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How to come up with a Safe Work Method Statement.
An SWMS is a file that sets out the High danger construction work (HRCW) activities to be carried out at an office, the dangers developing from these activities and the measures to be put in place to manage the threats to health and wellness.
Tuesday, 24th May 2022.
Its main purpose is to assist employees and supervisors to carry out and keep an eye on the control determines established to ensure the work is performed safely.

What is 'high risk construction work' (HRCW)?
High threat construction work is defined in WHS regulations as construction work that:.

includes a threat of a person falling more than 2 metres (3 metres in South Australia); or.
includes demolition of an element of a structure that is load-bearing or otherwise related to the physical integrity of the structure; or.
includes, or is likely to involve, the disruption of asbestos; or.
involves structural modifications or repair work that need temporary support to prevent collapse; or.
is carried out in an area at an office in which there is any movement of powered mobile plant; or.
is carried out in or near a confined area; or.
is carried out in or near:.
a shaft or trench with an excavated depth greater than 1 5 metres; or.
a tunnel; or.
involves making use of explosives; or.
is carried out on or near pressurised gas circulation mains or piping; or.
is carried out on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines; or.
is carried out on or near energised electrical setups or services; or.
is carried out in a location that might have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere; or.
involves tilt-up or precast concrete; or.
is performed on, in or adjacent to a roadway, train, delivering lane or other traffic corridor that is in use by traffic other than pedestrians; or.
is performed on a telecommunication tower; or.
is carried out in a location at a work environment in which there is any motion of powered mobile plant; or.
is carried out in an area in which there are artificial extremes of temperature level; or.
is performed in or near water or other liquid that includes a danger of drowning; or.
involves diving work.
Keep In Mind: Victorian OHS regulations have some slight variations of the above definition of HRCW.

How do I set about preparing a SWMS?
A typical technique to establishing a SWMS involves the following:.

Collect all relevant info about the work.
The very first job is to identify the kinds of HRCW that the work includes and how it is to be performed.

Find out the hazards.
Review the proposed work and information about each job to determine the dangers, i.e., the occasions or things that might cause harm to employees or other individuals. Information, such as codes of practice or guidance material, may be offered in the website of your local workplace health and wellness regulator for particular construction tasks.

Talk to the pertinent employees.
In assessment with the workers that will undertake the HRCW, their managers and health and wellness representatives (if any) evaluate the local health and wellness requirements, and the proposed work.

Think about the views of workers about the hazards, the prospective danger control steps and any site-specific matters that may affect the safety of the work. If there are other employees that could be impacted by the work they should likewise be sought advice from.

Keep in mind: There is a legal commitment to seek advice from affected employees and their health and safety representatives when recognising hazards or picking procedures to control threat, and to take their views into account.

Select the most appropriate control measures to eliminate or lower threats.

To choose the most proper control procedures you need to use the 'hierarchy of control' as detailed in steps 1 to 5 below. HIA's details sheet The Hierarchy of Control explains how the hierarchy of control applies to the requirements for managing workplace hazards and dangers.

First, you need to look for to get rid of risks up until now as is reasonably practicable (e.g., doing as much work as possible on the ground instead of at height).
If it is not fairly practicable to eliminate risks, you should implement any particular control steps that are mandatory by law in your State or Territory.
Some work environment health and wellness laws recommend particular control steps that should be looked for managing dangers to health and safety arising from specific dangers or activities. Examples consist of, but are not limited to, work involving asbestos, work at height, operate in restricted areas. Particular requirements remain in the workplace health and wellness laws offered in the website of your regional workplace health and wellness regulator.

After carrying out action 2, if a threat stays, the danger should be lowered so far as is fairly practicable by executing one, or a combination of the following:.
Replacing a process or compound with one that is less dangerous. For example, damp sweeping instead of dry sweeping of dangerous dusts such as crystalline silica.
Separating workers and other persons from the danger. For example by installing barriers in between employees and mobile plant.
Utilising engineering controls. For instance, Utilising a raised work platform or a scaffold to minimise the risk of falling from height.
If after carrying out the above control measures a threat to health or security still remains, reduce that danger, up until now as is reasonably practicable, by Utilising administrative controls. This includes, security training, work guidelines, alerting signs and supervision. If a scaffold utilised to decrease threats you might need to include scaffold tags showing appropriate maximum loads, indications for insufficient scaffolds. You may likewise need to explain the training required for those putting up the scaffold and the supervision of scaffold users.
If a threat to health or security still stays after carrying out the above, decrease that threat, so far as is fairly practicable by supplying personal protective equipment (PPE). This includes using protective clothing such as safety glasses, construction hats, gloves, respiratory security, or a mix of proper PPE.
A mix of control measures will require to be applied to reduce dangers as far as is fairly practicable.

Penning up the SWMS - What details must be included?
A SWMS should:.

identify the work that is high danger construction work.
define the dangers associating with the high risk construction work and the threats to health and wellness.
describe the measures to be executed to manage the risks, and.
describe how the control measures are to be executed, kept track of and examined.
For an example of how to do this see: How to complete a SWMS when Utilising silica.

The control procedures need to be set out and revealed in a way that is readily available and understandable to the persons who will utilise the SWMS. Explain in clear terms how risks to health and wellness are to be controlled to make it possible for the work to be done safely, and how the control measures are to be carried out.

You can use any kind or design template to write the SWMS, including paper and electronic formats, provided the above details is included and is readily accessible.

Can I use a generic SWMS?
A generic SWMS can be used after it has actually been evaluated and modified as required to make certain that it covers all the hazards and dangers that are present on the site where the work is to be performed. A generic SWMS requires to be reviewed/revised prior to starting the work and prior to commencing a brand-new activity or a change in work place or situations.

To learn more about SWMS and your obligations go to the website of your regional work environment health and wellness authority and look for safe work method statements.
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