Bin, Hopper and Silo Entry SWMS

For farms, grain handlers, feed mills, storage operators and maintenance crews who must enter a bin, hopper or silo to clear a blockage or inspect it. It follows the job from deciding whether entry is needed and the permit, through isolation, atmosphere testing, dust and ignition control and engulfment controls, to entry, rescue from outside and close-out. General confined space entry has its own SWMS.

Entry into a bin, hopper or silo to clear blockages is usually not high risk construction work, so no high risk construction work item is pre-ticked and a SWMS is not legally required for it (WHS Regulation s 299 applies to high risk construction work); the document works as a written safe work procedure or task risk assessment alongside the confined space entry permit and risk assessment that Part 4.3 requires. If the work is part of construction work, tick the confined space item (f), the contaminated or flammable atmosphere item (l) and falls over 2 metres where they apply.

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 Bin, Hopper and Silo Entry SWMS?

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

• Engulfment in flowing or collapsing grain
• Bridging, crusts and wall build-up
• Low oxygen and harmful gases or fumigant residue
• Combustible dust explosion and fire
• Ignition sources and electrical equipment in dust
• Starting of augers, conveyors and gates
• Falls at the entry point
• Entrant overcome with no way to retrieve
• Rescuers entering without protection
• Heat, noise and poor visibility
• Manual handling in awkward postures
• Permit, signs and records

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

• A competent person to carry out and record the confined space risk assessment, complete the entry permit and sign off the acknowledgement that everyone has left (WHS Regulation ss 66 and 67)
• Workers who could enter, work in or support work in the space, and their supervisors, trained in the hazards, controls, PPE, the permit and the emergency procedures, with training records kept for 2 years (s 76)
• A stand-by person assigned for every entry, who stays outside, can recognise the signs of harm, has the rescue equipment at hand and never enters the space to attempt a rescue (s 69; Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021)
• Rescue team or trained workers able to start rescue from outside and practised in the rescue procedure (s 74); air supplied respiratory equipment and suitable PPE available for rescuers (s 75)
• Trained user of the gas detector, harness, retrieval line and winch or tripod being used
• Licensed electrical worker for isolating or repairing any electrical supply, motors, lights or controls (Electrical Safety Act 2002 s 55)
• Dogging high risk work licence (Schedule 3) for anyone who slings a load or directs a plant operator moving a load that is out of the operator’s view, when plant is used to lift equipment or rescue gear (Schedule 19 ‘dogging work’)
• Site induction; first aid training for the stand-by person and rescue team, and an adequate number of workers trained in first aid (s 42)

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): Part 4.3 Confined spaces (ss 62 to 77) and Schedule 19 (confined space, safe oxygen level)
• Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021
• Rural Plant Code of Practice 2024 (confined spaces, section 7.11 and Appendix 10; isolating energy sources, section 8.2)
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021 (fire and explosion, dust explosion risks)
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work 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
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld): electrical work needs a licensed electrical worker (s 55)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2020 – Electrical equipment rural industry (hazardous areas such as grain silos)
• Chemical Usage (Agricultural and Veterinary) Control Act 1988 (Qld) (where a fumigant or treatment was applied)
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Managing the risk of fatigue at work (model code, not approved in Queensland; guidance only)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (18 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.