Guide

What is a SWMS?

A SWMS, or Safe Work Method Statement, is a short safety document for high risk construction work. It sets out the high risk work in the job, the hazards and risks that come with it, and how those risks will be controlled, before anyone starts.

In short

A SWMS has to be prepared before high risk construction work starts (regulation 299 of the WHS Regulation).
Regulation 291 lists 18 kinds of high risk construction work, from a fall of more than 2 metres to work near energised electrical installations.
It has to fit the actual job and site. A generic template on its own won't do.
The business doing the work makes sure it's prepared, with the workers who will do the job.
If the work isn't being done the way the SWMS says, it stops until it is, or until the SWMS is reviewed.

When

When do you need a SWMS?

You need a SWMS before you start any high risk construction work. In NSW and Queensland that comes from the Work Health and Safety Regulation: regulation 291 says what counts as high risk construction work, and regulation 299 says a SWMS has to be prepared before it starts.

These are the 18 kinds of high risk construction work in regulation 291:

(a)Work involving a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres
(b)Work carried out on a telecommunication tower
(c)Demolition of an element of a structure that is load-bearing or otherwise related to the physical integrity of the structure
(d)Work involving, or likely to involve, the disturbance of asbestos
(e)Structural alterations or repairs that require temporary support to prevent collapse
(f)Work carried out in or near a confined space
(g)Work carried out in or near a shaft or trench deeper than 1.5 metres, or a tunnel
(h)Work involving the use of explosives
(i)Work carried out on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping
(j)Work carried out on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines
(k)Work carried out on or near energised electrical installations or services
(l)Work carried out in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere
(m)Tilt-up or precast concrete work
(n)Work carried out on, in or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians
(o)Work carried out in an area at a workplace in which there is any movement of powered mobile plant
(p)Work carried out in an area in which there are artificial extremes of temperature
(q)Work carried out in or near water or other liquid that involves a risk of drowning
(r)Work that involves diving work

One job can involve more than one. Digging a trench deeper than 1.5 metres with an excavator moving around it is trench work and powered mobile plant work. One SWMS covers both.

Not high risk construction work? You still have to manage the risks of the job, but the law doesn't ask for a SWMS. Many builders ask for one anyway.

What

What goes in a SWMS?

At a minimum, a SWMS covers four things. Keep it short and plain, so everyone on the crew can follow it.

The high risk construction work

Which of the 18 kinds of high risk construction work the job involves. One job can involve more than one.

The hazards and risks

What could hurt someone on this job, on this site: live parts, heights, asbestos, trenches, traffic, plant, the weather on the day.

How each risk is controlled

Work down the hierarchy of controls: get rid of the hazard if you can, then substitute, isolate, use engineering controls, then admin controls, and PPE last.

How the controls are put in place and checked

Who does what, how it's checked on site while the work is on, and when the SWMS gets reviewed.

A Tradietool draft also sets out the job details, the PPE, a risk rating for each hazard, the emergency plan (first-aider, nearest hospital, where everyone meets) and sign-on lines for the crew.

Who

Who does what

The business doing the high risk construction work (the PCBU) makes sure the SWMS is prepared before work starts, talking it through with the workers who will do the job.
On a construction project with a principal contractor, the principal contractor needs a copy before the work starts.
Everyone on the job should understand it before they start. Most sites have the crew sign on to it.
Keep a copy where the crew and an inspector can get to it until the work is finished. If there's a notifiable incident, keep it for at least 2 years after the incident.
If the job changes, review the SWMS and update it. Keep the old versions.

Tradietool

Draft your SWMS from a voice note

Say the job in 30 seconds, or type it. Tradietool picks out the high risk construction work, the hazards, the controls, the PPE and the emergency details, asks about anything missing, and lays it all out as a PDF. You check it and fix anything that doesn't match your site, send it to the PCBU to approve, and your crew sign on with a QR code.

Electrical SWMS are available now for NSW and Queensland. Plumbing, carpentry, scaffolding and other trades are coming soon.

Every SWMS is a draft. AI can get things wrong, so you and the PCBU check it against the site before work starts. Tradietool isn't legal or WHS advice.

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Electrical SWMS Electrical SWMS in NSW Electrical SWMS in Queensland

FAQ

Common questions about SWMS

Is a SWMS a legal requirement?

Yes, for high risk construction work. The WHS Regulation in NSW and Queensland says a SWMS must be prepared before high risk construction work starts (regulation 299). For other construction work you still have to manage the risks, but the law doesn't ask for a SWMS. Many builders ask for one anyway.

Who prepares a SWMS?

The business doing the high risk construction work (the PCBU) makes sure it's prepared, in consultation with the workers who will do the job. On most small jobs that's the tradie's own business.

Can I use the same SWMS for every job?

Not without checking it. A SWMS has to match the actual work, the site and the hazards on the day. A generic template reused without review won't reflect the job in front of you. Tradietool drafts a fresh SWMS for each job from your description of it.

How long do I keep a SWMS?

Keep it until the high risk construction work is finished. If there's a notifiable incident, keep it for at least 2 years after the incident. If you change it, keep the old versions too.

Can I use a Tradietool SWMS straight away?

No. It's a draft. Tradietool runs automatic checks on every draft, but AI can still get things wrong or miss things. You and the PCBU check it against the site, talk it through with the crew, fix anything that's wrong and approve it before work starts. Tradietool isn't legal or WHS advice.

Which trades and states does Tradietool cover?

Electrical SWMS are available now for NSW and Queensland. Plumbing, carpentry, scaffolding and other trades are coming soon. Other states are coming later. See how it works.

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