SWMS template: what it must include and how to use it

A SWMS template is a pre-built document that gives you the sections a safe work method statement needs. It saves time, keeps every SWMS in the same format, and makes sure you don't leave out a required part. It only works once you fill it with the details of the job, the site and the controls, because a template on its own doesn't meet the regulations.

This guide covers what a template must include, how to adapt it, and how to keep it current once the crew starts work.

What a SWMS is for

A SWMS sets out the high-risk construction work, the hazards and the controls for it. It's an administrative control, which means it supports the higher-order controls on site rather than replacing them. A good SWMS does four jobs:

• Plans the work. It shows supervisors and workers how the task will be done safely, step by step.
• Meets the legal requirement. A SWMS must be prepared before high-risk construction work starts (regulation 299). The 18 kinds of that work are listed in regulation 291.
• Communicates the risks. It tells everyone on the job what could go wrong and what to do about it.
• Records the controls. It shows which controls were chosen and who is responsible for checking them.

A SWMS is different from a job safety analysis or a safe operating procedure. Those documents focus on a single task or piece of equipment. A SWMS covers the high-risk activity as a whole.

What the regulations require

Under regulation 299, the SWMS must:

• identify the high-risk construction work being done;
• specify the hazards and the risks to health and safety they create;
• describe the control measures, and how they'll be implemented, monitored and reviewed;
• take account of the site conditions and, on a construction project, the principal contractor's WHS management plan; and
• be readily accessible and understandable to the people who use it.

A template helps with the structure. It can't tell you the site conditions, the crew's methods or the controls that will actually work. Our guide on what a SWMS must include sets out the full checklist.

The sections a template should include

A useful SWMS template has six sections. Each one should be specific enough that a new worker can follow it.

1. The high-risk work. Name the activity, such as work at height, excavation or work near energised installations, and where on site it happens.
2. The job description. Describe the work, the location, the equipment and materials, the number of people involved and the duration. List every stage of the task, from setting up to clean-up.
3. The hazards. Brainstorm everything that could go wrong, including physical, chemical, biological and environmental hazards. The workers who do the job will spot ones you miss.
4. The risk assessment. For each hazard, rate the likelihood and the consequence. This shows which risks need the most attention.
5. The control measures. Choose controls in the order of the hierarchy of controls:
   • Eliminate the hazard where you can.
   • Substitute a less dangerous material, process or piece of equipment.
   • Isolate or engineer the hazard, using guards, barriers or ventilation.
   • Administer the work with procedures, training, supervision and clear signage.
   • Protect the worker with PPE, which comes last and should match the hazard.
6. Names and sign-on. Record who prepared the SWMS, who was consulted, and the workers, supervisors and principal contractor who have read it and understood it. Signing isn't a legal requirement in itself, but it's usually asked for and it's useful evidence.

Each control must address a specific hazard from the list. "Be careful around plant" doesn't match any hazard, so it doesn't belong in the document.

Using a template well

A template is a starting point, and most SWMS problems come from using it without changing it. Work through these steps:

1. Check the scope. Make sure the template covers the tasks you'll actually do, not just the trade. A "roof work" template doesn't cover the gutter replacement you've been asked to do from an elevating work platform.
2. Add the site. Name the access routes, overhead services, neighbouring properties, other trades, ground conditions and the principal contractor's site rules.
3. Consult the crew. Ask the workers what's missing and what's impractical. Record that you asked.
4. Train the crew on it. Make sure everyone can explain the controls, not just sign that they've read the document.
5. Review it. Review the SWMS with the health and safety representative and the people doing the work before you sign it off.

You can write your own SWMS from scratch. The regulations don't require a template, but writing from scratch takes detailed knowledge of the work and the law, and that's where gaps usually come from.

Keeping a SWMS current

A SWMS must be reviewed and revised when control measures change (regulation 302). Controls change when a control doesn't work, when the work or the site changes, when a new hazard shows up, when consultation shows a review is needed, or when a health and safety representative asks for one (regulation 38).

Each time the SWMS changes, sign off the new version and make sure the crew signs it. Keep the old version on file, so you can show what was in force on a given day. Keep the SWMS until the high-risk work is finished, or for at least 2 years after a notifiable incident during that work (regulation 303).

On a construction project, the principal contractor must get a copy before the work starts (regulation 301), and must take reasonable steps to obtain one (regulation 312). Send the current version, and the new one whenever it changes.

SWMS templates to start from

These templates cover common high-risk work:

• Earthmoving equipment SWMS for mobile plant and powered earthmoving.
• Height access equipment SWMS for scaffolds, lifts and ladders.
• Silica dust SWMS for work that creates respirable silica.
• Confined space work SWMS for entry, testing and rescue.

Use the one that matches the work, then add the details of your site. Our SWMS template library lists the rest.

Common questions

Is a SWMS template legally valid? A template isn't valid or invalid in itself. The SWMS is valid if it covers the high-risk work, the hazards, the controls and how they're managed for the actual job. A template that's been filled in properly does that.

Do I need a SWMS for every task? No. A SWMS is required only for high-risk construction work. Other tasks still need their risks managed, usually with a JSA or safe work procedure.

Can one SWMS cover several tasks? Yes, if it covers each high-risk activity, its hazards and its controls. Make sure each task appears in the description and the controls are specific to it.

How often should a template be updated? Update the template itself when the regulations, your methods or your equipment change. Update the SWMS for each job when the work or the site changes.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current law with your WHS regulator.