Preparing a Risk Assessment for Forklift Use in Confined Spaces

A forklift should be kept outside a confined space wherever possible. This guide explains how to prepare a risk assessment for using a forklift in a confined space, beginning with the question of whether entry can be eliminated through remote handling. If the forklift must enter, the assessment must treat the machine, its fuel or battery, the load, the atmosphere and nearby workers as one interacting hazard system.

In Australia, the model Work Health and Safety laws create a common framework, but state and territory regulators set the detail. Safe Work Australia provides the Confined Spaces Code of Practice, while WorkSafe NSW, SafeWork Queensland, WorkSafe Victoria, SafeWork SA, WorkSafe WA and NT WorkSafe enforce their jurisdiction’s requirements. Industrial employers around Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Newcastle also manage contractor interfaces, hot summers and ageing plant that can turn a routine lifting task into a high-risk job.

Recognise the space and the real task

First, confirm whether the location is legally and practically a confined space. It is normally an enclosed or partly enclosed area designed for occasional entry, with a means of entry and exit and the potential for a hazardous atmosphere, engulfment or entrapment. A tank, process vessel, large-diameter pipe, sump, pit or poorly ventilated duct may qualify; a small, open loading bay usually will not simply because it feels cramped.

The reason to ask is that a conventional forklift is a poor fit for many confined spaces. Combustion engines produce exhaust, while ignition sources, hot surfaces and rotating components can ignite a flammable atmosphere. The chassis and counterweight may not pass the opening, the floor may not carry the laden truck, and an operator may have little escape clearance or awareness of pedestrians behind the load.

Record what the equipment is doing inside: storing a load, positioning it, shovelling material, rotating a drum or supporting another operation. A short visit to place a pallet is materially different from remaining underground for two hours. The more time, number of movements and proximity to people in the space, the more controls the assessment needs.

Define the people, plant and work conditions

Describe the job with enough precision for another supervisor to understand it without standing beside you. Include the load type and weight, pallet dimensions, centre of gravity, forklift model and rated capacity, attachments, travel distance, gradients, floor condition, headroom, lighting, communications and duration. Check the manufacturer’s load chart, because a forklift’s safe working load changes with fork length, lift height, attachment and load distribution.

Consult the operator, entrants, standby workers, supervisors, maintenance personnel and emergency responders. They often see different failure modes, such as damaged floor coatings, narrow turning paths, poor radio coverage or a retrieval route blocked by the very load being moved. Labour-hire crews and subcontractors common in Australian construction, manufacturing and resources sectors need to be included; nominal site induction does not prove machine-specific or confined-space competence.

Check the site rather than relying on drawings. Australian sites may use colour-coded isolation tags, permit systems and local emergency procedures that differ between states and clients. Obtain the process information, current hazardous-area classification, safety data sheets and structural details. Also consider heat stress around hot vessels, battery charging arrangements, local traffic rules and nearby public or pedestrian interfaces where work occurs in busy urban or port precincts.

Identify hazards and rate the risks

Identify hazards across five areas: people, plant, substances, environment and work organisation. Relevant forklift hazards include collision, overturning, dropped loads, attachment failure, restricted visibility and struck-by contact. Confined-space hazards include oxygen deficiency, toxic or flammable gas, engulfment, entanglement, poor lighting, heat, noise and the potential for a blocked exit. Simultaneous entry, mobile plant, hot work or an opening process line can change the risk immediately after approval.

Rate each credible scenario for likelihood and consequence, then retain the underlying description rather than hiding it in a score. Ask what could happen, who would be harmed and what controls prevent it. Treat uncertainty, unusual loads, infrequent tasks and high-consequence failures conservatively; a low likelihood does not make a catastrophic outcome acceptable. Record the residual risk, the control owner and the evidence required after each action.

Apply the hierarchy of control

Apply the hierarchy of control rather than defaulting to personal protective equipment. Eliminate entry by presenting the load at the opening or using remote retrieval. Substitute a purpose-built machine or method. Isolate the process, then use engineering controls such as ventilation, guarding, rated access platforms and retrieval systems. Administrative controls include permits, exclusion zones, checklists and trained observers; PPE is the final barrier, not the primary control.

Process isolation must address every energy source: electricity, rotating machinery, stored pressure, hydraulic or pneumatic energy, hot surfaces, sludge and suspended material. Lock out, tag and prove isolation before entry, with clear boundaries between the forklift and authorised workers. Where a chargeable battery is involved, manage charging, disconnection and fire risk under the applicable site and AS/NZS electrical standards; an electric truck is not automatically non-ignition equipment.

Test the atmosphere before anyone enters and whenever the permit, ventilation or process condition changes. The test must cover oxygen, toxicity and flammability using suitable, calibrated detectors, with monitoring continued where the atmosphere can vary. Never rely on smell or a single reassuring reading, and never add oxygen to make a space feel safe. Ignition sources must be removed or controlled, and any equipment used in a classified hazardous area must be appropriately certified.

Control strategy	When it may be considered	Controls that must be verified	Main limitation
Keep the forklift outside	Preferred when the load can be presented at the opening	Remote handling, exclusion zone and stable load transfer	Reach, visibility and lifting geometry may restrict access
External mechanical retrieval	Where a line, winch or hoist can move the load from outside	Engineered lifting plan, rated equipment, exclusion zone and qualified operator	Not every load or placement will be reachable
Purpose-built entry forklift	Only where entry is unavoidable and the machine is specifically designed and approved for it	Low profile, correct load rating, ventilation, gas monitoring, hazardous-area protection, permit, communications and rescue	Atmospheric, clearance and stability risks remain
Conventional diesel or LPG forklift	Normally avoid entry	Treat entry as prohibited unless a separately engineered safety case establishes suitability	Exhaust, ignition, heat and access problems can make entry untenable

Plan movement, monitoring and communication

Engineer the movement route before the truck approaches the opening. Measure access width and height, turning circle, floor loading, ramp gradients, overhead services, escape clearance and the position of the exit. The assessment should confirm whether the combined weight of truck, counterweight, load and people is acceptable. Mark unstable edges, soft ground, drains, slippery surfaces and pinch points, and keep escape routes clear throughout the task.

Control pedestrians and other mobile plant with a physical exclusion zone. Use a designated spotter where visibility is limited, but do not treat a spotter as a substitute for a workable route. Agree simple radio calls and hand signals, test them before work starts, and stop if communication fails. Forklift operators should not carry passengers, travel with elevated loads where unsafe, exceed the load chart or attempt manoeuvres that create a stable-load or blind-corner risk.

Define stop-work triggers in advance: gas alarm, lost radio contact, unauthorised entry, an unstable load, damaged floor, isolation failure, heat stress, lightning or another process upset. If a load blocks the only exit, reconsider the method. Forklift alarms may be difficult to hear inside noisy vessels or behind PPE, so supplementary visual warning, lighting and direct supervision may be necessary.

Prepare people, equipment and emergency arrangements

Define competence for the specific task. Forklift operator training and licensing requirements vary across Australian jurisdictions, workplaces and risk levels, so verify recognised training, authorisation and fitness requirements rather than assuming a generic ticket covers every machine. Entrants and the standby person also need appropriate instruction in hazards, isolation, monitoring, equipment and communication. Brief every shift because conditions, personnel, weather and fatigue can alter the controls.

Inspect the forklift, attachments, restraints, lights, reversing alarm, horn, emergency controls and battery or fuel system against the manufacturer’s pre-start checklist. A forklift may need a lower-profile configuration, reduced capacity or different counterweight, but changing the machine does not remove the need for an engineering review. Gas detectors must be bump tested and calibrated for the substances being monitored, and personal radios, torches and emergency equipment must suit the space and possible atmosphere.

Prepare a task-specific rescue plan before entry. It must address a forklift casualty, a person overcome by gas, fire, entanglement and the loss of the primary exit. Use suitable retrieval equipment and trained rescue personnel without adding an unprotected rescuer to the hazard; follow the site emergency procedure and call 000 where external emergency services are required. Rehearse communication and access with the responding team, and include first-aid equipment, muster arrangements and the exact location of the confined space.

Approve the assessment and make safety routine

Have the risk assessment reviewed and approved by the people who understand the work, including the operator, workers, supervisor and relevant specialists. The signed document should contain the scope, hazard findings, control measures, residual risks, isolation details, test requirements, exclusion arrangements, communications, emergency resources and named responsible persons. A confined-space entry permit is an operational control linked to that assessment, not a replacement for it.

Before work begins, verify each critical control in the field: isolation and lockout, clear access, ventilation, calibrated gas testing, load charts, exclusion zones, radio checks and rescue readiness. Reassess whenever the load, route, machine, atmosphere, ventilation, staffing, shift, weather or simultaneous operations change, and after an incident or near miss. Consult the crew again when evidence shows that a planned control was not practical.

Make the controls routine through a pre-start briefing, visible permit board, recorded tests and a short end-of-task debrief. HCF CATCH provides hands-on process, engineering, electrical, industrial-gas and health-and-safety training in a realistic plant environment, helping teams practise the decisions that a written assessment alone cannot test. Arrange a practical course, apprenticeship pathway, safety qualification or facility tour for your team, and use room hire for a structured risk-assessment workshop before anyone approaches the confined space.