Sswms.fromtheofficeStart free →

• SWMS template · rooftop PV

Solar installation SWMS template Australia

Rooftop solar is two HRCW problems stacked: a fall greater than 2 metres, and work on or near electrical systems (DC strings, AC isolators, sometimes a live board). A domestic tiled roof in Unley is not exempt because it is “just residential”.

Generate a solar SWMS →See live demo

Why rooftop solar is a SWMS job

HRCW: fall greater than 2 m, and often work on or near energised electrical installations (DC can be live as soon as modules see light). Tile roofs also behave like fragile surfaces if you step between battens.

This example is a residential tile roof in Unley, South Australia — not the Parramatta demo on the homepage, and not the Yatala warehouse on the roofing SWMS page. Rails, tile hooks and DC stringing are the sequence here.

Filled example: tiled roof PV, Unley SA

Twelve modules, tile hooks, rails, stringing to a garage-wall inverter. Occupied house, steep street, no scaffold until edge protection is decided on the day. Licensed electrician for AC.

Job / task
Install 12 rooftop PV modules, rails and garage-wall inverter
Site
Occupied tiled dwelling, Unley SA 5061
Document
SWMS · HRCW: fall > 2 m + electrical · example only
PPE
Hard hat, hi-vis, steel-caps, glasses, gloves, sun protection, harness with edge protection

Example layout. Residual risk on a live tile roof often stays High. DC is live in daylight — cover modules until stringing is ready. Energised AC at the board: electrical SWMS.

StepHazardsControls5×5 risk
1. Access the tile roof and install edge protection before rails go up
Responsible: Supervisor
  • Fall more than 2 m from the eave or through tiles between battens
  • Ladder not footed on a steep nature strip
  • Occupants in the backyard under the pitch
  • Guardrails or a rope system with a documented anchor before anyone works the pitch
  • Ladder tied, 1:4, second person foots; boards on the strip if the ground is soft
  • Backyard exclusion until rails are in; tell the owner
InitialL3×C5 = 15 High
ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High
2. Fit tile hooks and rails without breaking the weatherproofing
Responsible: Solar installer
  • Slip on dusty tiles
  • Broken tiles creating a step-through
  • Manual handling of rail packs on the pitch
  • Crawl boards / walk the batten lines; don’t step mid-tile
  • Spare tiles on the truck; stop if a tile goes and the hole is a fall risk
  • Two-person pass for rails; rest them on the hooks immediately
InitialL4×C5 = 20 Critical
ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High
3. Land modules and string DC (modules live in daylight)
Responsible: Solar installer
  • Module as a sail — fall or struck-by
  • DC shock / arc when connectors go on in sun
  • Fall while reaching the ridge for the last row
  • Two-person land; don’t lift modules in wind; rest on the rail immediately
  • Covers on modules until ready; MC4 with the right tool; no jewellery; licensed person for electrical work
  • Stay inside the edge protection; no overreaching the ridge
InitialL4×C5 = 20 Critical
ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High
4. Terminate DC at the inverter and AC isolator on the garage wall
Responsible: Licensed electrician
  • DC still live at the inverter
  • Work on or near the existing garage DB
  • Ladder work on the garage wall under 2 m vs still a roof job for the array
  • DC isolator off; prove; treat strings as live until tested
  • If the garage DB is energised, stop and write an electrical SWMS for that part — don’t improvise on a live board
  • Stable platform for wall work; roof crew stay off the pitch during AC testing
InitialL3×C5 = 15 High
ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a solar installation SWMS template?

Almost always. Rooftop PV has a fall greater than 2 m, and stringing / isolators add electrical risk. A SWMS is required before panels go up the ladder — a generic roofing SWMS that never mentions DC is the wrong document.

Can I get a free solar SWMS download?

Generate in the trial, download the PDF, no card. The Unley tiled-roof example is a layout. A tin roof in the tropics is a different job.

Is a JSA enough for rooftop solar?

No. Fall greater than 2 m is HRCW. A JSA is not a substitute. Ground-floor inverter work on an already-isolated extra-low-voltage job might be a JSA — the roof is not.

NSW, VIC, QLD, WA — does the solar SWMS change?

Citations follow the state: WHS Act/Regulation, or Victoria’s OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017. Electrical licensing and Clean Energy Council / network rules are extra — the SWMS does not replace them.

Generate a solar installation SWMS

Roof pitch, DC/AC and the state. Free trial, no credit card.

Start free trial →