This Loading Plant onto Trailers and Floats SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) is pre-filled for loading, restraining, transporting and unloading machines on plant trailers, tilt decks, beavertails and floats. It covers 36 activities, from run planning and matching the trailer to the job through to parking up and emergency response, 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
Plant and equipment hire businesses
Earthmoving, excavation and civil contractors
Landscapers who move their own machines
Float and heavy haulage operators
Machinery dealers and service businesses
A SWMS isn't only for construction. Plenty of hire and transport businesses use one as the written risk assessment for a task, the same way others use a JSA or Safe Work Procedure.
 
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 SWMS covers
Matching the plant, trailer and tow vehicle, and checking route and site access
Setting up the loading area and exclusion zone on firm, level ground
Overhead powerlines and loading on or beside a road
Pre-start checks, and coupling and uncoupling the trailer
Securing ramps and operating tilt, beavertail and hydraulic decks
Driving or tracking the machine up the ramps and shutting it down on the deck
Falls from the deck or machine, and safe access to the cab
Crane, forklift, telehandler and winch loading of non-running plant
Attachments, quick hitches, fuel, gas and lithium-ion batteries on the deck
Restraining the machine, pre-departure checks, reversing and travel
Unloading and off-hire pickups at customer sites, working alone and in poor light
Emergency response to rollover, crush injury, fall, powerline contact or fire
 
What's included
Hazards and control measures for 36 work activities
Risk ratings before and after controls, with a 5x5 risk matrix and the hierarchy of controls
PPE requirements checklist and high risk construction work checklist
Plant and equipment list, materials, maintenance checks and the training each worker needs
Relevant Australian Standards, including AS 2550.1 for cranes, hoists and winches, plus the NHVR Load Restraint Guide 2025
Licence guidance for forklifts and telehandlers, including why an LF licence doesn't cover a telehandler
Site specific hazards section for anything unique to your job
Worker sign-off sheet and worker consultation record
 
Why use this template
Saves hours compared with writing a SWMS 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 site and how your team works
Helps your business stay compliant, with risk ratings, worker sign-off and consultation records already set up
 
How it works
Buy online and download straight away. You'll also get an email with your link.
Add your logo, ABN, project and site details.
Check it suits your site 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 for loading plant onto trailers and floats?
Only if the work is high risk construction work, for example unloading on a construction site where powered mobile plant is moving, near energised overhead powerlines, or on a road that's still in use. Loading in your own yard usually isn't, so a SWMS isn't mandatory there, but you still have to manage risks like machines sliding off ramps, and a SWMS is a sound way to record how. Hire customers, head contractors and prequalification portals often ask for one.
Does it cover telehandler licence requirements?
Yes. It explains that a telehandler isn't a forklift, so an LF licence doesn't cover it, and that the licence class depends on the jurisdiction, the machine's rated capacity and the attachment fitted.
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.