Carpentry · Australia

SWMS for deck construction

By Safety PaperworkBuilt from Safe Work Australia and state regulator guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated 9 November 2026

A SWMS is required by law if deck construction includes any high risk construction work, such as working where someone could fall more than 2 metres. Many principal contractors ask for one either way.

It must list the hazards, the controls and how they will be put in place, monitored and reviewed, and the workers must be consulted and sign before starting. The main hazards are falling from height, hitting underground services, falling through a floor opening or void and lifting and carrying heavy loads.

Make this SWMS now Word template PDF

SWMS example: deck construction

This is a complete SWMS for deck construction, with 6 job steps. Open it in the builder to add your site, crew and signatures, change anything, and download a PDF. Or download the free Word template below and fill it in by hand.

Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)

Build a deck · Carpentry · Example

Document SWMS-001 · Rev 1

High risk construction work covered

None for this task on its own. Tick any that apply on your site.

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Locate underground services before digging footings	Hitting underground services	Extreme	Keep machine buckets well clear of marked services and use a spotter. Isolate Scan the area with a cable locator before digging and mark services on the ground. Engineering Hand dig or vacuum excavate to expose services before using a machine near them. Engineering Lodge a free BYDA (Before You Dig Australia) request and get the plans before any digging. Administrative Keep plans or locate tickets on site and check them again if the work area grows. Administrative If you hit a service, stop, get everyone clear, and call the owner and emergency services. Administrative Wear safety boots, gloves and hi-vis when digging. PPE	Medium
2	Dig and pour footings, guarding open holes	Falling through a floor opening or void Wet concrete and cement burns Lifting and carrying heavy loads	Extreme	Cover every hole and penetration with a fixed, secured cover marked "HOLE" or "DANGER". Isolate Put guardrails with toe boards around stairwells, lift shafts, voids and open edges. Isolate Install stairs early and fit temporary handrails as soon as they go in. Engineering Never remove a cover or guardrail without approval. Put it back straight away. Administrative Inspect covers and barriers daily and after other trades have been through. Administrative Use long-handled tools and pumps to cut down contact. Engineering Wash concrete off skin straight away with clean water. Administrative Have clean water and eye wash at the pour. Administrative Wear waterproof gloves, long sleeves and gumboots with trousers worn over the top. PPE Wear safety glasses or goggles to stop splashes. PPE Plan to avoid carrying: have materials delivered, and old items picked up, as close as possible to where they are used. Eliminate Use lighter or smaller loads: order smaller bags and shorter lengths, and drain or break down old items before moving them. Substitute Use trolleys, pallet jacks, hoists, vacuum lifters or plant instead of carrying by hand. Engineering Use a two-person lift for anything heavy, long or awkward. Plan the route first and clear it. Administrative Keep the load close, back straight and no twisting. Turn with your feet. Administrative	Medium
3	Cut treated timber with dust control and wash hands before eating	Saw cuts and kickback Wood and MDF dust Hazardous chemicals	High	Keep blade guards fitted and working, and use the riving knife on table saws. Engineering Use push sticks and clamps, and support long pieces so they do not pinch the blade. Engineering Use a sharp, undamaged blade made for the material. Administrative Stand to one side of the blade line, out of the kickback path. Administrative Let the blade stop fully before reaching in or putting the saw down. Administrative Buy pre-cut or pre-finished timber where you can. Substitute Cut outdoors or in a well-ventilated area away from others. Isolate Use saws and sanders with dust extraction connected to an M-class (or better) vacuum. Engineering Clean up with a vacuum, not a broom or compressed air. Administrative Wear a P2 dust mask for cutting and sanding. PPE Choose the least harmful product that does the job, for example water-based instead of solvent-based. Substitute Use chemicals in well-ventilated areas, or use fans and extraction in closed rooms. Engineering Read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before use and keep a register of hazardous chemicals on site. Administrative Keep chemicals in labelled containers. Never decant into drink bottles. Administrative Store chemicals away from heat, food and drink, and keep products that react with each other apart. Administrative	Medium
4	Build bearers and joists, using edge protection if the deck is high	Falling from height Lifting and carrying heavy loads Structural collapse during alterations	Extreme	Do the work from the ground where you can, for example pre-assemble on the ground or use extension poles. Eliminate Install guardrails or edge protection on all open edges before work starts. Isolate Use a scaffold, mobile work platform or EWP instead of working off a ladder. Engineering Where edge protection is not practical, use a fall restraint or fall arrest system on a rated anchor point. Engineering Everyone working at height holds a White Card and has been briefed on this SWMS before going up. Administrative Have a written emergency and rescue plan, tested before work starts, so a worker hanging in a harness can be brought down within minutes (WHS Regulations r.80). Administrative Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Administrative Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative Get an engineer to check before removing any wall, beam, post or bracing that may be load-bearing. Eliminate Keep everyone clear of the area under and next to the work. Isolate Install temporary props, needles or shoring as designed before removing any support. Engineering Follow the engineer's sequence. Do not change it without approval. Administrative Check props daily. Do not remove them until the permanent support is in and approved. Administrative Install temporary support to the engineer's or temporary works design before any load bearing element is altered. Administrative	Medium
5	Lay and fix decking boards	Injury from power tools Nail gun injuries Repetitive work and awkward postures Sun exposure (UV)	High	Keep all guards fitted and working. Never tie back or remove a guard. Engineering Clamp or secure the work piece. Do not hold it by hand. Engineering Only trained, competent people use power tools, following the maker's instructions. Administrative Check tools before use. Unplug or remove the battery before changing blades or bits. Administrative Use a nail gun with a sequential (single shot) trigger, not a contact or bump trigger. Substitute Disconnect the air or battery before clearing jams, adjusting or moving between work areas. Engineering Keep your free hand at least 30 cm from the nailing point. Administrative Never point the gun at anyone or carry it with your finger on the trigger. Administrative Use tools that cut the effort: powered screwdrivers, long-handled tools and extension poles for overhead work. Substitute Set work up at waist height on benches or trestles where you can. Engineering Use light tools with good grips, and keep blades and bits sharp. Engineering Rotate tasks and take short breaks every hour on repetitive work. Administrative Plan outdoor work for early morning or late afternoon when UV is lower. Eliminate Put shade covers over fixed work areas. Engineering Check the UV index each day. Use sun protection when it is 3 or higher. Administrative Check your skin regularly and see a doctor about any new or changing spots. Administrative	Medium
6	Fit balustrade before anyone uses the deck, then clean up	Falling from height Poor housekeeping and waste	Extreme	Wear a full body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard, clipped on at all times when using fall arrest. PPE Falling from height: see step 4 for the full controls Administrative Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Eliminate Put skip bins and waste chutes close to the work. Engineering Clean as you go, and do a full clean up at the end of each day. Administrative Keep exits, stairs and walkways clear at all times. Administrative Stack materials neatly on level ground, away from edges. Administrative Wear gloves when handling waste. PPE	Medium

PPE

Steel cap bootsSafety glassesHearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Work glovesP2 dust maskSun protection (brim hat, long sleeves, SPF 50+)Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile)Safety gogglesKnee padsHalf-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters)Overalls

Plant and equipment

Circular sawDrop sawPower drillNail gunHand tools

Emergency

Call 000. Add the nearest hospital, the assembly point and the first aider for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this SWMS.

Free SWMS template for deck construction

Word (.docx) and PDF, A4 landscape, no email needed. Fill in your site details, then print or send it.

Word template (.docx)PDF template

Make yours in 2 minutes

Same document, filled in for your job. Answer a few yes or no questions, the crew signs on the phone, and you send the PDF.

Start this SWMS

Pre-start checklist for deck construction

Tick these off before work starts. They come from the hazards, permits and equipment in this job.

SWMS read, explained and signed by everyone on the job
Edge protection installed and checked before anyone works above 2 m
Openings, voids and penetrations covered and marked
BYDA plans on site and services located
Weather checked: water, shade and rest breaks planned
First aider, first aid kit and emergency number (000) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: steel cap boots, safety glasses, hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), work gloves

The safe sequence of work

Locate underground services before digging footings
Dig and pour footings, guarding open holes
Cut treated timber with dust control and wash hands before eating
Build bearers and joists, using edge protection if the deck is high
Lay and fix decking boards
Fit balustrade before anyone uses the deck, then clean up

Hazards to watch on deck construction

The hazards most specific to this job, and the step where each one comes up.

Step 3Wood and MDF dustSawing and sanding timber, MDF and treated wood makes fine dust that causes asthma, skin problems and some cancers.

Step 5Nail gun injuriesA nail gun fires by accident, or a nail goes through the timber or ricochets and hits the user or someone nearby.

Step 5Sun exposure (UV)Long hours in the sun cause sunburn, eye damage and skin cancer.

Step 2Wet concrete and cement burnsWet concrete, mortar and cement burn skin and eyes. Burns can be deep and are often not felt until later.

Step 4Structural collapse during alterationsRemoving a wall, beam, post or bracing makes part of the building fall on workers.

Step 1Hitting underground servicesDigging, drilling or driving pegs hits a buried power cable, gas pipe or water main, causing electrocution, explosion or flooding.

Highest risk on deck construction: Extreme before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Australia 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and catastrophic becomes unlikely and major).

What changes on your site

This example covers the job itself. Your site may add more. Add controls for any of these that apply (the builder asks you these as yes or no questions):

Will anyone work more than 2 metres off the ground?
Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
Will anyone work on a roof?
Is there a skylight, clear sheet, fibro or other fragile roofing?
Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?

Why SWMS get rejected

Principal contractors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

It is generic: another site address, tasks that are not on this job, or no sign it was reviewed for this site. WorkSafe WA says a generic SWMS may not meet the regulations unless it is reviewed and amended for the workplace.
The HRCW boxes are not ticked, or the ticks do not match the tasks (for example a roof job with no falls box ticked).
Falls are controlled only by "be careful", training or a harness, with no edge protection or scaffold and no reason why higher controls are not reasonably practicable.
Workers will clip on to a harness but there is no rescue plan for someone left hanging.
The "how controls are implemented, monitored and reviewed" part is missing, or it says the same thing on every row.
No worker sign-on, no person responsible for compliance, or a date given to the principal contractor that is before they actually received it.
Licence or White Card details are missing for workers operating plant or doing licensed high risk work.

Questions

Do I need a SWMS for deck construction?

Who signs the SWMS?

The person conducting the business (PCBU) or their supervisor prepares it with the workers, and every worker doing the high risk work signs to show they were consulted and understand it. Give a copy to the principal contractor before work starts.

How long do I keep it?

Keep this SWMS, and every revised version, until the high risk construction work is finished, where workers and inspectors can see it on site. If a notifiable incident happens during the work, keep it for at least 2 years after the incident.

What PPE is needed for deck construction?

Usually Steel cap boots, Safety glasses, Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), Work gloves, P2 dust mask, Sun protection (brim hat, long sleeves, SPF 50+), Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile), Safety goggles, Knee pads, Half-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters), Overalls. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

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Related jobs in other trades

ConcretingFormworkAlso involves falling from height RoofingGutter ReplacementAlso involves falling from height ConcretingConcrete Cutting and Core DrillingAlso involves hitting underground services ConcretingConcrete Slab PourAlso involves wet concrete and cement burns RoofingRoof Tile ReplacementAlso involves falling from height ElectricalSwitchboard UpgradeAlso involves injury from power tools

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkOverhead Power Lines Toolbox talkExtension Leads and Power Tools Toolbox talkBefore You Dig: Underground Services Toolbox talkHazardous Chemicals and SDS

Blank SWMS template: free SWMS templates. Also for other countries: United Kingdom (RAMS) · United States (JHA) · Canada (FLHA)