Crane SWMS and WHS templates

Safety documents for crane work in Queensland

Crane work puts heavy loads over people and plant, often near overhead power lines. On construction sites a SWMS must be in place before high risk construction work starts (s 299). Items of s 291 that commonly apply to crane work include work on or near energised electrical installations or services (k), areas where powered mobile plant moves (o), tilt-up or precast concrete (m) and a risk of falling more than 2 m (a).

Rules that come up in crane work

• Licences: Schedule 3 classes include dogging (item 4), rigging (items 5 to 7), tower cranes (item 8), vehicle loading cranes of 10 metre tonnes or more (item 13), non-slewing mobile cranes over 3 t (item 14) and slewing mobile cranes by capacity (items 15 to 18). You must see written evidence of the licence before directing a worker to do the work (s 85).
• Registration: tower cranes and mobile cranes with a maximum rated capacity of more than 10 t are among the plant that must be registered, with exceptions such as manually powered cranes (s 246 and Schedule 5, Part 2).
• Power lines: so far as reasonably practicable, no person, plant or thing may come within an unsafe distance of an overhead electric line. If that is not reasonably practicable, a risk assessment must be done and the controls must be consistent with it and any requirements of the electricity entity responsible for the line (Electrical Safety Regulation, s 13).

Templates for crane work

• Lifting Gear & Inspection Register: for slings, shackles and lifting gear
• Rigging & Dogging SWMS: for slinging, rigging and directing lifts
• Franna Crane SWMS (Non-Slewing Crane): for pick-and-carry crane work
• Tower Crane SWMS: for tower crane operation
• Safe Operation of Vehicle Loading Crane SWMS: for truck-mounted loading cranes
• Slew Crane SWMS: for slewing mobile cranes

Every template is an editable Word or Excel file you can brand with your logo, and you download it straight after checkout. Once filled in for your job, the documents help you meet your duties. Related reading: how often lifting gear needs inspecting and the difference between a dogman and a rigger. This is general information, not legal advice.