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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 a work environment, the threats occurring from these activities and the steps to be put in place to control the risks to health and safety.
Tuesday, 24th May 2022.
Its primary function is to assist workers and managers to carry out and monitor the control measures established to make certain the work is performed securely.

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

involves a risk of an individual 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 involve, the disturbance of asbestos; or.
includes structural modifications or repairs that require short-term assistance 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 performed in or near a confined area; or.
is performed in or near:.
a shaft or trench with an excavated depth greater than 1 5 metres; or.
a tunnel; or.
involves the 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 performed on or near energised electrical installations or services; or.
is carried out in an area that might have a contaminated or combustible environment; or.
involves tilt-up or precast concrete; or.
is performed on, in or adjacent to a roadway, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor that is in use by traffic other than pedestrians; or.
is carried out on a telecommunication tower; or.
is performed in a location at a workplace in which there is any motion of powered mobile plant; or.
is performed in a location in which there are artificial extremes of temperature; or.
is carried out in or near water or other liquid that involves a risk 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 set about preparing a SWMS?
A typical technique to establishing a SWMS includes the following:.

Gather all pertinent info about the work.
The very first job is to figure out the kinds of HRCW that the work involves and how it is to be performed.

Learn the hazards.
Evaluation the proposed work and information about each task to figure out the hazards, i.e., the events or things that might cause damage to workers or other people. Details, such as codes of practice or guidance material, might be offered in the website of your regional work environment health and wellness regulator for particular construction tasks.

Speak with the appropriate workers.
In assessment with the employees that will undertake the HRCW, their managers and health and wellness agents (if any) evaluate the regional health and safety requirements, and the proposed work.

Consider the views of employees about the hazards, the prospective risk control measures and any site-specific matters that might affect the safety of the work. If there are other employees that could be affected by the work they should likewise be consulted.

Note: There is a legal commitment to seek advice from afflicted employees and their health and safety representatives when determining risks or choosing procedures to control risk, and to take their views into account.

Select the most appropriate control steps to get rid of or decrease threats.

To select the most proper control measures you need to use the 'hierarchy of control' as detailed in steps 1 to 5 listed below. HIA's details sheet The Hierarchy of Control describes how the hierarchy of control applies to the requirements for managing work environment threats and threats.

First, you should look for to remove threats so far 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 threats, you should implement any particular control steps that are mandatory by law in your State or Territory.
Some workplace health and wellness laws prescribe particular control procedures that need to be made an application for handling threats to health and safety emerging from specific dangers or activities. Examples include, but are not restricted to, work including asbestos, work at height, operate in restricted areas. Particular requirements remain in the office health and safety laws readily available in the site of your regional workplace health and wellness regulator.

After carrying out step 2, if a risk stays, the danger must be minimised so far as is fairly practicable by implementing one, or a mix of the following:.
Replacing a procedure or compound with one that is less harmful. Wet sweeping instead of dry sweeping of dangerous dusts such as crystalline silica.
Separating workers and other persons from the threat. By setting up barriers in between workers and mobile plant.
Utilising engineering controls. Utilising an elevated work platform or a scaffold to minimise the risk of falling from height.
If after implementing the above control measures a threat to health or safety still remains, decrease that danger, up until now as is fairly practicable, by using administrative controls. This consists of, safety training, work guidelines, alerting signs and guidance. If a scaffold used to reduce threats you may require to include scaffold tags revealing appropriate optimum loads, indications for insufficient scaffolds. You might 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 implementing the above, minimise that threat, so far as is fairly practicable by offering personal protective devices (PPE). This includes using protective clothing such as safety glasses, hard hats, gloves, respiratory security, or a mix of appropriate PPE.
A mix of control steps will need to be used to reduce risks as far as is fairly practicable.

Coming up with up the SWMS - What information must be included?
A SWMS must:.

identify the work that is high threat construction work.
specify the threats associating with the high danger construction work and the risks to health and wellness.
describe the measures to be executed to manage the dangers, and.
describe how the control procedures are to be carried out, kept track of and reviewed.
For an example of how to do this see: How to finish a SWMS when using silica.

The control measures should be set out and expressed in a manner that is easily available and comprehensible to the individuals who will utilise the SWMS. Describe in clear terms how dangers to health and wellness are to be managed to make it possible for the work to be done safely, and how the control measures are to be executed.

You can utilise any kind or design template to compose up the SWMS, consisting of paper and electronic formats, provided the above information is consisted of and is readily available.

Can I use a generic SWMS?
A generic SWMS can be utilised after it has actually been evaluated and revised as required to make sure that it covers all the dangers and risks that exist on the website where the work is to be carried out. A generic SWMS needs to be reviewed/revised prior to beginning the work and prior to beginning a new activity or a modification in work location or scenarios.

For additional information about SWMS and your obligations go to the website of your local workplace health and safety authority and search for safe work approach declarations.
safe work method statement

Here's my website: https://occupational-safety.com.au/collections/swms