Plate Compactor SWMS

For landscapers, paving crews, civil and drainage contractors and builders who compact base, backfill and pavers with a plate compactor. It follows the job from site checks and loading through refuelling, compacting and vibration controls to pack-up.

Operating a plate compactor is not high risk construction work by itself, so no item is pre-ticked. A SWMS is required by law only for high risk construction work (WHS Regulation s 299); otherwise this works as a written safe work procedure. Tick any item that applies: a trench or shaft deeper than 1.5 metres, powered mobile plant moving in the area, energised services, or a road in use.

Similar job: if it is closer to your work, see the Trench Rammer SWMS.

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

What Is Covered In Our Plate Compactor SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the job and check the surface, edges and services” to “Pack up, clean and store”. The hazards and controls include:

• Runaway or kickback of the machine
• Hand-arm and whole-body vibration
• Engine and base plate noise
• Exhaust fumes in enclosed areas
• Hot engine and exhaust burns
• Fire during refuelling
• Trench and wall collapse under vibration
• Striking underground services
• Dust from dry sand and base
• Back strain loading the machine
• Heat, sun and hot surfaces

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

• General construction induction training card (white card) for construction work
• Site induction
• Operator trained in the plate compactor type, including its kill switch and handle, and assessed as competent (no high risk work licence applies)
• Training in hazardous manual tasks and vibration controls for operators
• First aid equipment, facilities and trained first aiders (or access to them) as the work needs (WHS Regulation s 42)

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
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• Managing respirable crystalline silica dust exposure in construction and manufacturing of construction elements Code of Practice 2022
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Excavation Work 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

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (13 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; safety glasses; hearing protection where noise cannot be controlled at the source; P2 respirator when dust cannot be suppressed
• Emergency arrangements for: crush or amputation injury and machine runaway or fire
• 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.