• SWMS template · work on or adjacent to a road

Traffic control SWMS template Australia

Work on or next to a road in use is its own high-risk category, and it is the one where the hazard is a stranger doing 60 km/h while looking at their phone. A traffic control SWMS has to link the traffic guidance scheme to what the crew actually does inside the cones. This page shows what that looks like.

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When a traffic control SWMS is the right document

HRCW category: construction work on or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor that is in use by traffic other than pedestrians. Model WHS regulation 291 and Schedule 3. Add work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant whenever an excavator, truck or crane is inside the closure, and a trench over 1.5 m if the job is a utility dig.

Utility work in the road reserve: water, sewer, gas, power and telecommunications.
Kerb, footpath and driveway works.
Cranes and delivery trucks parked on a live street.
Line marking, signage and roadside landscaping.

The TGS is a control inside the SWMS, not a substitute for it. Full list of categories on the HRCW checklist.

Filled example: water main tie-in on a suburban collector road, Chermside QLD

Cutting in a new 150 mm water main connection in the shoulder of a 60 km/h collector road, with a lane closure and stop/slow control at peak times. Excavation to 1.3 m by a 5 t excavator, so it stays under the 1.5 m trench trigger but well inside the road and plant categories. Different job from the 2 m trench on the excavation SWMS page.

Job / task: Excavate and tie in a 150 mm water main connection, one-lane closure with stop/slow
Site: Collector road, 60 km/h, Chermside QLD 4032
Document: SWMS · HRCW: work adjacent to a road, powered mobile plant · example only
PPE: Class D/N hi-vis garments, hard hat, steel-caps, glasses, gloves, hearing protection near the saw

Example layout — not a copy-paste legal document. Residual risk to the controllers and the crew at the taper stays High while the lane is closed. A meter swap on the footpath behind a fence, with no road exposure, is not this SWMS.

Step	Hazards	Controls	5×5 risk
1. Set out the traffic guidance scheme before any plant or crew enters the shoulder Responsible: Accredited traffic controller / TGS implementer	Controller struck while placing signs and cones in the live lane Drivers not slowing at the advance warning TGS not matching the road as found (parked cars, bus stop)	Signs placed from the shoulder working toward traffic in the approved order; vehicle with arrow board and beacons shielding the placer Roadwork speed reduction to 40 km/h signed; advance warning at the distances in the approved TGS TGS walked and adjusted by the implementer on site; changes recorded and signed on the plan	InitialL4×C5 = 20 Critical ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High
2. Run stop/slow control at the taper during the closure Responsible: Traffic controller (accredited)	Vehicle breaching the taper into the work area Controller fatigue and sun exposure over a six-hour shift Aggressive drivers at the stop position	Controller stands at the approved position with an escape path; bat held, never a hand signal; radio to the second controller Rotate controllers every 90 minutes; shade, water and sunscreen; no controller works alone De-escalation as trained; record plates; police called for threats; never step into the lane to argue	InitialL3×C5 = 15 High ResidualL2×C5 = 10 High
3. Saw-cut, excavate and expose the existing main inside the closure Responsible: Civil leading hand	Excavator slewing into the live lane Striking the gas or telecommunications services in the same alignment Silica dust from the road saw blowing toward traffic and the crew	Slew restricted away from traffic; spotter between the plant and the cones; nobody within the swing radius Before You Dig Australia plans on site; services potholed by hand before the bucket goes below 300 mm Wet cutting only; P2 respirators; saw positioned so the plume goes away from the road	InitialL4×C5 = 20 Critical ResidualL2×C4 = 8 High
4. Tie in, backfill, reinstate and remove the TGS Responsible: Civil leading hand / traffic controller	Open trench left unprotected while waiting on the water authority Crew in the lane during reinstatement compaction Signs removed in the wrong order, leaving the crew exposed	Trench plated or barricaded whenever unattended; pedestrian path maintained on the far footpath Compaction done inside the closure with the shoulder still coned; plant spotter stays on TGS removed in reverse order from the far end; shadow vehicle protects the last person out	InitialL3×C5 = 15 High ResidualL2×C4 = 8 High

What the generator changes for roadside work

Tell it the road type and speed, whether there is a lane closure, the plant inside the closure and the state. It writes the TGS interface steps, names the controller accreditation for that state, and references AS 1742.3 and the Austroads guide alongside the WHS or OHS legislation. Cranes on the street should also use the crane and lifting SWMS; deeper utility trenches, the excavation SWMS.

Frequently asked questions

Is work next to a road high-risk construction work?

Yes. Construction work on or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians is listed in Schedule 3 of the model WHS Regulations. It needs a SWMS regardless of how short the job is. Victoria lists the same category under its OHS Regulations.

Is the traffic management plan the same as the SWMS?

No. The traffic management plan (TMP) and traffic guidance scheme (TGS) describe how the road is set up: signs, cones, tapers, speed. The SWMS describes how your crew works safely inside that set-up and how the two interact: who sets out, who watches the traffic, what happens when a vehicle breaches the cones. You need both, and they should reference each other.

Who can act as a traffic controller?

Someone holding the accreditation for that state and role: for example SafeWork NSW traffic control work training cards for Traffic Controller and Implement Traffic Management Plan, or TMR accredited traffic controller in Queensland. The SWMS should record the accreditation and the person, not just say 'trained controller'.

Is a traffic control SWMS valid in NSW, VIC, QLD and WA?

The generator cites the WHS Act and Regulations for NSW, QLD, WA and the other model-WHS states and the OHS Act 2004 and Regulations 2017 for Victoria, plus AS 1742.3 and the Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management, which the state road authorities adopt with their own supplements.

Do I need a SWMS for a footpath job with no lane closure?

If the work is adjacent to a road in use and vehicles can reach the crew, yes. The category is about the corridor being live, not about whether you closed a lane. A job entirely inside a fenced site with no exposure to traffic is a different question.

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Road type, speed, the TGS, the plant and the state. Free account, no card to sign up. $20/month for unlimited documents.

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