SWMS template: what a SWMS must include (WHS Regulation 299 checklist)

If you've downloaded a SWMS template and wondered which boxes actually matter, this is the short answer. Under the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations, the legal content of a Safe Work Method Statement is set out in regulation 299. Everything else on a typical template is either good practice or something a principal contractor asks for.

The four things a SWMS must do (Reg 299)

A SWMS must:

1. Identify the work that is high risk construction work (HRCW). Name the HRCW categories that apply, for example "risk of a person falling more than 2 metres" or "work on or near energised electrical installations". See the full HRCW list.
2. Specify the hazards relating to that work and the risks to health and safety arising from those hazards.
3. Describe the measures to be implemented to control the risks.
4. Describe how the control measures are to be implemented, monitored and reviewed.

Two more requirements sit alongside these:

• The SWMS must be prepared taking into account the circumstances at the workplace that may affect how the work is done. A generic document copied from the last job does not meet this.
• It must be set out and expressed in a way that is readily accessible and understandable to the people who use it. Keep it short, plain and specific. Regulators note that pictures or diagrams can help workers from non-English speaking backgrounds.

One SWMS can cover more than one HRCW activity on the same job.

What a SWMS should also include

Safe Work Australia's SWMS guidance and state regulators' templates (for example WorkSafe ACT's) recommend including:

• The PCBU's name, address and ABN (if they have one)
• The name of the principal contractor and the site address, if the work is part of a construction project
• The person responsible for making sure the SWMS is followed, monitored and reviewed
• The date the SWMS was prepared and the date it was given to the principal contractor
• The review date, if there is one
• The names of workers consulted, the date of consultation, and worker signatures or sign-on

None of these are optional in practice on most commercial sites. Principal contractors have their own duty to obtain a SWMS before HRCW starts, and many reject a SWMS that is missing them.

A section-by-section SWMS template layout

A practical SWMS template, in order:

A risk matrix is not written into the regulations. It is a common way of showing that you assessed the risk before and after controls.

Common reasons a SWMS gets knocked back

• Not site-specific. Generic hazards with no reference to the actual roof, trench, access or neighbours.
• Controls jump straight to PPE. If you are relying on lower-order controls such as training or PPE, explain why higher-order controls are not reasonably practicable.
• HRCW not identified. The document never says which HRCW categories apply.
• No monitoring or review. Nobody is named as responsible, and nothing says how controls will be checked.
• Not signed or not on site. The SWMS must be kept and available for inspection until the HRCW is finished. If a notifiable incident occurs, it must be kept for at least 2 years after that incident.

Keeping and reviewing your SWMS

The PCBU must make sure the work is done in line with the SWMS. If it isn't, the work must stop immediately, or as soon as it is safe to do so, and not resume until it complies. Review and update the SWMS whenever the work changes, a control isn't working, or after an incident. Keep every version if you revise it.

Victoria is the exception to the model WHS laws. There, SWMS duties sit in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (regulations 322 to 329). The core content is the same, but check WorkSafe Victoria's guidance. Our SWMS requirements by state guide covers the differences.

Fill the template faster

You can type all of the above into a blank Word template, or describe the job and let our SWMS generator draft the job steps, hazards, controls and risk ratings for your trade and state. You then review and edit it for your site. Creating an account and drafting are free with no card. Downloading the finished PDF is on the $20 AUD/month plan, which covers unlimited documents.

Want to see a finished one? Read our filled SWMS example for a metal roof re-sheet, or start from the SWMS template page.

Sources: Model WHS Regulations, regulations 291 to 303; Safe Work Australia, Safe Work Method Statement for High Risk Construction Work information sheet; WorkSafe ACT, Safe Work Method Statements; WorkSafe Victoria, Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS). This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the rules in your state or territory.