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Electrical · Australia

SWMS for house rewiring

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

Yes. House rewiring usually includes high risk construction work (work on or near energised electrical installations or services), 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 silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, disturbing asbestos, electric shock from live wiring and falling through a floor opening or void.

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SWMS example: house rewiring

This is a complete SWMS for house rewiring, with 9 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)
Rewire a house · Electrical · Example
Document SWMS-001 · Rev 1

High risk construction work covered

Work on or near energised electrical installations or services

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Agree a room by room plan with the occupants and protect floors and furniture
  • Working in an occupied home or building
  • Slips and trips
Medium
  • Plan noisy, dusty or risky work for when the building is empty. Eliminate
  • Close off the work area with barriers, plastic sheeting or locked doors, and put up signs. Isolate
  • Keep fire exits and paths clear at all times. Administrative
  • Tell occupants before you turn off power, water or gas, and before noisy or dusty work. Administrative
  • Lock away tools, chemicals and materials each day, out of reach of children. Administrative
  • Clean up dust and debris at the end of each day. Administrative
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Eliminate
  • Run leads and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Engineering
  • Slips and trips: see step 7 for the full controls Administrative
Low
2Check the asbestos register and look for old lead paint before cutting into walls and ceilings
  • Disturbing asbestos
  • Lead paint dust and fumes
Extreme
  • Before work, check the asbestos register (workplaces built before 2004). For homes, or if there is no register, have a competent person identify asbestos or assume it is present. Eliminate
  • Seal off the work area and keep everyone else out. Isolate
  • If asbestos must be disturbed, keep it wet, use hand tools not power tools, and clean up with an H-class vacuum. Engineering
  • Friable asbestos (Class A) and more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos (Class B) must be removed by a licensed removalist. Administrative
  • Stop work straight away if you find suspect asbestos. Do not touch it and tell your supervisor. Administrative
  • Wear a fitted P2 (or better) respirator and disposable coveralls. PPE
  • Test old paint for lead before you sand, scrape, cut or heat it. Eliminate
  • Use wet scraping, chemical strippers or shrouded tools with extraction instead of dry sanding. Never burn off lead paint with an open flame. Substitute
  • Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting and keep residents, children and pets out. Isolate
  • Clean up with an H-class vacuum and wet wipes. Never dry sweep. Engineering
  • Wash hands and face before eating, drinking or smoking. Change out of dusty clothes before going home. Administrative
  • Wear a P2 (or better) respirator, disposable coveralls and gloves. PPE
Medium
3Isolate the circuits being worked on, lock out and danger tag and test to prove dead; run any temporary supply through RCD protection
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Stored energy
  • Electric shock from leads and power tools
Extreme
  • Isolate the power before any work. Do not do live work except in the limited cases the WHS Regulations allow (r.157; in Qld, the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013). Eliminate
  • Lock out and tag the isolation point with your own personal lock and danger tag. Isolate
  • Test before you touch: prove dead at the point of work with a voltage tester, proving the tester on a known live source before and after (AS/NZS 4836). Engineering
  • Only licensed electricians do electrical work. Administrative
  • Check for back feeds from solar, batteries and generators that can keep a circuit live after the main switch is off. Administrative
  • Release or block all stored energy before work: release the pressure in pipes, tanks and hoses, bleed hydraulics, release springs, lower loads. Eliminate
  • Lock out and tag all energy sources with personal locks. Isolate
  • Put mechanical blocks or props under raised parts like buckets, tipper bodies and doors. Engineering
  • Test that the system is dead and nothing can move before you start. Administrative
  • Follow the maker's procedure, for example for garage door and roller door springs. Administrative
  • Use battery-powered tools where you can. Substitute
  • Plug all tools into an RCD-protected outlet or a portable RCD. Engineering
  • Keep leads off the ground and out of water, using lead stands or hooks. Engineering
  • Check leads, plugs and tools before every use. Tag out and remove anything damaged. Administrative
  • Test and tag leads, tools and RCDs at the intervals in AS/NZS 3012 (every 3 months on construction sites). Push-button test portable RCDs before each use. Administrative
  • Do not use tools in rain or wet areas unless they are rated for it. Administrative
Medium
4Work in the ceiling space only on joists, with lighting and short breaks in hot weather
  • Falling through a floor opening or void
  • Heat stress
  • Poor lighting and night work
  • Bites and stings
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
  • Schedule heavy work for the cooler part of the day. Eliminate
  • Provide shade over work and rest areas, and fans or cooling in roof spaces. Engineering
  • Supply cool drinking water close by and drink a cup every 15 to 20 minutes. Administrative
  • Take regular rest breaks in the shade, more often as it gets hotter. Administrative
  • Plan work for daylight hours where you can. Eliminate
  • Set up enough temporary lighting for the task, walkways, stairs and access points. Engineering
  • Aim lights so they do not dazzle plant operators or drivers. Engineering
  • Check lighting before work starts and carry a torch or head lamp. Administrative
  • Check work areas before starting, and get pest control to remove nests. Eliminate
  • Look before you reach into dark spaces. Administrative
  • Ask owners to keep pets away from the work area. Administrative
  • Know who has allergies and keep their medication, such as an adrenaline auto-injector, close by. Administrative
  • Know snake bite first aid: pressure immobilisation bandage, keep still and call 000. Administrative
Medium
5Scan for pipes, then chase walls and drill holes using dust extraction
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • General dust
  • Injury from power tools
  • Gas and fuel lines
Extreme
  • If the job involves engineered stone: do not supply, fabricate or install engineered stone benchtops, panels or slabs (banned since 1 July 2024). Removing, repairing or making minor changes to existing engineered stone is only allowed with water suppression or on-tool extraction, a fitted respirator, and written notice to the regulator before the work starts. Eliminate
  • Order materials cut to size, or use low-dust methods such as score and snap or a block splitter. Substitute
  • Cut outdoors or in a separate area, with other people well away and upwind. Isolate
  • Use water on the blade or on-tool dust extraction connected to an H-class vacuum. Engineering
  • Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Administrative
  • If the cutting, grinding or drilling is high risk, prepare a silica risk control plan (or include the r.529CA assessment in this SWMS), train workers in silica risks and give them the plan before work starts. Administrative
  • Use low-dust products, such as dust-reduced or pre-mixed compounds. Substitute
  • Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting in occupied buildings. Isolate
  • Use tools with dust extraction and a vacuum for clean up. Engineering
  • Lightly mist the area with water to keep dust down, away from anything electrical. Engineering
  • 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
  • Isolate and purge the line before work, with the owner's approval. Eliminate
  • Lock off and tag the isolation valve. Isolate
  • Check for leaks with a gas detector before and during work, and ventilate the area. Engineering
  • Only licensed gasfitters work on gas lines. Administrative
Medium
6Strip out old wiring, treating every cable as live until it is proven dead
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Cuts from sharp edges
Extreme
  • If live work cannot be avoided, use a permit, a safety observer and insulated tools. Administrative
  • Wear insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing and a face shield when testing or working near live parts. PPE
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative
  • Deburr or cover sharp edges, and fit edge protectors on exposed sheet metal. Engineering
  • Use knives with retractable or self-retracting blades. Engineering
  • Cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear. Administrative
  • Put used blades in a blade bin or sharps container. Administrative
  • Use two people to handle large sheets of metal or glass. Administrative
  • Wear cut-resistant gloves and long sleeves. PPE
Medium
7Pull in new cables, keeping walkways and stairs clear
  • Slips and trips
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
High
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Eliminate
  • Run leads and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Engineering
  • Fill or cover holes, and lay boards or mats on muddy access paths. Engineering
  • Clean up offcuts, packaging and spills as you go, not at the end of the day. Administrative
  • Keep work areas, stairs and access paths well lit. Administrative
  • Wear safety boots with good grip, laced up. 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
  • Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Administrative
  • Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE
Medium
8Fit off power points, switches and lights from a stable step or platform
  • Electric shock from leads and power tools
  • Falling from a ladder
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
High
  • Wear safety boots and dry gloves. PPE
  • Electric shock from leads and power tools: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative
  • Use a platform ladder, mobile scaffold or EWP for longer jobs instead of a straight ladder. Substitute
  • Use industrial-rated ladders (AS/NZS 1892, 120 kg or more) in good condition. Remove any damaged ladder from site. Engineering
  • Set extension ladders at a 4 to 1 angle on firm, level ground, tied or footed, and reaching 1 metre above the landing. Engineering
  • Use ladders only for short, light work. Do not carry heavy or awkward loads up a ladder. Administrative
  • Keep three points of contact and your belt buckle between the stiles. Do not overreach. 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
  • Warm up before heavy physical work and report aches and pains early. Administrative
Medium
9Test every circuit, re-energise, make good and hand over the certificate
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Extreme
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 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 glassesP2 dust maskWork glovesKnee padsHalf-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters)OverallsInsulated electrical glovesArc-rated clothing and face shieldSun protection (brim hat, long sleeves, SPF 50+)Hi-vis shirt or vestHearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Cut-resistant glovesHard hat

Plant and equipment

Electrical test equipmentPower drillHand toolsStep ladderRotary hammer drill

Permits and plans

Electrical isolation permit

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 house rewiring

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 house rewiring

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Agree a room by room plan with the occupants and protect floors and furniture
  2. Check the asbestos register and look for old lead paint before cutting into walls and ceilings
  3. Isolate the circuits being worked on, lock out and danger tag and test to prove dead; run any temporary supply through RCD protection
  4. Work in the ceiling space only on joists, with lighting and short breaks in hot weather
  5. Scan for pipes, then chase walls and drill holes using dust extraction
  6. Strip out old wiring, treating every cable as live until it is proven dead
  7. Pull in new cables, keeping walkways and stairs clear
  8. Fit off power points, switches and lights from a stable step or platform
  9. Test every circuit, re-energise, make good and hand over the certificate

Hazards to watch on house rewiring

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

Step 4Poor lighting and night workDim or dark work areas hide trip hazards, edges and moving plant, and make workers hard to see.
Step 4Bites and stingsSnakes, spiders, wasps and bees in roof spaces, under floors and in long grass bite or sting workers.
Step 2Lead paint dust and fumesPaint on buildings built before 1970 is likely to contain lead, and anything before 1997 may. Sanding, scraping or heating it releases dust or fumes that poison workers and families, especially children.
Step 3, 8Electric shock from leads and power toolsDamaged leads, plugs or tools, or water near power, give the user an electric shock.
Step 3Stored energyEnergy left in springs, hydraulics, compressed gas, raised loads or capacitors releases suddenly and crushes or injures workers.
Step 5Gas and fuel linesDamaging or opening a gas or fuel line causes a leak, fire or explosion.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: Insignificant to CatastrophicBA
Highest risk on house rewiring: 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 work on a roof?
  • Is there a skylight, clear sheet, fibro or other fragile roofing?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?
  • Will you use an EWP (scissor lift or boom lift)?

Licences and legal requirements in Australia

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

  • Work on or near energised electrical installations or services

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 Regulations, Chapter 8 (Asbestos); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 7.2 Lead; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.7 General electrical safety; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.7 and AS/NZS 3012; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.4 Falls; WHS Regulations, Chapter 8A (Crystalline silica substances and engineered stone); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.2 Hazardous manual tasks.

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 house rewiring?

Yes. House rewiring usually includes high risk construction work (work on or near energised electrical installations or services), 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 house rewiring?

Usually Steel cap boots, Safety glasses, P2 dust mask, Work gloves, Knee pads, Half-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters), Overalls, Insulated electrical gloves, Arc-rated clothing and face shield, Sun protection (brim hat, long sleeves, SPF 50+), Hi-vis shirt or vest, Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), Cut-resistant gloves, Hard hat. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

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

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