• JSA template · pick-face and pallets

Warehouse JSA template Australia

Order picking and pallet wrapping can be a JSA — manual handling, wrap machines, a yellow line. The moment you are working in an area with powered mobile plant movements, that is high-risk construction work and a JSA is not enough. Be honest about whether forklifts actually stay out of the pick module.

Generate a warehouse JSA →See live demo

Forklifts can make this HRCW

HRCW includes work in an area where there are powered mobile plant movements. Construction work in a warehouse still counts. If pickers and forklifts share the aisle, do not use this JSA as the legal document — you need a SWMS that names that category. See the HRCW checklist.

This example is a segregated pick module at a 3PL in Truganina: forklifts are locked out of the module during pick hours. If that rule is fiction on your site, this is the wrong page.

Filled example: pick module, Truganina VIC

Night shift pick-face. Cartons off low racking, pallet wrap at the marshalling slot, yellow line at the module gate. Reach trucks work the next aisle only after a documented handover.

Job / task: Pick cartons and wrap pallets in a forklift-excluded module
Site: 3PL warehouse, Truganina VIC 3029
Document: JSA · not HRCW only if plant stays out · example only
PPE: Hi-vis, steel-caps, gloves when wrapping, high-vis vest on the yellow line

Example layout. If a forklift enters the module while people pick, this JSA is the wrong document — powered mobile plant is HRCW. Victoria: OHS Act 2004 / OHS Regulations 2017.

Step	Hazards	Controls	5×5 risk
1. Pre-start: confirm the forklift exclusion is actually locked for this shift Responsible: Shift supervisor	Reach truck still in the module from the previous shift New labour-hire pickers who don’t know the yellow line Battery charger leads across the gate	Walk the module; chain or gate shut; radio the forklift supervisor before pick starts Induct labour-hire on the exclusion; no pick until they sign on Coil charger leads; keep the gate clear	InitialL3×C4 = 12 High ResidualL2×C4 = 8 Medium
2. Pick cartons from low racking onto the pallet jack Responsible: Picker	Manual handling of 15–20 kg cartons above shoulder height Falling cartons from a messy bay Jack run-over on a foot	Two-person for anything awkward or overhead; use the step-stool only if it is stable and under 2 m Don’t pull from a leaning stack; restack first Jack behind you, not riding; steel-caps	InitialL4×C3 = 12 High ResidualL2×C3 = 6 Medium
3. Wrap pallets at the marshalling slot Responsible: Picker	Turntable wrap machine pinch points Trips on wrap tails and dunnage Unstable pallet collapsing mid-wrap	Guards on; no reaching in while it turns; emergency stop known Bin tails as you go; keep the slot clear Rebuild a leaning pallet before wrapping; don’t “wrap it tight to hold it”	InitialL3×C3 = 9 Medium ResidualL2×C2 = 4 Low
4. Handover at the yellow line when a forklift must take the pallet Responsible: Shift supervisor	Forklift entering while pickers are still in the bay Blind corner at the gate People walking behind the forklift	Pickers out, radio clear, then the gate opens — not the other way around Horn and spotter at the gate; no pedestrians behind the truck If this handover becomes constant mixed traffic, stop using a JSA and write a SWMS for mobile plant	InitialL4×C4 = 16 Critical ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a warehouse JSA template?

For segregated pick-face work without powered mobile plant in the same area, a JSA is the usual written assessment. If forklifts, reach trucks or a tug run the aisle while people pick, that is HRCW — you need a SWMS, not a relabelled JSA.

Is the warehouse JSA free?

Creating an account is free and needs no card; creating and editing your own site-specific draft is free too. The $20/month subscription is only needed to download the PDF. This Truganina pick module assumes a documented forklift exclusion. If your site doesn’t have that, don’t use this layout.

SWMS or JSA around forklifts?

Construction work in an area with powered mobile plant movements is HRCW under model WHS regulation 291 and needs a SWMS. Routine warehouse operations are not automatically construction work; assess the actual task. A JSA does not replace a required SWMS.

NSW, VIC, QLD, WA?

Victoria (this example) uses the OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017. NSW, QLD and WA use WHS. The mobile-plant HRCW trigger is treated the same way on a 3PL floor.

Check the official guidance

A SWMS sets out the high-risk construction activities, their hazards and the controls to use. Prepare it before the work starts, adapt it to the site and review it when the work or controls change. Consult the people doing the work. An AI draft or example needs review before use.

Model WHS guidance and Victorian requirements differ. Check the rules that apply to your workplace.

Generate a warehouse JSA for this pick-face

Only if forklifts are actually excluded. Free account, no card to sign up. $20/month for unlimited documents.

Create a free account →