• SWMS by trade — Australia
SWMS templates for high-risk construction work
A Safe Work Method Statement is legally required before high-risk construction work starts. These pages are for the trades and HRCW categories we get asked about — each with a unique example, not a noun swapped in a template. Generate the live document from the SWMS template; don’t photocopy the sample.
What this hub is
High-risk construction work (Schedule 3 / model WHS regulation 291) needs a SWMS — fall greater than 2 m, energised electrical, demolition of a load-bearing element, asbestos, confined space, trench deeper than 1.5 m, and the rest of the list. Victoria covers the same idea under the OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017.
Each page below is a real landing, with a unique filled example. Use the SWMS template to generate yours. Work that is not HRCW lives on the JSA hub.
SWMS by trade and HRCW category
Working at heights SWMS
First-floor eaves, ladders and platforms with a fall over 2 m — Schedule 3, not a JSA.
Roofing SWMS template
Metal sheeting, fragile roofs and exclusion zones — commercial and residential pitches.
Scaffolding SWMS template
Erect, alter and dismantle — falls and falling objects, not just the handover tag.
Electrical SWMS template
Work on or near energised installations. Isolated extra-low-risk fit-off belongs on a JSA.
Solar installation SWMS
Rooftop PV is usually fall > 2 m plus electrical. Domestic roofs are not exempt.
Demolition SWMS template
Load-bearing strip-out. Check asbestos before the first bar hits the wall.
Excavation SWMS template
Trenches and shafts deeper than 1.5 m — collapse and buried services.
Asbestos SWMS template
Planned licensed removal, or an unexpected find that stops the job.
Confined space SWMS
Tanks and pits. Permit, atmosphere, standby — not a maintenance JSA.
Plumbing SWMS template
Rooftop HWS, gas and live services. A ground-floor tap change is a different document.
Frequently asked questions
What is a SWMS template by trade?
A trade SWMS template is a starting point for a Safe Work Method Statement aimed at that work — roofing, electrical, scaffolding, and so on. The live document still has to be site-specific and written with the crew. High-risk construction work needs a SWMS before work starts.
Is a trade SWMS free to generate?
The trial lets you generate and download a PDF with no credit card. These pages are examples and explainers, not Word files you print and sign for a different site.
When is a JSA enough instead?
When the task is not high-risk construction work. Ground-floor painting, joinery and isolated extra-low-risk electrical fit-off are on the JSA hub. A JSA is not a legal substitute on HRCW.
Are these SWMS valid in NSW, VIC, QLD and WA?
The generator cites WHS legislation in NSW, QLD and WA (and the other model-WHS jurisdictions). Victoria uses the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017. Pick the state when you generate.
Write the SWMS for the job in front of you
Pick the trade, the state and the site. Free trial, no credit card.
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