Hydraulic System Maintenance and Stored Energy SWMS

Suits fitters, mechanics, plant hire companies and maintenance teams who service hydraulic systems on mobile and fixed plant. It covers planning the job, isolating the machine, relieving pressure and stored energy, disconnecting and refitting components, pressure testing and returning the machine to service.

Hydraulic maintenance is mostly not high risk construction work, so no high risk construction work items are pre-ticked. A SWMS is required by law only for high risk construction work (WHS Regulation s 299); tick the items that apply, for example powered mobile plant movement, if the work is on a construction site. Otherwise it works as a written safe work procedure and risk assessment.

Learn More: What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?
Have you ever been asked to provide a SWMS on a project in Queensland? Read our guide to what a Safe Work Method Statement is and when you need one.

What Is Covered In Our Hydraulic System Maintenance and Stored Energy SWMS?

The job steps run in the order the work is done, from pre-start checks to finishing up. The hazards and controls include:

• Machine starting during hydraulic work
• Pressurised oil released from lines and fittings
• High pressure injection of oil into the skin
• Stored energy in accumulators and cylinders
• Raised attachments and loads drifting down
• Hot oil, tanks and components
• Oil spills, slips and contaminated ground
• Contamination causing sudden system failure
• Hose or fitting bursting during a pressure test
• Heavy components falling or crushing hands
• Fire from oil near ignition sources

High Risk Construction Work

No high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are pre-ticked, because this work is not high risk construction work by itself. Tick the items that apply to your job, such as a fall risk of more than 2 metres or work where powered mobile plant is moving.

Licences, Training and Competency

• Trade qualification or equivalent competency in hydraulic systems for the plant being maintained
• Training in the lock-out and tag-out procedure used by the business
• Training in high pressure fluid injection injuries and the first aid response
• Licensed electrical worker for electrical work on the machine’s equipment above extra low voltage (Electrical Safety Act 2002 ss 14 and 55); the machine’s own extra-low-voltage and vehicle propulsion systems are outside that definition
• Site induction; general construction induction training card (white card) where the work is on a construction site
• First aider on site or within reach

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (13 pages), laid out on A4 landscape pages
• Business, client, job and document details typed once and filled in on every page, plus a space for your logo
• The high risk construction work checklist, worded as WHS Regulation s 291, and the construction project question (s 292)
• A worker and health and safety representative consultation record
• Qualifications, plant, PPE, hazardous chemicals, safety equipment, permits, references and emergency arrangements filled in for this work
• A 5 x 5 risk matrix, and job steps with initial and residual risk scores and the people responsible
• Implementing, monitoring and review requirements, an additional controls log, revision history and a worker sign-on sheet

Review and adjust it for your site, your plant and the way your crew does the job, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. If you have any trouble downloading this SWMS, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.