Notes

How to make an SWMS.
An SWMS is a document that sets out the High threat construction work (HRCW) activities to be performed at a work environment, the threats emerging from these activities and the procedures to be put in place to control the dangers to health and safety.
Tuesday, 24th May 2022.
Its main purpose is to help employees and supervisors to carry out and monitor the control determines developed to make sure the work is carried out safely.

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

involves a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres (3 metres in South Australia); or.
involves demolition of an aspect of a structure that is load-bearing or otherwise related to the physical stability of the structure; or.
involves, or is most likely to involve, the disruption of asbestos; or.
includes structural alterations or repair work that need momentary assistance to prevent collapse; or.
is performed in a location at a work environment in which there is any motion of powered mobile plant; or.
is performed 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 making use of dynamites; or.
is carried out on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping; or.
is performed 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 may have a polluted or flammable environment; or.
includes tilt-up or precast concrete; or.
is performed on, in or adjacent to a roadway, train, shipping lane or other traffic corridor that remains in usage by traffic aside from pedestrians; or.
is carried out on a telecommunication tower; or.
is carried out in a location at a work environment in which there is any movement of powered mobile plant; or.
is performed in a location in which there are synthetic extremes of temperature; or.
is carried out in or near water or other liquid that includes a threat of drowning; or.
involves diving work.
Keep In Mind: Victorian OHS regulations have some slight variations of the above meaning of HRCW.

How do I tackle preparing a SWMS?
A normal approach to developing a SWMS involves the following:.

Collect all pertinent info about the work.
The very first task is to identify the kinds of HRCW that the work involves and how it is to be carried out.

Discover the risks.
Review the proposed work and info about each job to determine the hazards, i.e., the occasions or things that may trigger harm to workers or other people. Information, such as codes of practice or assistance product, might be offered in the website of your regional work environment health and wellness regulator for particular construction jobs.

Consult with the relevant workers.
In consultation with the workers that will carry out the HRCW, their managers and health and wellness representatives (if any) examine the local health and wellness requirements, and the proposed work.

Think about the views of employees about the risks, the possible 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 should also be spoken with.

Note: There is a legal obligation to seek advice from affected workers and their health and safety representatives when determining threats or choosing steps to control threat, and to take their views into account.

Select the most proper control measures to eliminate or decrease dangers.

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

You need to seek to eliminate dangers so far as is fairly 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 should carry out any particular control steps that are necessary by law in your State or Area.
Some workplace health and wellness laws prescribe specific control measures that should be looked for handling risks to health and wellness emerging from specific risks or activities. Examples consist of, but are not restricted to, work including asbestos, work at height, work in restricted spaces. Particular requirements remain in the work environment health and wellness laws available in the site of your local office health and wellness regulator.

After implementing action 2, if a risk remains, the risk should be decreased up until now as is reasonably practicable by carrying out one, or a mix of the following:.
Substituting a process or substance with one that is less hazardous. For instance, damp sweeping instead of dry sweeping of harmful dusts such as crystalline silica.
Separating employees and other individuals from the threat. By installing barriers between employees and mobile plant.
Using engineering controls. Utilising an elevated work platform or a scaffold to decrease the danger of falling from height.
If after carrying out the above control measures a danger to health or safety still remains, minimise that danger, so far as is reasonably practicable, by Utilising administrative controls. This includes, security training, work instructions, alerting indications and supervision.
If a risk to health or security still remains after implementing the above, lower that danger, up until now as is reasonably practicable by offering personal protective devices (PPE). This includes Utilising protective clothing such as safety glasses, hard hats, gloves, respiratory protection, or a combination of suitable PPE.
A combination of control procedures will need to be used to reduce threats as far as is fairly practicable.

Writing the SWMS - What information must be included?
A SWMS needs to:.

identify the work that is high threat construction work.
specify the hazards connecting to the high threat construction work and the dangers to health and wellness.
describe the steps to be implemented to manage the risks, and.
describe how the control procedures are to be implemented, kept track of and reviewed.
For an example of how to do this see: How to complete a SWMS when Utilising silica.

The control procedures should be set out and revealed in a manner that is easily accessible and understandable to the individuals who will use the SWMS. Explain in clear terms how threats to health and wellness are to be controlled to allow the work to be done securely, and how the control measures are to be carried out.

You can use any kind or template to write the SWMS, consisting of paper and electronic formats, supplied the above information is consisted of and is easily available.

Can I use a generic SWMS?
A generic SWMS can be used after it has actually been evaluated and modified as needed to make certain that it covers all the threats and risks that are present on the site where the work is to be carried out. A generic SWMS requires to be reviewed/revised prior to beginning the work and prior to commencing a new activity or a change in work place or circumstances.

To learn more about SWMS and your responsibilities go to the site of your regional office health and wellness authority and look for safe work method declarations.
go to this site

Website: https://occupational-safety.com.au/collections/swms