Essential SWMS Template for Effective Risk Management in Construction
Grace Clueit 7 min readSWMS assist workplaces in achieving regulatory compliance, streamlining safety processes, and enhancing safety in high-risk construction work (HRCW) activities.
What is a SWMS template?
A SWMS template is designed to help create Safe Work Method Statements for high-risk construction work environments and the associated hazards and risks.
The document is a key component within the regulatory framework and assists in hazard identification, risk assessment, and in outlining and selecting risk control measures.
Why use a SWMS template?
A Safe Work Method Statement template is a legally required safety planning document for high-risk construction work companies to ensure health and safety, compliance, consistency across projects, time savings and enhanced safety management. It’s vital to ensure that HRCW work activities, risks, and hazards are properly assessed and control measures are in place.
Compliance
Following a template is a great way of ensuring you’re dotting all the ‘i’s’ and crossing all the ‘t’s’, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks and you’ve followed all regulatory and compliance requirements. For example, if a firm were to engage in a work activity restoring a building façade, there is an associated risk of a person falling more than three metres, resulting in a need for an SWMS.
Consistency across projects
Consistency across projects makes your life easier, enhances operations, and provides transparency and structure to your staff and projects. A pre-prepared SWMS template will allow you to follow a smooth and clear flow for each project, with room to evolve the document and improve operations each time.
Time savings
Why reinvent the wheel for each project? It’s not about cutting corners, following a template is thorough and comprehensive, but it will save you heaps of time, resources and administrative stress.
Enhanced safety management
When you follow a SWMS template, you’re on top of your compliance and SWMS requirements, making your work health and safety management protocols smooth, safe and reliable.
Risk control measures
A SWMS template allows health and safety representatives to outline control measures. This is a great way of preparing for what to do, and who is responsible. If something goes wrong and your workers are at risk, you need to be ready and have the control measures clear, concise and understood by your team.
High risk construction work
High risk construction work risks need to be properly assessed. A template carefully curated by your company and Work Health and Safety professionals ensures all hazards, risks and site-specific factors have been identified, acknowledged and prepared for, with the correct control measures in place.
Free State-specific SWMS templates and guides
Different states and territories may have unique requirements, industry practices or regulations for a particular work activity included in a SWMS. Providing state-specific safe work method statement templates can help you be prepared and ensure compliance with your high-risk construction work tasks.
Disclaimer: Altora has put in measures to ensure accuracy however makes no warranties or representations regarding the accuracy, completeness or suitability of SWMS information outlined. Use this information at your own risk and whilst conducting your own research or reach out to Safe Work Australia for further information.
| State | Regulatory Requirements | Templates |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | NSW has distinct guidelines for tasks such as demolition and asbestos exposure. SafeWork NSW conducts regular planned/random inspections, and penalties can be enforced if SWMS requirements and procedures are not properly adhered to. | NSW SWMS templates |
| VIC | There is a stronger emphasis on PPE rules and regulations in VIC, especially within specific industries such as construction. Consultation with workers about hazards is a must within VIC, not a guideline, and any hazards must be addressed with workers appropriately. | VIC SWMS templates |
| SA | SA has much more comprehensive SWMS checks before work can commence for public construction sites. A specific section for hazardous chemicals for SWMS in SA must be filled out correctly. | SA SWMS templates |
| TAS | Agricultural work has more prominent guidelines to be adhered to within TAS SWMS. SWMS is just one factor for TAS, it follows a more holistic approach and is just one element within their more detailed safety management plan. | TAS SWMS templates |
| QLD | There’s a requirement for high-risk work licences in QLD SWMS. SWMS for asbestos work is also required specifically. | QLD SWMS templates |
| WA | WA SWMS focuses on high-risk work in extreme conditions in the resource sector, requiring attention to areas such as explosives. There’s a stronger emphasis on mining SWMS for WA. | WA SWMS templates |
| NT | Due to the nature of the landscape, the NT strongly focuses on remote work and the associated requirements. Environmental factors are also factored in, emphasising extreme weather conditions and wildlife. | NT SWMS templates |
| ACT | There’s an emphasis on preventative health requirements in ACT SWMS such as avoiding and managing fatigue and mental health. SA also focuses on small businesses and offers a simplified approach for SWMS for them, opposed to the requirements often needed for larger companies. | ACT SWMS templates |
How to write a SWMS
We’ve compiled a draft Safe Work Method Statement template below based on the state-specific SWMS templates to help you understand what items are included in a SWMS.
PCBU name, ABN, Office address and phone:
Add the person conducting a business or undertaking (either the organisation or individual).
Principal contractor (PC):
Name, ABN, Office address
Work location:
Add site address
Work activity:
Job description
High risk construction work:
List work from WHS Regulations
Works manager:
Provide manager name
Contact phone
Provide a contact number that is reachable for the entirety of the shift in case of emergency.
Have workers been consulted about the SWMS?
Y/N
Persons responsible:
- Person responsible for ensuring compliance with SWMS
- Person(s) responsible for reviewing the SWMS
- Date SWMS provided to PC
- Last SWMS review date
- Date received
- Signature
Workers signature:
- Workers name
- Date received
- Workers signature
What are the tasks involved?
Think about the workplace and each stage of the work, including preparation and clean-up.
What are the proposed hrcw activities?
What are the hazards and risks?
Identify the hazards and risks that may cause harm to workers or the public within the proposed works.
Some examples:
- Work to be carried out pressurised gas distribution mains
- Carried out in an area in which there are artificial extremes of temperature
- Work carried out near energised electrical installations
- Involves structural alterations
- Carried out in or near a confined space
- Involves working in an area that has contaminated or flammable atmosphere
- Involves work carried out on a powered mobile plant
- Involves the removal of asbestos
- Involves working from heights above 3 metres and risk of a person falling
What are the control measures?
Describe what will be done to control the risk. What will you do to make the activity as safe as possible?
Some examples:
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn at all times on site
- To be supervised appropriately at all times
- Work can partly be conducted from the ground using roller poles and paint scraper, partially eliminating the risk of falls
- Install warning signs if risk remains
- Guard rails to be installed * Site will require temporary support, due to structural alterations, to prevent collapse
Implementing your SWMS template
Now it’s time to put your safe work method statement template into practice on job sites within high risk construction work. Here’s how to implement and maintain SWMS in your workplace.
Best practices for training staff
Keep training consistent, with clear, precise and easy-to-follow information, avoiding any information being misinterpreted. Altora’s Induction Software has fantastic training capabilities that allow for a smooth, enjoyable and transparent training experience that aligns with safe work method statement requirements.
Communicating expectations
When it comes to SWMS, you can’t expect your employees to read between the lines or dissect requirements from vague information. Be clear, upfront and transparent about the associated hazards within their work activities, what you need them to do and when, so that no important SWMS related information or tasks are missed.
Ensuring ongoing compliance through regular reviews
Ensuring your SWMS are reviewed regularly is so important. Organise scheduled reviews to keep on top of safe work method statement compliance. Is any information updated or no longer relevant? Are you missing important health and safety protocols or information? Booking in audits and reviews allows you and your team to be prepared and keeps your SWMS compliance up to date, your workplace and staff safe, and your mind at ease.
Altora’s innovative software solutions are excellent tools to help you effectively follow and apply safe work method statement processes. Our system, designed based on real user input, is exceptionally user-friendly and cost-effective.
This article was written by Grace Clueit, Altora’s Marketing Manager. Grace has significant experience in marketing and writing.
This content was 100% human-created.