Falls from height and falling objects are among the biggest risks on any building site. Where someone could fall more than 2 metres, a site-specific SWMS must be in place before scaffolding is put up, changed or taken down. Tradietool will draft a scaffolding SWMS — for tube and coupler, system scaffold or mobile scaffold — from your voice description, ready for you to review and approve.
Coming soon — Tradietool generates electrical SWMS first.
A Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is required for scaffolding work where someone could fall more than 2 metres. Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation in Queensland and NSW, that is High Risk Construction Work (HRCW) Category 1 (regulation 291): work involving a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres.
The SWMS must be prepared before work begins and must identify all HRCW activities, describe the hazards and specify the risk controls that will be applied. Some scaffolding work also needs a high risk work licence (basic, intermediate or advanced scaffolding, depending on the scaffold and the height). The SWMS should name who on the crew holds which licence.
For tube and coupler scaffolding, the SWMS should cover coupler types, ledger spacing, bay loading and the tie pattern for the structure. For system scaffolding (Ringlock, Kwikstage), it should point to the manufacturer's erection manual. For mobile scaffolding, it should cover the outriggers, the ground surface and the height-to-base ratio.
Principal contractors in Queensland and NSW routinely audit scaffolding SWMS documents before granting site access to scaffold subcontractors. A detailed, site-specific SWMS is not just the law — it gets you on site. Tradietool will draft one from your voice description of the structure, height and site conditions.
Where they apply to the job, your scaffolding SWMS should name each of these hazards and say how it is controlled.
Falls from height are a leading cause of serious injury in construction. A risk of falling more than 2 metres makes it HRCW Category 1. Controls include edge protection, fall restraint systems, guardrails and toe boards on all open platforms.
Tools, materials and scaffold parts can fall from height. The SWMS should set out the exclusion zone, the barriers, any catch platform or screening, and how tools are tethered.
Going over the safe working load (SWL) can bring a scaffold down. The SWMS should cover the SWL for the scaffold type, the bay loading and where materials can be stacked.
Improper erection, ground subsidence and adverse weather are collapse contributors. Controls include engineer sign-off for complex structures, daily pre-use inspection checklist, wind speed limits and tie spacing requirements.
Tradietool will draft a tailored SWMS based on the scaffold type you describe in your voice note. Each type needs its own controls.
Flexible for complex structures. A high risk work licence may be needed, depending on the work and the height. The SWMS should cover the couplers, ledger spacing and the tie pattern.
Prefabricated components (Ringlock, Kwikstage), put up to the manufacturer's instructions. The SWMS covers bay width, standard spacing and the height at which more ties are needed.
Wheeled scaffold towers for short jobs. The SWMS should cover the outriggers, the ground surface, the height-to-base ratio and exclusion zones.
When scaffolding is live, you speak the job and Tradietool identifies the scaffold type, height and site conditions, drafts controls under the Queensland and NSW WHS rules, and produces a PDF for PCBU review.
Some scaffolding work needs a high risk work licence (basic, intermediate or advanced scaffolding). Which one depends on the scaffold and the height, so check with SafeWork NSW or Workplace Health and Safety Queensland before you start. Separately, scaffolding work where someone could fall more than 2 metres is high risk construction work under regulation 291, so it needs a SWMS before it starts (regulation 299).
You need one if the work involves a risk of someone falling more than 2 metres, which is high risk construction work under regulation 291. The SWMS should cover fall prevention, the outriggers, checking the ground is firm and level, keeping people out from under the platform, the platform's load limit and the wind conditions that stop the work.
Falling tools and materials are a serious risk around any scaffold. The SWMS should cover the exclusion zone under the work area and how it's kept clear (barriers, bunting, spotters), catch platforms or screening where needed, and how tools and materials are secured on the platform.
Tradietool generates electrical SWMS first. When scaffolding is ready, you will speak the scaffold type, height and site conditions for 30 seconds and review a draft SWMS before your crew starts.
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