A safe work method statement — a SWMS, usually said "swims" — is the document Australian construction sites use to plan high-risk construction work. It sets out which high-risk work is involved, the hazards that work brings, how the risks will be controlled, and how the controls will be put in place and checked. This template follows that structure in the order you would write it: what the work is and which high-risk categories it falls under, the site and conditions checks, then the job broken into steps, each with its hazards, a risk level before and after controls, and the person responsible. A step still rated High or Extreme once the controls are in shows up at the top of the report. It records what you planned; it does not make a statement compliant on its own — that depends on the work, the controls and your state's regulator. You can fill it in here and download a finished PDF without creating an account.
When a SWMS is needed
Under the model Work Health and Safety Regulations, adopted in most states and territories, a SWMS is required before high-risk construction work starts. The regulations list the categories — falls of more than two metres, work near energised electrical services, trenches deeper than 1.5 metres, work near traffic or moving plant, disturbing asbestos, confined spaces, tilt-up and precast concrete, and others. The form lists them all; tick every one the work involves.
The person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU) doing the work prepares the SWMS, in consultation with the workers who will do it, and gives it to the principal contractor before work starts. Victoria has its own regulations with a similar list, so check the rules where you work.
Write the job, not a generic list
The most common fault in a SWMS is that it describes no particular job. A statement copied from the last site, with every hazard in the trade listed and "use PPE" as the control, protects nobody and tends to fail an audit. Break the work you are about to do into the steps you will actually follow — set up, the work itself, clean-up — and for each step write what could hurt someone and what you will do about it.
Rate each step twice: before controls and after. The rating after controls is what the crew live with. If it is still High or Extreme, change the method — that step is flagged in the report.
Site and conditions
Before the steps, the form asks about the things that change from day to day: a safe way onto the site, exclusion zones around traffic and plant, the forecast, the fire danger rating in bushfire season, whether everyone is fit for work, whether any structure entered has been confirmed sound, and lighting for work in the dark. Any of those answered No is a finding to sort out before work starts.
Sign on, follow it, review it
Every worker doing the high-risk work signs on to say the SWMS has been explained to them. Anyone who joins later signs before starting. The work must then be done the way the statement says; if it cannot be, stop, review the SWMS with the crew, record the change in the review log, and brief everyone again.
Keep the SWMS on site, where it can be read, for as long as the work runs. On the phone, speak while you walk, and the document writes itself: talk through each step at the work face and the step entries fill in.
Common questions
What is a SWMS?
A safe work method statement: a document that sets out the high-risk construction activities to be carried out at a workplace, the hazards they bring, and the measures that will control the risks. In Australia it is required before high-risk construction work starts.
Who is responsible for preparing a SWMS?
The business carrying out the high-risk construction work — usually the employer or subcontractor — in consultation with the workers involved. The principal contractor must obtain it before the work starts and should check it describes the job.
Is a SWMS the same as a JSA or a risk assessment?
They overlap. A job safety analysis breaks a task into steps, and a risk assessment rates hazards, but a SWMS is the Australian document tied to the high-risk construction work categories in the WHS Regulations. Many sites accept one document that does all three, as long as it covers what a SWMS must.
Does this template make my SWMS compliant?
No form can do that by itself. This template covers the content a SWMS is expected to contain; whether yours meets the requirements depends on how well it describes the actual work and controls, and on the rules in your state or territory.
When does a SWMS need to be reviewed?
Whenever the work is not being done as the statement says, when the controls are not working, when the method, plant or site changes, and after an incident. Record each review and re-brief the crew.