Loader Operation

The Loader Operation SOP (SOP-EAR-009) provides detailed guidelines for safely operating loaders, addressing significant hazards such as loader rollovers, personnel runovers, load drops, and dust inhalation. Essential for operators and safety officers in construction and civil works, this document ensures compliance with the Work Health and Safety Act and relevant regulations. Implementing this SOP helps mitigate serious injuries and fatalities, making every loading operation safer for personnel and equipment.

• Loader rollover on uneven ground, slopes, or soft fill – serious injury or fatality
• Runover of personnel – serious injury or fatality
• Load drop during crane lifting – serious injury or fatality
• Contact with underground services during earthmoving
• Dust inhalation (including silica) from loading operations
• Pedestrian struck by swinging bucket or loader arms
• Tipping truck struck by loader bucket during loading operations

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and applicable state/territory WHS legislation
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (Cth) – Part 3.1 and Schedule 18
• Dial Before You Dig (DBYD)
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace (2024)
• Safe Work Australia – Managing Risks of Respirable Crystalline Silica
• Loader Pre-Start Checklist (associated document)