Reinforcement Cage Fabrication and Lifting SWMS

Suits piling, concrete and civil contractors who fabricate reinforcement cages on or off site and lift them into position with a crane. It follows the work from the engineer’s lifting points and lift plan through bar handling, tying, welding, slinging and lowering.

One item is ticked for you: movement of powered mobile plant, because a crane, forklift and trucks work in the area (WHS Regulation s 291), so a SWMS is required before the work starts (s 299). Add the energised electrical installations or services item if the crane works near overhead lines, a fall of more than 2 metres or the shaft and trench item if cages are lowered into bores or pits, and any other item that applies.

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 Reinforcement Cage Fabrication and Lifting SWMS?

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

• Cuts and impalement on bar ends
• Cage falling during crane lifts
• Overloaded or unbalanced cages
• Unsuitable or unengineered lifting points
• Loads over people and exclusion zones
• Rolling and falling bundles of bar
• Cutting and bending machine hazards
• Hot work and welding fume
• Repetitive strain and manual handling
• Overhead power lines near the crane
• Open bores and pits at the lift
• Noise from cutting and bending

High Risk Construction Work

These high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are already ticked because they are part of this work. Tick any others that apply to your job:

• Is carried out in an area at a workplace in which there is any movement of powered mobile plant

Licences, Training and Competency

• General construction induction training card (white card) for construction work
• High risk work licence for the class of crane that lifts the cage (Schedule 3)
• High risk work licence in the dogging class, or a higher rigging class (Schedule 3), for anyone who slings a load or directs the plant operator in moving a load when the load is out of the operator’s view (Schedule 19, dogging work)
• Forklift licence class if a forklift is used to unload bar (Schedule 3)
• Trained and competent bar benders, cutters and tiers
• Competent person (engineer) to certify the cage design and lifting method where anyone could be struck if the cage falls
• Workers trained in hot work where cage components are welded
• Site induction

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Mobile Crane Code of Practice 2024
• 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
• Welding Processes Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Safe Design of Structures Code of Practice 2021
• Formwork Code of Practice 2016 (projecting reinforcing steel)
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): overhead line exclusion zones and unsafe distances (ss 10, 11 and 13 and sch 2) and underground electric lines (ss 14 and 15)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2020 – Working near overhead and underground electric lines

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (12 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.