Tilt Tray / Recovery Truck Operations SWMS

Tilt tray and recovery truck operation covers the operation of tilt tray and tow recovery trucks — loading, transporting and unloading vehicles and equipment using the tilt tray, winch and recovery equipment, often roadside. It combines heavy vehicle driving with the specific hazards of recovery work: the loading and unloading of vehicles on the tilt tray and winch, the roadside environment with passing traffic, the load restraint of the recovered vehicle, and the winch and recovery equipment. This document is written on the basis that tilt tray and recovery truck operation is carried out by a licensed operator with the loading, roadside-traffic, load-restraint and winch controls in place.

Tilt tray and recovery truck operation is carried out in connection with the Heavy Vehicle National Law and the load restraint requirements, with the loading and unloading on the tilt tray and winch managed, the roadside traffic managed, the recovered vehicle restrained, and the winch and recovery equipment used safely. The loading and unloading, the roadside traffic, the load restraint, and the winch are the considerations. This document coordinates the loading, roadside-traffic, load-restraint and winch controls so the tilt tray and recovery truck operation 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: manage the loading and unloading of vehicles on the tilt tray and winch with a procedure, the correct angle and equipment, and exclusion of people from the path of the vehicle.
2. 2Engineering: manage the roadside traffic during recovery with high-visibility clothing, warning devices, a safe working position and traffic control where required, because passing traffic is a serious hazard.
3. 3Engineering: restrain the load to meet the performance standards of the National Transport Commission Load Restraint Guide 2018, so the load cannot move or fall during transport, with appropriate restraint equipment inspected before use.
4. 4Engineering: use the winch and recovery equipment safely, with rated equipment inspected before use, and keep clear of the winch line under tension.
5. 5Engineering: prevent the vehicle rolling or moving during loading with the brake, chocks and securing.
6. 6Engineering: manage the tilt tray and hydraulic hazards, and recover on stable ground where practicable.
7. 7Engineering: 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.
8. 8Administrative: meet the Chain of Responsibility duties under the Heavy Vehicle National Law — the primary duty under section 26C shared across the scheduler, consignor, loader, consignee and operator — recognising these duties cannot be contracted out, and manage fatigue, mass, dimension, load restraint and vehicle standards.
9. 9Administrative: 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.
10. 10Administrative: 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.
11. 11Administrative: 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.
12. 12PPE: 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.
13. 13Administrative: 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

A licensed operator is engaged to recover a vehicle using a tilt tray recovery truck roadside. The loading and unloading of the vehicle on the tilt tray and winch are managed with a procedure, the correct angle and equipment, and exclusion of people from the path of the vehicle. The roadside traffic is managed with high-visibility clothing, warning devices, a safe working position and traffic control where required, because passing traffic is a serious hazard. The recovered vehicle is restrained to the performance standards of the National Transport Commission Load Restraint Guide 2018. The winch and recovery equipment are used safely, with rated equipment inspected before use, and the operator keeps clear of the winch line under tension. The vehicle is prevented from rolling during loading with the brake, chocks and securing. The tilt tray and hydraulic hazards are managed, and the recovery carried out on stable ground where practicable. The Chain of Responsibility duties are met. The recovery is carried out 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