Safe Work Method Statements (SWMSs) For High Risk Construction Work
Safe Work Method Statements in Compliant Format to Customise to Your Business What is a Safe Work Method Statement?
The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (WHS Regulation) requires persons conducting businesses or undertakings (PCBUs) to prepare a safe work method statement (SWMS) in consultation with workers for any identified high-risk construction work (HRCW) in relation to all construction work, irrespective of the cost of that work.
A PCBU must eliminate or, where it is not reasonably practicable, control the risks associated with construction work in accordance with the mandated hierarchy of controls. A PCBU must monitor and, where required, review these risk control measures, especially when workplace specific conditions change. The SWMS must document the risk control measures to be implemented for any identified HRCW, and is required to be prepared before the work starts. All workers undertaking the work must be trained on the safe work method statement including any control measures to be implemented.
A generic safe work method statement or safe work method statement template can be completed first for a work activity to provide a compliant format of the SWMS. The safe work method statement template can then be refined and made site specific in consultation with relevant workers, contractors and health and safety representatives (HSRs) about the tasks, the HRCW involved and the associated hazards, risks and controls.
What Should be Taken into Account when Preparing a Safe Work Method Statement?
When preparing a Safe Work Method Statement the following must be taken into account:
- The circumstance at the workplace that may affect the way in which the work is carried out
- The WHS management plan prepared by the principal contractor
- Identifying the work that is high risk construction work
- Specifying hazards relating to the high risk construction work and risks to health and safety associated with those hazards
- Describe the control measures to be implemented to reduce the risks to as low as reasonably practicable
- Describe how the control measures are to be implemented, monitored and reviewed.
What Additional Information Should the Safe Work Method Statement also Include?
A Safe Work Method Statement should also include the following information:
- the PCBU’s name, address and ABN
- details of the person(s) responsible for ensuring implementation, monitoring and compliance with the SWMS
- if the work is being carried out at a construction site:
- the name of the principal contractor
- the address where the high risk construction work will be carried out
- the date the SWMS was prepared and the date it was provided to the principal contractor
- the review date (if any).
- the names of workers that have been consulted on the content of the SWMS
- the date the consultation occurred
- the signature of each worker acknowledging their participation in this consultation and the opportunity to discuss the proposed measures.
The content of a SWMS should provide clear direction on the control measures to be implemented.No SWMS should require a decision to be made by supervisors or workers.
Safe Work Method Statement Templates
We developed compliant safe work method statement templates for numerous high risk construction work activities and trades ready to be customised for any business and any construction work site as well as other work sites. Below is a list of available safe work method statement templates that are generally priced from $45 – $80 + GST.
Let us know the number of SWMS templates you need and we can work out a package price for you. Our service does not end at just selling you the template, rather we help you customise your SWMS template for your site or work activity where needed.
The list of our SWMS includes:
- Asbestos Removal (Non-Friable)
- Asbestos Removal (Non-Friable) <10sqm
- Air Compressor – Portable
- Auger Operation (motorized & hand-held)
- Backhoe – Loader
- Bathroom Renovation
- Battery Charging
- Cement Mixer
- Cement Render – General Application
- Chainsaw Operation
- Chemical Loading on Vehicle
- Cherry Picker – Elevated Work Platform (EWP)
- Circular Saw (Handheld)
- Cleaning Stainless Steel Weld
- Computer Ergonomics
- Concrete Preparation-General
- Concrete Pumping
- Concrete Sawing
- Confined Spaces – Working in
- Core Drilling
- Cornice Fixing
- Cut-off Metal Saw
- Demolition-General
- Docking Saw
- Drill Press
- Dust Extractor
- Dust Suppression
- Electricity (Working Around)
- Excavation & Trenching
- Excavation (Vacuum)
- Excavator (Large)
- Fencing, Paving & Landscaping
- Flooring – Carpet Laying
- Flooring – Vinyl Laying
- Forklift (Petrol/Diesel)
- Forklift Truck (LPG)
- Formwork
- Four Wheel Bike (All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV))
- Fuel Storage, Handling & Decanting
- Glass Handling
- Glazing
- Grader Operation
- Grinding Freehand
- Gutter Cleaning
- Internal Cleaning
- Internal Lining
- Kitchen Renovation
- Masonary Work & Brick Cleaning
- Painting
- Plumbing
- Roofing
- Sanding Timber Flooring
- Strip out
- Tiling & Waterproofing
- Working at Heights
- Hiab Truck Loader Crane
- Jack Hammer
- Jigsaw
- Knives
- Ladders Safe Use
- Landscape Fire Control
- Lawn Edger-Handheld (Petrol)
- Lawnmower (General Operation)
- Plant & Equipment Lock Out
- LPG (Safely Working Around)
- Manual Handling – Lifting
- Mini Excavators
- Mini Loaders
- Nail Gun (Pneumatic)
- Overhead Crane
- Pedestal Drill
- Pipe Laying (Coiled Pipe)
- Plasterboard Fixing
- Plasterboard Setting
- Polyethylene Pipe Butt Welding
- Post Hole Digger (Knocker)
- Electric Power Tools (General Operation)
- Pressure Cleaner
- Fill & Compaction
- Four Wheel Driving (Remote Area)
- Replacing Tyres & Rims
- Ride on Drum Roller
- Rigging (Basic)
- Rip Saw
- Rock Wheel Excavator
- Roofs (Construction and Repair)
- Router
- Rubbish Removal
- Safety Harness
- Sand Blasting
- Scaffolding
- Scissor Lift
- Spray painting (Outdoors)
- Staple gun (Pneumatic)
- Steel Construction
- Tiling (Wall & Floor)
- Tilt Tray Truck Loading
- Tip Trucks
- Tractor Slashing
- Tree Felling
- Tree Removal
- Trenching
- Trestles
- Truck Loading & Unloading
- Underground Cable Locating
- Wacker Packer
- Waterproofing Wet Areas
- Weed Control – Spraying Herbicides
- Welding – Electrical Metal Arc
- Welding – MIG
- Welding & Cutting (Gas)
- Welding – TIG
- Wide Belt Sander
- Winch Safety
- Wood Chipper
