Container Loading / Unloading SWMS

Warehouse container loading and unloading covers the loading and unloading of shipping containers at a warehouse — devanning and loading goods into and out of shipping containers using forklifts, manual handling and equipment. The defining hazards are the forklifts and plant working in and around the container, the manual handling of goods, the stability of the load and the container, and the confined and hot conditions inside a container. This document is written on the basis that warehouse container loading and unloading is carried out with the plant, manual-handling, load-stability and container-condition controls in place.

Warehouse container loading and unloading is carried out in connection with the plant and manual handling requirements, with the forklifts operated safely in and around the container, the manual handling managed, the load and container stability managed, and the conditions inside the container managed. The plant, the manual handling, the load and container stability, and the container conditions are the considerations. This document coordinates the plant, manual-handling, load-stability and container-condition controls so the container loading and unloading 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. 1Administrative: have forklifts and powered mobile plant operated only by the holder of the appropriate High Risk Work Licence — an LF licence for a forklift truck or an LO licence for an order-picking forklift — to AS 2359, with the operator competent for the specific plant.
2. 2Engineering: manage the forklifts working in and around the container with a procedure, adequate space and lighting, and the load within capacity.
3. 3Engineering: 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.
4. 4Engineering: manage the load stability so it does not fall in or from the container, and open the container carefully in case goods have shifted.
5. 5Engineering: secure the container against movement during loading, with the container stable and the floor and access condition adequate.
6. 6Administrative: manage the confined and hot conditions inside the container with ventilation and breaks, and check whether the container has been fumigated or contaminated before entry.
7. 7Engineering: separate pedestrians and powered mobile plant with designated traffic routes, exclusion zones, physical separation and a traffic management plan, because pedestrian and forklift or plant interaction is a leading cause of serious injury.
8. 8Administrative: confirm the load and container are safe on completion.
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

Workers are engaged to load and unload shipping containers at a warehouse. The forklifts are operated only by the holder of the appropriate High Risk Work Licence to AS 2359, and managed working in and around the container with a procedure, adequate space and lighting, and the load within capacity. The manual handling of goods is managed with mechanical aids and correct technique. The load stability is managed so it does not fall in or from the container, and the container opened carefully in case goods have shifted. The container is secured against movement during loading, with the floor and access condition adequate. The confined and hot conditions inside the container are managed with ventilation and breaks, and the container checked for fumigation or contamination before entry. Pedestrians and forklifts are separated. The load and container are confirmed safe on completion, 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