• SWMS template · load-bearing demolition

Demolition SWMS template Australia

Knocking out a load-bearing wall is high-risk construction work whether the site is a tower or a brick shop in Newtown. Temporary support, falling masonry, and an asbestos check before strip-out are the job. A fit-out JSA does not cover the wall.

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Load-bearing demolition is HRCW

HRCW: demolition of a load-bearing element, or an element related to structural integrity. Temporary propping is often a second category (temporary load-bearing support). One SWMS can cover both if it is honest about the sequence.

Asbestos: check the register and sample before strip-out. If it is ACM, this is no longer “just demo” — switch to the asbestos SWMS and a licensed removalist where the law requires it.

Filled example: load-bearing wall, Newtown NSW

Brick shop conversion. Knock through a load-bearing internal wall after needle beams and props. Occupied florist next door. Not a full building pull-down, not a ground-floor plaster soft strip.

Job / task: Demolish load-bearing internal brick wall after temporary propping
Site: Brick shop conversion, Newtown NSW 2042
Document: SWMS · HRCW: structural demolition · example only
PPE: Hard hat, hi-vis, steel-caps, glasses, P2, gloves, hearing protection on the saw

Example layout. Asbestos check before the first bar. If ACM is confirmed, stop and use the asbestos SWMS — don’t keep this sequence going.

Step	Hazards	Controls	5×5 risk
1. Read the asbestos register, sample if needed, and isolate the bay Responsible: Supervisor	Undocumented ACM in old mastic, vinyl, or cement sheet linings Public on the footpath outside the shopfront Services in the wall (power, gas)	No strip-out until the register / samples are clear; if ACM — stop and replan Hoarding and tape; florist next door briefed Isolate power and cap gas before the wall is touched; prove dead	InitialL3×C5 = 15 High ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High
2. Install needle beams and props to the engineer’s sketch Responsible: Leading hand	Partial collapse if props are undersized or on soft floors Manual handling of steel needles in a narrow shop Struck-by while packing plates	Engineer holds the sequence; don’t freestyle the props Sole plates; two-person lifts; don’t stand under a needle being packed Exclusion in the bay until the props are taking load	InitialL3×C5 = 15 High ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High
3. Cut and drop the masonry in controlled bites Responsible: Demolition worker	Uncontrolled collapse of the remaining pier Silica dust and flying brick Vibration affecting the florist’s party wall	Small bites; never undercut a pier that is still carrying Wet down, P2, extraction; hearing protection; no dry chasing without controls Stop if the party wall cracks; engineer back on site	InitialL4×C5 = 20 Critical ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High
4. Clean out, leave props until the lintel is in, then strip temporary works Responsible: Supervisor	Removing props too early Trips on brick rubble Manual handling of rubble to the skip	Props stay until the new lintel is bearing and the engineer signs off Clear as you go; defined barrow path Tubs, not overfilled barrows; spotter at the skip	InitialL3×C5 = 15 High ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High

Frequently asked questions

When is a demolition SWMS template required?

When you demolish an element of a structure that is load-bearing or otherwise related to its physical integrity. That is HRCW. Soft strip of non-structural plaster on a ground floor might be a JSA — only if no ACM, no structural element, no other HRCW.

Is there a free demolition SWMS?

Creating an account is free and needs no card; creating and editing your own site-specific draft is free too. The $20/month subscription is only needed to download the PDF. Don’t take this Newtown shop example to a warehouse mezzanine and sign it.

What if we find asbestos during demolition?

Stop, isolate, don’t keep swinging. Planned ACM removal is a different SWMS (and usually a licensed job). Use the asbestos SWMS page, not this demolition sequence.

NSW, VIC, QLD, WA — same demolition SWMS?

The HRCW trigger is the same idea. Citations: WHS Act/Regulation, or Victoria’s OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017. Local demolition licensing and notification rules still apply.

Check the official guidance

A SWMS sets out the high-risk construction activities, their hazards and the controls to use. Prepare it before the work starts, adapt it to the site and review it when the work or controls change. Consult the people doing the work. An AI draft or example needs review before use.

Model WHS guidance and Victorian requirements differ. Check the rules that apply to your workplace.

Generate a demolition SWMS for this strip-out

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