Waste Compactor Operation SWMS

Waste compactor operation covers the operation of a waste compactor — loading and operating a stationary or mobile waste compactor that compresses waste, common at warehouses, retail and commercial premises. The defining hazard is the crush and entanglement risk of the compactor mechanism, which can cause fatal injury, requiring isolation and lockout and a strict no-entry rule, alongside the hydraulics and electrical hazards. This document is written on the basis that waste compactor operation is carried out with the crush-entanglement, isolation, no-entry and electrical controls in place.

Waste compactor operation is carried out in connection with the plant requirements, with the crush and entanglement of the compactor mechanism managed by guarding, isolation and a strict no-entry rule, the hydraulics managed, and the electrical hazards managed. The crush and entanglement, the isolation and lockout, the no-entry rule, and the hydraulics and electrical are the considerations. This document coordinates the crush-entanglement, isolation, no-entry and electrical controls so the waste compactor operation is carried out safely.

Hazards identified

9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Engineering: guard the compactor mechanism against crush and entanglement, with interlocks and guarding, because the compactor mechanism can cause fatal injury.
2. 2Engineering: isolate and lock out the plant — the compactor, conveyor or machine — before any clearing, maintenance or access, and never enter a compactor chamber or running plant.
3. 3Administrative: enforce a strict no-entry rule — never enter the compactor chamber — and isolate and lock out the compactor before any access, clearing or maintenance.
4. 4Engineering: manage the compactor hydraulics and the stored energy in the hydraulic system, releasing stored energy before any access.
5. 5Administrative: have any electrical work carried out by a licensed electrician, and manage the electrical hazards of the plant, equipment and leads.
6. 6Engineering: load the compactor safely without reaching into the mechanism, and manage the manual handling of waste into the compactor.
7. 7Administrative: clear blockages or jams only after isolation and lockout, never while the compactor is live.
8. 8Administrative: all workers must hold the competencies and licences required for the work, including a High Risk Work Licence for forklift operation, a heavy vehicle driver licence for heavy vehicles, and any dangerous goods or other training required.
9. 9Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, traffic and plant movements, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
10. 10Administrative: consult workers and any health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document available at the workplace.
11. 11PPE: high-visibility clothing, eye protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, hearing protection where required, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
12. 12Administrative: review and update this SWMS whenever the work scope changes, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, when new hazards are identified, or at minimum every 12 months.

Applicable Codes of Practice

Worked example

A worker is engaged to operate a waste compactor at a warehouse. The compactor mechanism is guarded against crush and entanglement, with interlocks and guarding, because the compactor mechanism can cause fatal injury. The compactor is isolated and locked out before any clearing, maintenance or access, and a strict no-entry rule enforced — the compactor chamber is never entered. The compactor hydraulics and the stored energy in the hydraulic system are managed, releasing stored energy before any access. The electrical hazards are managed, with electrical work by a licensed electrician. The compactor is loaded safely without reaching into the mechanism, and the manual handling of waste managed. Blockages or jams are cleared only after isolation and lockout, never while the compactor is live. The operation is carried out safely, and the records retained.

Related legislation

• Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
• Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — the plant, hazardous manual tasks, hazardous chemicals and High Risk Work Licence provisions, and the Section 291 high risk construction work and SWMS duties where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
• The Heavy Vehicle National Law and the Chain of Responsibility, the National Transport Commission Load Restraint Guide 2018, and the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, apply to heavy vehicles and the transport of dangerous goods, alongside the model WHS framework, and are administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and the state and territory dangerous goods regulators.
• Forklift operation requires a High Risk Work Licence (LF or LO class) under each state and territory's licensing scheme, and heavy vehicle driving requires the appropriate heavy vehicle driver licence; dangerous goods drivers require dangerous goods licensing and training.
• Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the plant, manual handling, hazardous chemicals and high risk construction work provisions applying in place of the model instruments, alongside the Dangerous Goods Act 1985.

Frequently asked questions