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How to prepare a Safe Work Method Statement.
A Safe Work Method Statement is a file that sets out the High danger construction work (HRCW) activities to be carried out at an office, the risks arising from these activities and the procedures to be put in place to control the dangers to health and wellness.
Tuesday, 24th May 2022.
Its main purpose is to help employees and supervisors to execute and monitor the control measures developed to ensure the work is carried out safely.

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

involves a risk 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.
includes, or is most likely to involve, the disruption of asbestos; or.
involves structural modifications or repair work that need momentary support 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 carried out in or near a restricted 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 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 an area that may have an infected or flammable environment; or.
includes tilt-up or precast concrete; or.
is carried out on, in or adjacent to a road, train, shipping lane or other traffic corridor that is in usage by traffic besides pedestrians; or.
is carried out on a telecommunication tower; or.
is performed in a location at a workplace 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 performed in or near water or other liquid that includes a threat of drowning; or.
includes diving work.
Keep In Mind: Victorian OHS guidelines have some slight variations of the above definition of HRCW.

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

Gather all appropriate details 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 risks.
Evaluation the proposed work and info about each task to determine the hazards, i.e., the events or things that might trigger harm to employees or other people. Details, such as codes of practice or assistance material, might be offered in the site of your regional workplace health and wellness regulator for specific construction tasks.

Talk to the pertinent employees.
In assessment with the employees that will undertake the HRCW, their managers and health and safety agents (if any) examine the regional health and wellness requirements, and the proposed work.

Consider the views of workers about the hazards, the prospective danger control procedures and any site-specific matters that might impact the safety of the work. If there are other workers that could be impacted by the work they need to likewise be sought advice from.

Note: There is a legal obligation to consult affected employees and their health and safety agents when recognising risks or choosing procedures to control danger, and to take their views into account.

Select the most appropriate control procedures to remove or lower risks.

To choose the most appropriate control procedures you require to use the 'hierarchy of control' as detailed in steps 1 to 5 listed below. HIA's info sheet The Hierarchy of Control discusses how the hierarchy of control applies to the requirements for managing workplace threats and threats.

You should seek to eliminate risks 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 reasonably practicable to remove risks, you should implement any specific control measures that are necessary by law in your State or Territory.
Some workplace health and safety laws recommend specific control procedures that should be gotten handling dangers to health and wellness occurring from specific dangers or activities. Examples consist of, however are not limited to, work including asbestos, work at height, work in restricted areas. Specific requirements remain in the office health and wellness laws available in the website of your regional workplace health and wellness regulator.

After carrying out step 2, if a danger remains, the danger must be lowered up until now as is reasonably practicable by implementing one, or a mix of the following:.
Replacing a process or substance with one that is less harmful. Wet sweeping instead of dry sweeping of harmful dusts such as crystalline silica.
Separating employees and other individuals from the threat. For example by installing barriers in between workers and mobile plant.
Utilising engineering controls. For example, Utilising a raised work platform or a scaffold to decrease the threat of falling from height.
If after carrying out the above control measures a danger to health or safety still stays, minimise that risk, so far as is reasonably practicable, by Utilising administrative controls. This consists of, safety training, work directions, cautioning indications and supervision. For instance, if a scaffold used to reduce threats you may require to include scaffold tags revealing appropriate optimum loads, signs for insufficient scaffolds. You might likewise need to explain the training required for those erecting the scaffold and the guidance of scaffold users.
If a danger to health or security still stays after implementing the above, minimise that risk, so far as is reasonably practicable by offering personal protective equipment (PPE). This consists of Utilising protective clothing such as shatterproof glass, construction hats, gloves, respiratory protection, or a combination of appropriate PPE.
Most of the times, a mix of control procedures will require to be applied to minimise dangers as far as is fairly practicable.

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

determine the work that is high risk construction work.
specify the threats relating to the high threat construction work and the threats to health and safety.
explain the measures to be implemented to control the risks, and.
explain how the control measures are to be executed, kept track of and reviewed.
For an example of how to do this see: How to complete a SWMS when using silica.

The control procedures must be set out and expressed in a way that is easily available and comprehensible to the persons who will use the SWMS. Explain in clear terms how threats to health and safety are to be managed to make it possible for the work to be done securely, and how the control procedures are to be executed.

You can use any kind or template to draft up the SWMS, consisting of paper and electronic formats, supplied the above details is included and is easily available.

Can I use a generic SWMS?
A generic SWMS can be used after it has been examined and revised as essential to ensure that it covers all the hazards and risks that exist on the site where the work is to be performed. A generic SWMS needs to be reviewed/revised prior to commencing the work and prior to commencing a brand-new activity or a change in work place or scenarios.

For more details about SWMS and your responsibilities go to the website of your regional work environment health and safety authority and look for safe work technique declarations.
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Read More: https://occupational-safety.com.au/collections/swms