Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS)

A SWMS is a document that sets out the HRCW to be carried out at a workplace, the hazards and risks arising from these activities, and the measures to be put in place to control the risks. A SWMS must be prepared before HRCW begins.

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations) requires duty holders (employers and self-employed persons) to prepare a SWMS before starting HRCW.

High-risk construction work

HRCW involves construction work:

• where there is a risk of a person falling more than 2 m
• on or next to roadways or railways used by road or rail traffic
• in, over or next to water or liquids where there is a risk of drowning
• at workplaces where there is any movement of powered mobile plant
• where there are structural alterations that require temporary support to prevent collapse
• in an area where there are artificial extremes of temperature
• on or near energised electrical installations or services
• involving a trench or shaft if the excavation depth is more than 1.5 m
• on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping
• involving demolition
• involving a confined space
• on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines
• involving tilt-up or precast concrete
• on telecommunications towers
• involving diving
• involving removal or likely disturbance of asbestos
• in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere
• involving the use of explosives
• involving a tunnel.

If you are performing HRCW, and there is a risk to the health or safety of any person arising from that work, you must ensure a SWMS has been prepared prior to commencing the work. HRCW must be performed in accordance with the SWMS.

For example, the installation of sewer pipes into a 4-metre-deep trench that is next to a freeway and under overhead power lines would be HRCW, because:

• a person falling more than 2 metres into the trench.
• a trench or shaft if the excavated depth is more than 1.5 metres
• work on or near energised electrical installations or services, for example, overhead power lines
• work on or next to roadways, freeways or railways used by road or rail traffic
• movement of powered mobile plant, for example, excavators.

A safe work method statement is not the same as a risk assessment or job safety analysis.

A SWMS is required under legislation to perform HRCW. Risk assessments and job safety analysis (JSA) are not required under legislation but can be useful tools in identifying hazards and assessing risks, including for non-HRCW.

Preparing safe work method statements

Persons most familiar with the HRCW to be performed, should be involved with developing the SWMS, including affected employees and their health and safety representatives (HSRs).

If the principal contractor is not an employer, they should have in place a system of work to ensure subcontractors have a SWMS in place.

Steps for preparing a SWMS:

1. Bring together the relevant employees, their HSRs and supervisors at the location of the proposed HRCW, if possible.
2. Review the proposed works and consider any site-specific factors that could impact the works.
3. Ensure all proposed HRCW activities are identified, and hazards and risks are listed.
4. Select the risk control measures and describe them alongside each of the hazards and risks that are listed.
5. Assess, review and if necessary update the SWMS. Hand-written amendments can be made on site.

Safe work method statement duties

Duty holders must ensure that HRCW is performed in accordance with the SWMS.

If the SWMS is not complied with, the HRCW must stop immediately, or as soon as it is safe to do so. HRCW cannot resume until it complies with the SWMS, or the SWMS is reviewed and, if necessary, revised.

The duty holder, in consultation with the affected employees and their HSR, must review and if necessary revise the SWMS whenever:

• the HRCW changes, or
• there is an indication that risks are not adequately controlled, for example after any incident involving HRCW.

The duty holder must retain a copy of the SWMS for the duration of the HRCW.

A principal contractor has overall management and control of the work at a construction workplace. A principal contractor should ensure that no HRCW is completed without a SWMS in place.

Employees must:

• take reasonable care of their own health and safety.
• take reasonable care to ensure their actions or omissions do not impact the health and safety of others
• co-operate with their employer in relation to health and safety laws. For example, by ensuring their work is done in accordance with the SWMS.

The SWMS should be available at the location of the HRCW, where it can be readily referenced by those affected. Copies can be kept in electronic format.

Risk control measures for high-risk construction work

Duty holders must use the hierarchy of control to:

1. eliminate the risks, so far as is reasonably practicable
2. reduce the remaining risks so far as is reasonably practicable through:
   • substitution, example, reduce risks of crushing hazards by using mobile scaffold instead of elevated work platform
   • isolation, for example, install concrete barriers to isolate employees from vehicles
   • engineering controls, for example, bench, batter or shore the sides of excavations
   • or combining any of the above risk controls
3. If the risk still remains, apply administrative controls, for example, install warning signs
4. If the risk still remains, provide personal protective equipment.

Implementing these controls does not reduce the requirement to implement specific controls mandated by law, for example, controls specified in the OHS Regulations 2017.

Example of risk control

A contractor is restoring a building facade. There is a risk of people falling more than 2 m (HRCW) while doing this work, so a SWMS is required.

The contractor consults with employees when developing the SWMS.

They identify:

• some work that can be done from the ground using a paint scraper and roller poles, partially eliminating the risk of a fall
• where poles can’t be used — scaffolding will be used instead of ladders — further reducing the risk of a fall
• a risk remains where people could fall more than 2 m if the scaffold is misused. They reduce the risk further by using administrative controls such as training employees, posting warning signs and ensuring employees are supervised appropriately.