grade, minimum 1.5× widest machine width, windrows at half wheel height, with daily grader maintenance logged.
8. 8Administrative — Conduct pre-start briefing using this SWMS, verify HRW licence class and VOC for each operator, and implement fatigue management with mandated breaks every two hours.
9. 9PPE — Issue P2 respirators (fit-tested annually per AS/NZS 1715) for any out-of-cab inspection in dust zones, plus hi-vis class D/N, steel-cap boots, and hearing protection rated SLC80 26 dB.
10. 10PPE — Provide impact-rated safety glasses, gloves for hitch coupling on push-pull operations, and UV-rated long-sleeve workwear for any worker required to exit the cab on the cut face.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a regional highway upgrade involving 380,000 m³ of cut-to-fill across a sandstone ridge, the earthworks supervisor opens this SWMS at the 6:30 am pre-start beside the laydown area. Three scraper operators, two push-tractor operators, a water cart driver, and a surveyor sign on. Walking through the hazard register, the supervisor flags that overnight rain has softened the eastern batter — the SWMS control on ground slope (AS 2294.1 limits) prompts a decision to sequence the western cut first and re-survey the eastern face at smoko. The silica control triggers confirmation that the water cart will pre-wet the cut zone every 20 minutes; the operator records the moisture target on the daily log attached to the SWMS. The push-pull communications control is verified by a UHF channel test on Channel 12 with documented hand signals as backup. Each operator signs the SWMS register acknowledging the 30-metre exclusion zone enforced by RFID proximity tags on their hi-vis. Mid-shift, the surveyor needs to enter the cut to verify a level peg; the operator stops the scraper, sets the park brake, lowers the bowl, and only then does the surveyor approach — exactly as the administrative control prescribes. The SWMS is re-signed at the 1 pm shift change.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS 2550 — Cranes, hoists and winches; AS 1418 series

Frequently asked questions