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How to draft a Safe Work Method Statement.
A Safe Work Method Statement is a file that sets out the High risk construction work (HRCW) activities to be carried out at a workplace, the threats arising from these activities and the measures to be put in place to manage the risks to health and wellness.
Tuesday, 24th May 2022.
Its primary purpose is to help employees and supervisors to execute and monitor the control measures established to make sure the work is carried out safely.

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

involves a danger of a person falling more than 2 metres (3 metres in South Australia); or.
involves 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 include, the disruption of asbestos; or.
involves structural modifications or repair work that need temporary assistance to prevent collapse; or.
is performed in a location at an office in which there is any movement 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.
involves using explosives; or.
is performed on or near pressurised gas circulation mains or piping; or.
is carried out 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 a polluted or combustible environment; or.
includes tilt-up or precast concrete; or.
is performed on, in or adjacent to a roadway, railway, delivering lane or other traffic corridor that remains in usage by traffic besides pedestrians; or.
is performed on a telecommunication tower; or.
is performed in an area at a work environment in which there is any movement of powered mobile plant; or.
is carried out in an area in which there are synthetic extremes of temperature level; or.
is performed in or near water or other liquid that includes a risk of drowning; or.
includes diving work.
Keep In Mind: Victorian OHS guidelines have some minor variations of the above meaning of HRCW.

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

Collect all relevant details about the work.
The very first job is to identify the types of HRCW that the work includes and how it is to be carried out.

Find out the hazards.
Review the proposed work and details about each task to figure out the dangers, i.e., the events or things that may trigger damage to workers or other individuals. Info, such as codes of practice or guidance product, may be offered in the site of your regional work environment health and wellness regulator for particular construction tasks.

Consult with the appropriate workers.
In consultation with the workers that will carry out the HRCW, their supervisors and health and safety agents (if any) evaluate the local health and safety requirements, and the proposed work.

Consider the views of workers about the hazards, the potential threat control measures and any site-specific matters that may impact the safety of the work. If there are other workers that could be impacted by the work they need to also be sought advice from.

Note: There is a legal obligation to consult affected employees and their health and safety representatives when identifying dangers or picking steps to control threat, and to take their views into account.

Select the most proper control procedures to get rid of or decrease dangers.

To select the most suitable control measures you need to use the 'hierarchy of control' as detailed in steps 1 to 5 below. HIA's information sheet The Hierarchy of Control describes how the hierarchy of control applies to the requirements for managing office threats and risks.

Initially, you must look for to remove dangers so far as is reasonably practicable (e.g., doing as much work as possible on the ground rather than at height).
If it is not fairly practicable to get rid of threats, you should execute any particular control measures that are compulsory by law in your State or Area.
Some work environment health and wellness laws recommend particular control steps that need to be requested handling dangers to health and safety occurring from specific risks or activities. Examples consist of, but are not restricted to, work including asbestos, work at height, work in restricted areas. Specific requirements remain in the workplace health and safety laws readily available in the site of your local office health and safety regulator.

After implementing step 2, if a risk stays, the risk needs to be minimised up until now as is fairly practicable by implementing one, or a combination of the following:.
Replacing a procedure or compound with one that is less hazardous. Wet sweeping instead of dry sweeping of harmful dusts such as crystalline silica.
Isolating employees and other individuals from the danger. For example by setting up barriers in between workers and mobile plant.
Using engineering controls. Utilising an elevated work platform or a scaffold to reduce the risk of falling from height.
If after implementing the above control determines a risk to health or safety still stays, reduce that threat, so far as is fairly practicable, by Utilising administrative controls. This includes, safety training, work instructions, alerting signs and supervision.
If a risk to health or safety still stays after carrying out the above, decrease that danger, up until now as is reasonably practicable by supplying individual protective devices (PPE). This includes using protective clothes such as safety glasses, construction hats, gloves, breathing security, or a mix of proper PPE.
Most of the times, a mix of control steps will need to be applied to reduce dangers as far as is fairly practicable.

Writing the SWMS - What info must be included?
A SWMS should:.

determine the work that is high risk construction work.
define the threats connecting to the high threat construction work and the dangers to health and safety.
describe the steps to be carried out to control the dangers, and.
describe how the control procedures are to be carried out, kept track of and examined.
For an example of how to do this see: How to complete a SWMS when Utilising silica.

The control measures must be set out and revealed in such a way that is easily accessible and understandable to the persons who will utilise the SWMS. Explain in clear terms how dangers to health and safety are to be managed to make it possible for the work to be done securely, and how the control measures are to be executed.

You can use any form or template to write up the SWMS, consisting of paper and electronic formats, offered the above details is consisted of and is easily available.

Can I use a generic SWMS?
A generic SWMS can be used after it has been evaluated and modified as necessary to ensure that it covers all the risks and risks that exist on the website where the work is to be performed. A generic SWMS requires to be reviewed/revised prior to beginning the work and prior to starting a new activity or a modification in work area or circumstances.

For more information about SWMS and your obligations go to the website of your local workplace health and safety authority and look for safe work method statements.
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Website: https://occupational-safety.com.au/collections/swms