Drum and IBC Handling SWMS

For warehouses, depots, workshops and yards that receive, move and store drums and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). It follows the work from planning and checking the delivery through handling by trolley and forklift, stacking and storage, dispensing, emptying and disposal to spill response. Forklift operation and chemical use in general need their own SWMS.

Moving and storing drums and IBCs is not high risk construction work by itself, so no reg 291 item is pre-ticked and WHS Regulation s 299 requires a SWMS only where the work is high risk construction work (s 291). If it is, for example on a construction site, tick the reg 291 items that apply, such as movement of powered mobile plant, work on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines or work in an area that may have a flammable atmosphere. Otherwise the document works as a written safe work procedure and task risk assessment.

New to SWMS? Read What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?

What Is Covered In Our Drum and IBC Handling SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the move and check what is in the containers” to “Clean up and finish”. The hazards and controls include:

• Crush injuries from tipping drums and IBCs
• Forks puncturing a drum or IBC
• Containers falling from forks, pallets or racking
• Forklift and pedestrian collisions
• Strains from tilting and rolling drums
• Spills and leaks reaching drains
• Incompatible products stored together
• Fire from flammable contents
• Splashes when dispensing and venting
• Residue and vapour in empty containers
• Damaged or unlabelled containers
• Manifest and placard quantities

High Risk Construction Work

None of the high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are pre-ticked, because this job is not high risk construction work by itself. Tick any that apply on your site.

Licences, Training and Competency

• High risk work licence for the forklift truck class (WHS Regulation Schedule 3) for anyone driving a forklift, with training on the drum or IBC attachment used
• Training in the hazards, labels and SDS of each product handled, including the PPE it calls for and its emergency steps
• Training in drum and IBC handling methods, the handling equipment used, spill response and the use of the spill kit, eyewash and extinguishers
• Competent person to plan storage, segregation and spill containment, and to inspect racking
• General construction induction training card (white card) only if the work is on a construction site
• Site induction covering traffic routes, storage areas and emergency arrangements
• First aid equipment, facilities and trained first aiders or access to them (WHS Regulation s 42)

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): Part 7.1, including ss 341 to 346 (labelling, safety data sheets and register), ss 347 to 350 (manifest, notice to the regulator and placards), ss 351 and 353 to 360 (risk management, signs, reactions, fire and explosion, stability, spills, protection from damage, firefighting and emergency equipment)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): s 328(3) (hazardous chemicals being transported under transport law)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 205 to 213 (plant), ss 214 and 215 (powered mobile plant) and s 218 (industrial lift trucks)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 52, 53 and 355 (ignition sources, flammable stock and fire and explosion) and s 60 (hazardous manual tasks)
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• AS/NZS 3833 The storage and handling of mixed classes of dangerous goods, in packages and intermediate bulk containers, and AS 1940 The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids (named only as Appendix J of the Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021 names them)
• Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 and Transport Operations (Road Use Management – Dangerous Goods) Regulation 2018 (Qld): carrying dangerous goods by road (named only; this SWMS does not summarise them)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (14 A4 landscape pages). Type your business, client and job details once and they fill in on every page, with a space for your logo
• 9 job steps for this work, each with its hazards, controls, initial and residual risk scores and the person responsible
• PPE listed for this job: safety boots with toe protection, chemical-resistant where floors may be wet with product; gloves of the material the SDS specifies
• Emergency arrangements for: leaking or ruptured drum or IBC, chemical in the eyes or on the skin and container falls on or crushes a worker
• Plus the parts every Work Safety QLD SWMS shares, from the s 291 checklist to the worker sign-on sheet (see the layout in our free SWMS template)

Adjust it for your site, plant and crew, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.

Checked against the Queensland laws and codes of practice listed above. Last reviewed November 2026.