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How to come up with a Safe Work Method Statement.
An SWMS is a document that sets out the High threat construction work (HRCW) activities to be carried out at a work environment, the risks emerging from these activities and the measures to be put in place to control the risks to health and safety.
Tuesday, 24th May 2022.
Its main function is to assist workers and supervisors to implement and monitor the control measures developed to make certain the work is performed securely.

What is 'high threat construction work' (HRCW)?
High threat construction work is specified in WHS policies as construction work that:.

includes a threat of an individual falling more than 2 metres (3 metres in South Australia); or.
includes demolition of a component of a structure that is load-bearing or otherwise related to the physical integrity of the structure; or.
involves, or is likely to involve, the disturbance of asbestos; or.
involves structural changes or repairs that require short-lived support to prevent collapse; or.
is performed in an area at a work environment in which there is any motion of powered mobile plant; or.
is carried out in or near a confined space; or.
is carried out in or near:.
a shaft or trench with an excavated depth greater than 1 5 metres; or.
a tunnel; or.
includes making use of explosives; or.
is performed on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping; or.
is performed on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines; or.
is performed on or near energised electrical setups or services; or.
is carried out in a location that might have an infected or flammable atmosphere; or.
includes tilt-up or precast concrete; or.
is performed on, in or adjacent to a roadway, train, delivering lane or other traffic passage that is in use by traffic other than pedestrians; or.
is carried out on a telecommunication tower; or.
is performed in an area at an office in which there is any motion of powered mobile plant; or.
is carried out in a location in which there are artificial extremes of temperature level; or.
is performed in or near water or other liquid that includes a threat of drowning; or.
includes diving work.
Note: Victorian OHS regulations have some minor variations of the above meaning of HRCW.

How do I go about preparing a SWMS?
A common method to establishing a SWMS involves the following:.

Gather all relevant info about the work.
The very first task is to identify the types of HRCW that the work involves and how it is to be performed.

Discover the dangers.
Review the proposed work and information about each job to determine the dangers, i.e., the events or things that might cause damage to workers or other individuals. Details, such as codes of practice or assistance product, might be readily available in the site of your local work environment health and wellness regulator for specific construction jobs.

Seek advice from the appropriate workers.
In assessment with the workers that will undertake the HRCW, their managers and health and safety representatives (if any) examine the local health and wellness requirements, and the proposed work.

Consider the views of employees about the hazards, the potential threat control procedures and any site-specific matters that may affect the safety of the work. If there are other workers that could be impacted by the work they must likewise be consulted.

Keep in mind: There is a legal responsibility to speak with affected employees and their health and safety agents when determining risks or selecting procedures to control danger, and to take their views into account.

Select the most suitable control steps to get rid of or decrease dangers.

To select the most appropriate control procedures you require to use the 'hierarchy of control' as detailed in steps 1 to 5 below. HIA's information sheet The Hierarchy of Control explains how the hierarchy of control applies to the requirements for managing office threats and threats.

First, you should seek to eliminate dangers up until now as is reasonably practicable (e.g., doing as much work as possible on the ground rather than at height).
If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate threats, you need to carry out any specific control procedures that are compulsory by law in your State or Territory.
Some workplace health and safety laws prescribe particular control procedures that must be made an application for managing threats to health and safety occurring from particular hazards or activities. Examples include, but are not restricted to, work involving asbestos, work at height, operate in restricted areas. Specific requirements remain in the workplace health and wellness laws available in the site of your regional workplace health and wellness regulator.

After implementing step 2, if a danger stays, the threat must be minimised up until now as is reasonably practicable by implementing one, or a combination of the following:.
Replacing a process or compound with one that is less dangerous. Damp sweeping rather of dry sweeping of hazardous dusts such as crystalline silica.
Separating employees and other individuals from the threat. For example by installing barriers between employees and mobile plant.
Using engineering controls. For instance, using an elevated work platform or a scaffold to lower the risk of falling from height.
If after carrying out the above control determines a risk to health or safety still stays, lower that risk, up until now as is reasonably practicable, by Utilising administrative controls. This includes, safety training, work guidelines, warning indications and guidance. For instance, if a scaffold utilised to minimise dangers you might need to include scaffold tags showing acceptable optimum loads, signs for incomplete scaffolds. You may also require to describe the training required for those setting up the scaffold and the supervision of scaffold users.
If a risk to health or security still remains after executing the above, lower that danger, so far as is fairly practicable by offering personal protective devices (PPE). This consists of using protective clothes such as safety glasses, hard hats, gloves, respiratory defense, or a mix of appropriate PPE.
A combination of control procedures will require to be applied to reduce dangers as far as is fairly practicable.

Writing the SWMS - What information must be consisted of?
A SWMS should:.

recognise the work that is high threat construction work.
define the hazards connecting to the high danger construction work and the risks to health and wellness.
describe the procedures to be implemented to manage the threats, and.
explain how the control measures are to be carried out, kept an eye on and reviewed.
For an example of how to do this see: How to complete a SWMS when Utilising silica.

The control measures need to be set out and revealed in a manner that is easily available and understandable to the individuals who will use the SWMS. Explain in clear terms how dangers to health and wellness are to be managed to enable the work to be done safely, and how the control steps are to be executed.

You can use any form or template to draft up the SWMS, including paper and electronic formats, offered the above information is included and is readily available.

Can I utilise a generic SWMS?
A generic SWMS can be used after it has actually been examined and revised as essential to make sure that it covers all the risks and risks that are present on the website where the work is to be carried out. A generic SWMS requires to be reviewed/revised prior to starting the work and prior to beginning a brand-new activity or a change in work location or circumstances.

To learn more about SWMS and your responsibilities go to the website of your regional office health and wellness authority and look for safe work approach statements.
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