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Electrical · Australia

SWMS for test and tag

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

Yes. Test and tag 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 electric shock from live wiring, electric shock from leads and power tools, lifting and carrying heavy loads and working in an occupied home or building.

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SWMS example: test and tag

This is a complete SWMS for test and tag, with 5 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)
Test and tag · 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 with the client which items to test and when they can be unplugged
  • Working in an occupied home or building
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
Low
2Visually inspect each lead and tool for damage before testing
  • Electric shock from leads and power tools
  • Cuts from sharp edges
High
  • 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
  • Wear safety boots and dry gloves. PPE
  • 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
Low
3Test each item with the tester, keeping hands clear during the leakage and insulation tests
  • Electric shock from live wiring
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
  • 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
Medium
4Tag items that pass, and take failed items out of service with a danger tag
  • Electric shock from leads and power tools
High
  • Electric shock from leads and power tools: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative
Low
5Coil leads, keep walkways clear and record results
  • 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

PPE

Steel cap bootsSafety glassesP2 dust maskWork glovesCut-resistant glovesInsulated electrical glovesArc-rated clothing and face shield

Plant and equipment

Electrical test equipment

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 test and tag

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 test and tag

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Agree with the client which items to test and when they can be unplugged
  2. Visually inspect each lead and tool for damage before testing
  3. Test each item with the tester, keeping hands clear during the leakage and insulation tests
  4. Tag items that pass, and take failed items out of service with a danger tag
  5. Coil leads, keep walkways clear and record results

Hazards to watch on test and tag

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

Step 2, 4Electric shock from leads and power toolsDamaged leads, plugs or tools, or water near power, give the user an electric shock.
Step 1Working in an occupied home or buildingResidents, staff or children wander into the work area and get hurt, or the work blocks exits or cuts off power or water while people are inside.
Step 5Slips and tripsWorkers slip on wet or muddy ground or trip on leads, offcuts and uneven ground, causing sprains, broken bones or head injuries.
Step 2Cuts from sharp edgesSheet metal, glass, blades, cable tray and offcuts cut hands and arms.
Step 3Electric shock from live wiringContact with live wires, switchboards or equipment gives an electric shock or arc flash burn that can kill.
Step 5Lifting and carrying heavy loadsLifting, carrying, pushing or twisting with heavy or awkward loads strains the back, shoulders or knees.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: Insignificant to CatastrophicBA
Highest risk on test and tag: Extreme before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Australia 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible and catastrophic becomes unlikely and moderate).

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?

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 Regulation 2011, Part 4.7 and AS/NZS 3012; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.7 General electrical safety; 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 test and tag?

Yes. Test and tag 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 test and tag?

Usually Steel cap boots, Safety glasses, P2 dust mask, Work gloves, Cut-resistant gloves, Insulated electrical gloves, Arc-rated clothing and face shield. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More electrical SWMS

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Related jobs in other trades

ConcretingConcrete Cutting and Core DrillingAlso involves electric shock from live wiringDemolitionInternal Strip OutAlso involves electric shock from live wiringTilingWet Area WaterproofingAlso involves working in an occupied home or buildingPlumbingHot Water System ReplacementAlso involves electric shock from live wiringRoofingRoof Tile ReplacementAlso involves cuts from sharp edgesRoofingGutter ReplacementAlso involves cuts from sharp edges

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightsToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkWorking in Cold Weather

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

Sources