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Carpentry · Australia

SWMS for roof truss installation

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

Yes. Roof truss installation usually includes high risk construction work (risk of a person falling more than 2 metres; work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant), so a SWMS is required by law before work starts.

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 a roof edge, falling from height, scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold and falling through a floor opening or void.

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SWMS example: roof truss installation

This is a complete SWMS for roof truss installation, 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)
Roof truss installation · Carpentry · Example
Document SWMS-001 · Rev 1

High risk construction work covered

Risk of a person falling more than 2 metresWork in an area with movement of powered mobile plant

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Erect perimeter scaffold or edge protection at roof height before trusses go up
  • Falling from a roof edge
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold
Extreme
  • Do what you can from the ground or from a scaffold at the gutter line, for example pre-assemble parts on the ground. Eliminate
  • Install edge protection or guardrails on all open roof edges before work starts. Isolate
  • Use a perimeter scaffold with handrails and toe boards along the eaves where practical. Engineering
  • Where guardrails cannot be fitted, use fall restraint on certified roof anchors so workers cannot reach the edge. Engineering
  • Only workers briefed on this SWMS go on the roof. Stop and review the SWMS if the roof, weather or method changes. Administrative
  • Use one safe, controlled access point and keep others off the roof. Administrative
  • Stop roof work in strong wind or rain, and when the roof is wet, icy or covered in dust or frost. Administrative
  • Have a written emergency and rescue plan, tested before work starts, for any worker using a harness (WHS Regulations r.80). Administrative
  • Wear a harness clipped to a rated anchor when using restraint or fall arrest, and soft-soled non-slip boots. PPE
  • Scaffold is built, altered and taken down only by a competent scaffolder, on a firm base with sole boards and ties. Engineering
  • Fit guardrails, mid rails and toe boards on every working platform. Engineering
  • Use mobile scaffolds only on firm, level ground with castors locked and outriggers fitted. Never move one with anyone on it. Engineering
  • Scaffold where a person or object could fall more than 4 metres is built by a licensed scaffolder (High Risk Work Licence). Administrative
  • Do not use a scaffold over 4 metres until the scaffolder gives a written handover certificate. Administrative
  • Inspect the scaffold before first use, after any change or bad weather, and at least every 30 days. Record it on the scaffold tag. Administrative
  • Do not overload platforms. Know the duty rating and keep material stacks over the standards. Administrative
  • Never remove ties, braces, guardrails or boards. Only the scaffolder alters the scaffold. Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat and safety boots on and around the scaffold. PPE
Medium
2Lift trusses by crane with a dogman or slinger, keeping everyone clear of the load
  • Crane and lifting failure
  • Falling tools and materials
  • Contact with overhead power lines
High
  • Barricade the lift zone and keep everyone out from under the load. Isolate
  • Use a crane rated for the load at the radius, set up on firm ground with outrigger pads. Engineering
  • Check slings, chains, shackles and hooks before use. Remove anything damaged or not tagged. Engineering
  • Plan the lift: weight, radius, ground, path and landing area. Use a written lift plan for complex lifts. Administrative
  • Crane operators and doggers or riggers hold the right High Risk Work Licence. Administrative
  • Barricade and sign the drop zone under overhead work so nobody walks beneath. Isolate
  • Fit toe boards, kick plates and mesh screens on scaffolds and edges. Engineering
  • Use catch fans, debris netting or covered walkways where people pass below. Engineering
  • Tether hand tools when working at height. Engineering
  • Keep platforms tidy. Do not stack materials near edges or above toe board height. Administrative
  • Ask the network operator to turn off, move or insulate the lines before work starts. Eliminate
  • Use non-conductive (fibreglass) ladders near any power lines. Substitute
  • Mark the safe distance with flags, tape or goal posts and keep all plant and people outside it. Isolate
  • Keep out of the No Go Zone set by your state and the network operator, or get written approval and a safety observer. In NSW and Qld, untrained people and plant stay at least 3 m from lines on poles up to 132 kV, 6 m up to 330 kV and 8 m above 330 kV. In Victoria the limits differ, and work within 8 m of tower lines needs a spotter and the network operator's permission. Administrative
  • Use a dedicated spotter whenever plant moves or raises anything near lines. Administrative
  • Treat all lines as live. If plant touches a line, stay in the cab and keep everyone well away. Administrative
Medium
3Fix trusses from a stable platform, not by walking the top plates
  • Falling from height
  • Falling through a floor opening or void
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
  • Wear a full body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard, clipped on at all times when using fall arrest. PPE
  • 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
  • Keep lighting good enough to see openings, especially on lower floors and in the evening. Administrative
  • Use a harness clipped to a rated anchor when working right next to an open void. PPE
Medium
4Install temporary bracing as each truss goes in
  • Structural collapse during alterations
  • Strong wind and storms
High
  • 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
  • Wear a hard hat and safety boots. PPE
  • Check the forecast each morning and plan work at height and lifting around the weather. Eliminate
  • Tie down or weigh down loose sheets, panels, boards and rubbish at the end of each shift. Engineering
  • Set wind limits for roof work, platforms and cranes, using the manufacturer's limits, and stop when they are reached. Administrative
  • Stop work and get down in lightning. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back up. Administrative
  • Check scaffold, fencing and edge protection after strong wind before anyone uses them. Administrative
  • Do not carry large sheets on roofs in wind. Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat with a chin strap at height in windy conditions. PPE
Medium
5Fix tie-downs and permanent bracing with nail guns
  • Nail gun injuries
  • Loud noise
  • Eye injuries
High
  • 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
  • Train new users before they use a nail gun, and check for pipes, cables and metal behind the surface. Administrative
  • Use quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Substitute
  • Keep noisy plant away from work areas, and use screens or distance between the noise and people. Isolate
  • Keep tools maintained and use mufflers on compressors and generators. Engineering
  • Limit time on noisy tools and rotate workers. Administrative
  • If you have to shout to be heard 1 metre away, wear hearing protection. Administrative
  • Keep exposure below 85 dB(A) over 8 hours. Give hearing tests to workers who often need hearing protection. Administrative
  • Use tool guards and screens to stop flying particles. Engineering
  • Use dust extraction and water to keep dust out of the air. Engineering
  • Keep others out of the area when cutting, grinding or chipping. Administrative
  • Keep an eye wash station or eye wash bottles on site. Administrative
  • Wear safety glasses at all times, goggles for dust and chemicals, and a face shield for grinding. PPE
Medium
6Clear offcuts and check bracing before handing over to the roofer
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
  • Falling tools and materials
High
  • 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
  • Lower materials with a hoist, chute or rope. Never throw or drop anything down. Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat anywhere objects could fall. PPE
  • Falling tools and materials: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative
Medium

PPE

Steel cap bootsSafety harness and lanyardHard hatSafety glassesHearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Work glovesHi-vis shirt or vestSun protection (brim hat, long sleeves, SPF 50+)Safety gogglesFace shield

Plant and equipment

Crane (Franna or mobile): HRWL for the crane class (e.g. C2, CN, C6), plus Dogging licence (DG) where slinging needs judgement or the load is out of the operator's viewFixed scaffold: Scaffolding HRWL (SB, SI or SA) to erect, alter or dismantle where a fall of more than 4 m is possibleNail gunPlatform ladderHand tools

Permits and plans

Roof access permitWorking at heights permitLift plan

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 roof truss installation

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 roof truss installation

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Erect perimeter scaffold or edge protection at roof height before trusses go up
  2. Lift trusses by crane with a dogman or slinger, keeping everyone clear of the load
  3. Fix trusses from a stable platform, not by walking the top plates
  4. Install temporary bracing as each truss goes in
  5. Fix tie-downs and permanent bracing with nail guns
  6. Clear offcuts and check bracing before handing over to the roofer

Hazards to watch on roof truss installation

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

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 2Crane and lifting failureA load falls or swings, or the crane tips, crushing workers under or near the lift.
Step 1Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffoldA scaffold that is badly built, overloaded or altered collapses or tips, or a worker falls from an unguarded platform.
Step 2Contact with overhead power linesA ladder, EWP, crane, tipper or long length of material touches or gets close to an overhead line and electrocutes people.
Step 4Strong wind and stormsWind blows sheets, panels and people off roofs and scaffolds, and storms and lightning make work at height and lifting unsafe.
Step 1Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: Insignificant to CatastrophicBA
Highest risk on roof truss installation: 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 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 an EWP (scissor lift or boom lift)?
  • Was the building built before 2004?

Licences and legal requirements in Australia

This task can involve these high risk construction work categories under the WHS Regulations:

  • Risk of a person falling more than 2 metres
  • Work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant

Equipment on this job that needs a licence, ticket or training:

  • Crane (Franna or mobile): HRWL for the crane class (e.g. C2, CN, C6), plus Dogging licence (DG) where slinging needs judgement or the load is out of the operator's view
  • Fixed scaffold: Scaffolding HRWL (SB, SI or SA) to erect, alter or dismantle where a fall of more than 4 m is possible

A SWMS must be prepared before any high risk construction work starts. It must list the high risk work, the hazards and risks, the control measures, and how those controls will be put in place, monitored and reviewed. It must be easy for the workers to read and understand.

Rules that apply: WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.4 Falls; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.4 Falls, Part 5.1 Plant and r.225 (scaffolds); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.5 High risk work and Part 5.1 Plant; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 3.2 (falling objects); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.1 Noise.

Each state has its own regulator and some extra rules: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Australian Capital Territory.

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 roof truss installation?

Yes. Roof truss installation usually includes high risk construction work (risk of a person falling more than 2 metres; work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant), so a SWMS is required by law before work starts.

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 roof truss installation?

Usually Steel cap boots, Safety harness and lanyard, Hard hat, Safety glasses, Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), Work gloves, Hi-vis shirt or vest, Sun protection (brim hat, long sleeves, SPF 50+), Safety goggles, Face shield. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

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Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkScaffold SafetyToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkHearing Protection and Noise

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

Sources