This Grounds Maintenance (General) Risk Assessment/JSA (Job Safety Analysis) is pre-filled and covers mowing, trimming, using garden machinery and power tools, and emptying bins. It sets out 13 activities, from removing garbage from wheelie bins to snakes, spiders, sun and heat, with the hazards, control measures and risk ratings before and after controls for each. It's written by WHS specialists, aligned to Australian WHS legislation, and fully editable in Microsoft Word.
 
Who it's for
Grounds maintenance and gardening businesses
Councils and parks crews
Strata, body corporate and facilities maintenance contractors
Caravan parks, resorts and schools with grounds crews
Lawn mowing franchises and sole traders
A risk assessment, also called a JSA, JSEA or task risk assessment, records the hazards of a task and how you control them. If the task is part of high risk construction work, the law requires a SWMS for that work, so use our Grounds Maintenance - General SWMS instead.
 
Use it to
Show clients, insurers and auditors how you manage the risks
Apply for tenders, contracts and supplier panels
Get through prequalification with Avetta, Cm3 and other contractor portals
Induct new workers and train them in the task
 
What this risk assessment covers
Emptying wheelie bins, including strains and cuts from broken glass
Entanglement of hair, clothing and jewellery in mowers, whipper snippers, hedge trimmers and drills
Impact and cutting injuries from exposed moving parts
Noise from power tools and garden machinery
Tool condition and maintenance so equipment doesn't fail
Housekeeping to prevent slips from spills and trips from stored objects
Refuelling petrol tools, including fumes, skin contact and ignition risk
Electrical safety and taking faulty tools out of service
Missing guards, incorrect parts and hand cuts from general tools
Spills, oil leaks and waste disposal
Snakes, spiders, stinging insects, heat stress and UV exposure
Emergency response to fire, electrical fault, fuel spill or serious injury
 
What's included
Hazards and control measures for 13 work activities
Risk ratings before and after controls, with a 5x5 risk matrix and the hierarchy of controls
PPE requirements checklist
Materials such as fuels, oils and cleaning products, plus daily pre-start checks for machinery
Training each worker needs, including site induction and equipment training
Site specific hazards section for anything unique to your job
Further controls action plan to track anything still to be done
Worker sign-off sheet and worker consultation record
 
Why use this template
Saves hours compared with writing a risk assessment from a blank page
Covers the most common hazards and control measures for this work, ready to use out of the box
Fully editable, so you can add, remove or change anything to suit your workplace and how your team works
Helps your business stay compliant, with risk ratings, an action plan, worker sign-off and consultation records already set up
Comes with a step-by-step implementation guide
 
How it works
Buy online and download straight away. You'll also get an email with your link.
Add your logo, ABN, area and site details.
Check it suits your workplace and task, edit anything you need to, and consult your workers before you finalise it.
Brief your team and collect signatures.
 
Common questions
Do I need a SWMS or a risk assessment for grounds maintenance?
Only when the work is high risk construction work, for example working on or next to a road in use, or where someone could fall more than 2 metres. Most mowing, trimming and garden work isn't, so a SWMS isn't mandatory, but you still have to manage risks like noise, entanglement and heat, and a risk assessment or JSA is a practical way to record how. Clients, councils and prequalification portals often ask for one. If the job is high risk construction work, use our Grounds Maintenance - General SWMS instead.
Does it cover snakes and heat?
Yes. It covers snake and spider bites in long grass, mulch, garden beds and timber stacks, bee and wasp stings and allergic reactions, and heat exhaustion, heat stroke, dehydration and UV exposure.
Can I change it?
Yes. It's a Microsoft Word file, so you can add, remove or change any hazard, control or rating, and add your own logo and details.
Does it suit my state?
Yes. It's written to the model WHS laws and suits all states and territories, including Victoria under the OHS Act and Regulations.
What if it doesn't suit my work?
You're covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee if it isn't fit for purpose.