Loading... Please wait... Loading... Please wait...
Need a customised SWMS package? Contact us for a free quote. Call 1300 306 604
Looking for answers? Below is an FAQ that will hopefully answer most of your questions. Simply click our frequently asked questions to read the answers.
Didn't find what you were looking for, please visit our support page or feel free to call our friendly customer service team on 1300 306 604.
Browse our library of SWMS - Safe Work Method Statement Templates here.
Yes, we are happy to provide sample SWMS. To see an example of the format of our SWMS click the link below.
Regular emails are sent out to our database of clients to keep them informed about any updates or changes to the documents. At SafetyCulture we like to help you keep up to date - for any documents already purchased, you will only ever pay an upgrade fee.
View our OHS Legislation and Codes of Practice Reference List here
It is a legislative requirement that a written Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is produced for work which is determined to be High Risk Construction Work under the WHS Act.
The purpose of a SWMS is to enable all people involved with specific high risk construction work to have a full understanding of the risks involved with undertaking that work and to implement the risk controls outlined in the SWMS thereby increasing workplace safety.
Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs) must ensure that SWMS are prepared for all high construction work before work is commenced. It is recommended that all SWMS are kept on-site or at a location where they can be delivered to the site promptly.
SWMS are also referred to by many other terms including, Safe Work Method Statements, Work Method Statements, Safe Work Methods, SWM, WMS.
Our SWMS TEMPLATES are ready to use. They are not blank templates. Once you've downloaded your product, you just insert your company details and ABN. You include any site specific details, the risks and make it specific to the task at hand. Then simply print and use as part of your OHS System.
Remember: The content of the SWMS should be refined over time and include consultation with workers and other persons conducting a business or undertaking. Prior to each new activity, the SWMS must be reviewed and revised to ensure it applies to the high risk construction work and the actual site you are working at.
No, you are required to complete the necessary fields such as business name, address & ABN along with workers’ name etc. In addition to this the document can be tailored to the task and site.
Customisation instructions to assist you with completing your SWMS will be provided in your Sales Tax Invoice.
At SafetyCulture every effort is made to ensure our products are of the highest quality and are written with Australian best practices in mind. It is our policy to ensure all our products match the product descriptions listed on our website. If for any reason you are dissatisfied with the quality of our products, please let us know immediately and we will endeavour to rectify the problem promptly.
If this does not meet your satisfaction a refund will be offered within 7 days of purchase. If you prefer an alternative to a refund, a store credit may be offered. We ask that you please choose carefully before making your purchase as we do not refund for incorrect choice.
Yes. All documents are provided in Microsoft Word Format, so you can easily input your company logo and details.
Yes. All documents are provided in Microsoft Word Format, so you can easily customise to meet the requirements of your clients:
The SWMS that SafetyCulture provides are generic documents. As a result you will be required to customise your documents to ensure they meet the needs of your client. Here are some helpful hints to consider when working through your document.
For works carried out on a regular basis a generic SWMS may be prepared and used for those work activities. The content of the SWMS can be refined over time and include consultation with workers and other persons conducting a business or undertaking.
Remember: Prior to each new activity, the SWMS must be reviewed and revised to ensure it applies to the high risk construction work and the actual site you are working at.
Make the SWMS Task Specific and Site Specific
Consultation
Employee Sign-Off, Storage & Review of SWMS
Provide all relevant persons with adequate training and supervision to ensure the SWMS will be followed.
A SWMS number is an internal numbering system that you can apply to your SWMS to assist with filing and record keeping.
A suggestion is to number your SWMS according to project number or if the SWMS is being used for everyday tasks and is not project related you may wish to apply a company specific SWMS number. For example, SafetyCulture may number its SWMS like so SWMS No: SC100
The details included within the footer section are there to assist you in keeping adequate records, and meet quality management requirements for document control and monitoring. 
To assist you in filling out this section we have put together this SWMS Document Control Guide.
The "Revision Date" or "Date" included in the footer space of your document is a date that your organisation sets to assist with the annual review process of your OHS compliance documents.
OHS Documents should be reviewed at least annually, in consultation with workers, health and safety representatives and other relevant parties.
Your OHS documents should also be reviewed if:
Your purchased products will be emailed to you directly upon receipt of payment from our online store and normally takes no more than 30 minutes. Should you have any issues receiving your documents our Customer Service Team is here to assist and can be reached on 1300 306 604 during business hours.
All our documents are emailed upon receipt of payment, in Microsoft Word format (MS Word), ready for you to download, save and edit as required. Note: You will need Microsoft Word installed on your computer to use any SafetyCulture template.
Download links to products purchased are included in your Sales Tax Invoice. To view the instructions now click the link below.
No, the document is provided via email in MS Word format to ensure you are able to edit the document so that it is task and site specific. It also means that you can use it for multiple jobs.
The SWMS must:
It is recommended that SWMS also include the following information:
It is important that the information included in SWMS is clearly set out, be easily accessible and fully understood by all site supervisors and workers. The content of a SWMS should provide adequate directions on how the risk controls will be implemented.
The PCBU must ensure SWMS are prepared for any high risk construction work they intend to carry out. SWMS should be developed in consultation with workers directly involved with the work. If more than one PCPU is undertaking work at the same worksite, then consultation between each PCPU regarding the content of SWMS is required to ensure consistency in the way work will be carried out on that site.
SWMS are used by Principal Contractors, site supervisors, contractors, sub Contractors, Health & Safety Representatives (HSR?s) and any other workers on-site who may be directly affected by the work being carried out.
The SWMS must be kept and be available for inspection at least until the high-risk construction work is completed. If a SWMS is revised, all versions must be kept.
If a notifiable incident occurs in connection with the high-risk construction work to which the SWMS relates then the SWMS must be kept for at least 2 years from the occurrence of the notifiable incident.
A SWMS must be reviewed:
The PCBU must carry out the review of SWMS in consultation with Principal Contractors, contractors, subcontractors, workers and any relevant HSR's at the worksite.
Reference:
Code of Practice - Managing Risks on Construction Work - Safe Work Australia (2012)
The Risk Assessment Matrix is used to decide on the Risk Before (RB) & Risk After (RA) level for Risk Assessments and SafetyCulture Safe Work Method Statement.
For each job step.
1. Identify Hazards and subsequent Risks that are associated with the job step.
For example:
2. Use the Risk Matrix to decide what you believe the risk level would be BEFORE you have any controls in place.
Decide on a Risk BEFORE (RB) controls level
3. Work out what control measures you have in place, or what you will put in place, who will make sure the controls are done and by when.
4. Re-assess the Risk level using the matrix and ask.
Decide on a Risk AFTER (RA) controls level.
5. Check that the risk level you decide on AFTER controls is LESS than the risk level before controls. If not, you need to re-assess & put additional or different controls in place.
6. When doing the Risk Assessment it is important to consult with all relevant persons who are involved with the job, their information should help you determine the risk levels. Deciding on risk levels is arbitrary, so the more experienced the assessor and the people you consult with, the more dependable the determined risk levels will be.
All our documents are emailed upon receipt of payment. To access your iAuditor SWMS (IAT) follow the steps below:
Video Tutorial on Downloading your iAuditor SWMS
The SWMS that SafetyCulture provides are generic documents. As a result you will be required to customise your documents to ensure they meet the needs of your client. To assist you we have put together some instructions on customising your SWMS in iAuditor. Click here for instructions on how to customise your iAuditor SWMS
Once you have finished customising your SWMS using the template editor it is then time to complete your SWMS by conducting an audit. For help with filling out your SWMS click here
iAuditor allows you to export your SWMS in PDF for free. If you need more sophisticated data exporting, then you may consider unlocking these. To find out more about unlocking additional exporting options in iAuditor click here
As always, if you still have any questions or need help regarding any of our products or services, please feel free to call our office on 1300 306 604 during business hours.
