• JSA template · landscaping and grounds maintenance

Landscaping JSA template Australia

Grounds maintenance is a round, not a project: the same mowers, the same slopes, the same brushcutter, a different site every two hours. A landscaping JSA should cover the round the way it actually runs, including the herbicide in the ute and the underground services nobody located. This page shows one.

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When a landscaping JSA is the right document

Grounds maintenance and soft landscaping in finished areas are not Schedule 3 work. A JSA covers mowing, edging, brushcutting, hedging, planting, mulching, spraying and minor hand digging.

Commercial and strata grounds maintenance rounds.
Parks, schools and retirement village grounds.
Garden installs: planting, mulching, irrigation and small timber edging.

Excavation over 1.5 m, retaining walls needing temporary support, or work near power lines with a chainsaw or EWP push the job to a SWMS such as the excavation SWMS. The line is explained in SWMS vs JSA.

Filled example: fortnightly grounds round at a retirement village, Mount Barker SA

Two-person crew maintaining a 60-unit retirement village: ride-on mowing of common lawns, brushcutting edges and a steep batter beside the creek, hedge trimming along the main path, spot spraying, and replacing three dead shrubs. Residents are home and walking during the work. South Australia, so the document cites the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA). Different job from the office floors on the cleaning JSA page.

Job / task: Fortnightly grounds round: mow, edge, brushcut batter, hedge, spot spray, replace shrubs
Site: Retirement village, Mount Barker SA 5251
Document: JSA · not high-risk construction work · example only
PPE: Steel-caps, long pants, hi-vis, glasses or face shield, hearing protection, hat and sunscreen, chemical gloves and coveralls for spraying

Example layout — not a copy-paste legal document. Chainsaw work near the power line at the front entrance is excluded from this round and would need its own assessment.

Step	Hazards	Controls	5×5 risk
1. Arrive, check the site and set up exclusion around the mowing area Responsible: Crew leader	Residents with walkers and mobility scooters on shared paths Heat: forecast 36 °C by early afternoon Unsecured loads and fuel in the ute and trailer	Mowing scheduled 7 am to 11 am; cones and a sign at each path entry; mower stopped when a resident passes within 10 m Heavy work finished before noon; 600 mL water per hour each; shade breaks; buddy watch for heat symptoms Fuel in approved containers, strapped upright; trailer gate closed before moving	InitialL3×C3 = 9 Medium ResidualL2×C2 = 4 Low
2. Ride-on mow the common lawns and brushcut the creek batter Responsible: Operator	Rollover on the batter beside the creek Projectiles from the mower deck and brushcutter into windows and people Noise and hand-arm vibration from the brushcutter	Batter is brushcut on foot, never ridden; ROPS up and seatbelt on for all ride-on mowing; slopes over the manual's limit are excluded Deck guards fitted; stop when anyone is within 20 m; brushcutter guard on; walk the area for debris first Class 5 hearing protection; rotate brushcutter operator every 30 minutes; anti-vibration gloves	InitialL3×C5 = 15 High ResidualL2×C3 = 6 Medium
3. Trim the path hedge and spot spray weeds Responsible: Landscaper	Cuts and eye injury from the hedge trimmer Herbicide drift onto residents' gardens and skin contact while mixing Trip hazards from clippings on the path	Two-handed grip; blade stopped before clearing jams; face shield; battery trimmer, no cord Spray only under 15 km/h wind; label PPE worn; mixed at the ute over a drip tray; SDS in the cab; residents told in advance Path swept before residents return; clippings bagged as trimming proceeds	InitialL3×C3 = 9 Medium ResidualL2×C2 = 4 Low
4. Remove and replace three dead shrubs by hand Responsible: Landscaper	Striking the irrigation main or the low-voltage garden lighting cable Manual handling of 45 L pots and root balls Tool injuries from mattock and spade	Before You Dig Australia plans checked; village maintenance shows the irrigation and lighting runs; hand dig only, no augers Pots moved on a trolley; two-person lift into the hole; kneel rather than bend Long-handled tools; steel-caps; others clear of the swing radius	InitialL3×C3 = 9 Medium ResidualL2×C2 = 4 Low

What the generator changes for landscaping

Tell it the sites on the round, machines, chemicals, whether any digging is involved and the state. It writes the plant, heat, chemical and services steps with realistic scores and the right legislative references. If a task crosses into excavation depth, temporary support or live services, it points you to the SWMS.

Frequently asked questions

Do landscapers need a SWMS or a JSA?

For grounds maintenance and soft landscaping, a JSA. Mowing, planting, hedging and mulching are not high-risk construction work. It becomes a SWMS when the job triggers Schedule 3: excavation deeper than 1.5 m, work near overhead or underground energised services, retaining walls needing temporary support, or landscaping on a live construction site with powered mobile plant moving around. Councils and builders may ask for a SWMS regardless.

How does the JSA handle herbicides?

Name the product, keep the SDS and label on the vehicle, state the PPE from the label, note wind and no-spray conditions, and record who holds the chemical accreditation the state or the client requires. Glyphosate is the common one; the JSA should also cover mixing, storage and spill response.

What about digging near services?

Lodge a Before You Dig Australia enquiry before any excavation, even for a fence post or a tree. Pothole by hand near marked services. Striking a gas or electrical service is exactly the kind of incident that turns a JSA job into a serious one. If the dig will be deeper than 1.5 m or is near live services, it is a SWMS.

Is this JSA valid in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA and WA?

A JSA is a risk assessment format, not a legislated form, so it works in every state. The generator references the WHS Act and Regulations for the model-WHS states, including SA, and the OHS Act 2004 and Regulations 2017 for Victoria.

Are ride-on mowers a special case?

Rollovers on slopes and around water are the main fatal hazard. The JSA should set the slope limit from the manufacturer's manual, require mowing up and down rather than across on steeper ground, keep the roll-over protection fitted with the seatbelt worn, and exclude the public from the area being mown.

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