Tower Crane Erection and Dismantling SWMS

For crane erection crews, crane owners and principal contractors who erect, climb and dismantle tower cranes. It follows the work in order, from the base and exclusion zones through mast section lifts, climbing, ties and commissioning to dismantling, and covers working at height, wind limits and power lines. It does not cover operating the crane.

Tower crane erection and dismantling is high risk construction work because of the fall risk and the assist mobile crane, so those items are pre-ticked; also tick the energised electrical installations or services item (WHS Regulation s 291(k)) on the form when an overhead power line is near the crane, the delivery route or the mobile crane.

Learn More: What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?
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What Is Covered In Our Tower Crane Erection and Dismantling SWMS?

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

• Crane collapse from a poor base, ties or climbing
• Falls from the tower, jibs and climbing frame
• Falling tools, pins and crane components
• Mast section lifts with the assist mobile crane
• Mobile crane overturning or overloading
• Contact with overhead power lines
• Wind and uncontrolled suspended components
• Crushed hands at pinned connections
• Counterweights fitted out of sequence
• Safety devices left bypassed after erection
• Person left hanging in a harness after a fall

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:

• Involves a risk of a person falling more than 2m
• Is carried out in an area at a workplace in which there is any movement of powered mobile plant

Licences, Training and Competency

• High risk work licence in the intermediate rigging class (Schedule 3 item 6, which covers cranes) for the crew that erects, climbs and dismantles the crane; a rigging licence qualifies a person to set up or dismantle a crane without a crane operator licence
• Competent person to supervise all erecting, climbing and dismantling
• Training in the climbing procedure for the model of crane being climbed, for everyone in the climbing crew
• High risk work licence in the dogging class, or a higher rigging class, for anyone who slings a load or directs the mobile crane operator when the load is out of the operator’s view
• High risk work licence for the mobile crane class that matches the assist crane’s capacity (Schedule 3 items 14 to 18); the operator does not sling their own load
• High risk work licence for the tower crane class (item 8) for anyone who operates the crane after handover
• Engineer for the footing design and for verifying the crane ties and the supporting structure
• Independent third party to inspect and test the crane before erection and at commissioning (recommended by the approved code)
• Licensed electrician to connect and test the crane’s supply and earthing
• Training in the fall protection and rescue systems used; safety observer trained for the role
• Trained traffic controllers where roads or footpaths are closed
• General construction induction training card (white card) and site induction

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Tower Crane Code of Practice 2017
• Mobile Crane Code of Practice 2024
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks 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
• Excavation Work Code of Practice 2021 (crane bases and cranes beside excavations)
• Traffic Management for Construction or Maintenance Work Code of Practice 2008 (work on or beside a road)
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): ss 10 to 13 and schedule 2 (exclusion zones for overhead electric lines)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2020 – Working near overhead and underground electric lines (distances come from the 2026 Regulation)
• AS 1418.4 Cranes, hoists and winches – Tower cranes (named in the Tower Crane Code of Practice 2017)
• AS 1891.4 Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices – Selection, use and maintenance (named in the Tower Crane Code of Practice 2017)
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Tower cranes (guidance)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (17 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.