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General building · Australia

SWMS for maintenance and repairs

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

A SWMS is required by law if maintenance and repairs 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 disturbing asbestos, electric shock from live wiring, lead paint dust and fumes and falling from a ladder.

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SWMS example: maintenance and repairs

This is a complete SWMS for maintenance and repairs, 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)
Minor maintenance and repairs · General building · 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 stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Talk to the occupants and set up a tidy work area
  • 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
  • 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
Low
2Check for asbestos and lead paint before drilling or cutting older buildings
  • 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 any services you will work near
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Gas and fuel lines
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
  • 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
  • Remove ignition sources: no smoking, no hot work and no sparking tools near the line. Administrative
  • Know where the shut-off valve is and what to do if a leak happens. Administrative
  • Wear safety glasses and gloves, and keep a fire extinguisher close by. PPE
Medium
4Use the right ladder and keep three points of contact
  • Falling from a ladder
High
  • 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
  • Do not stand on the top three rungs of an extension ladder or the top step of a stepladder. Administrative
  • Check the ladder before each use: feet, rungs, stiles and locks. Administrative
  • Wear non-slip safety boots with clean soles. PPE
Medium
5Do the repair with guards and PPE on tools
  • Injury from power tools
  • Saw cuts and kickback
  • General dust
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
  • No loose clothing, jewellery or long hair near spinning parts. Administrative
  • 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
  • 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
  • Never dry sweep or blow dust off with compressed air. Administrative
Medium
6Tell someone where you are if working alone, then clean up
  • Working alone
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Medium
  • Do not do high risk work alone: work at height, confined spaces, live electrical or trenches. Eliminate
  • Set a check-in system: call or text at set times, and someone follows up if there is no reply. Administrative
  • Tell someone where you are working and when you expect to finish. Administrative
  • Carry a charged phone. Use a personal alarm or GPS device where there is no signal. Administrative
  • Keep a first aid kit on hand and know the site address for emergency services. 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
Low

PPE

Steel cap bootsSafety glassesWork glovesP2 dust maskHalf-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters)OverallsHard hatHearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)

Plant and equipment

Hand toolsPower drillStep ladderCircular saw

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 maintenance and repairs

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 maintenance and repairs

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Talk to the occupants and set up a tidy work area
  2. Check for asbestos and lead paint before drilling or cutting older buildings
  3. Isolate any services you will work near
  4. Use the right ladder and keep three points of contact
  5. Do the repair with guards and PPE on tools
  6. Tell someone where you are if working alone, then clean up

Hazards to watch on maintenance and repairs

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

Step 6Working aloneA worker on their own is hurt or falls ill and nobody knows to help them.
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 3Gas and fuel linesDamaging or opening a gas or fuel line causes a leak, fire or explosion.
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 2Disturbing asbestosBuildings built before 1990 are likely to contain asbestos, and any built before 2004 may. Drilling, cutting or breaking it releases fibres that cause cancer years later.
Step 5Saw cuts and kickbackCircular saws, drop saws and table saws cut fingers and hands or throw material back at the user.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: Insignificant to CatastrophicBA
Highest risk on maintenance and repairs: Extreme before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Australia 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible 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)?

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 maintenance and repairs?

A SWMS is required by law if maintenance and repairs 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.

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 maintenance and repairs?

Usually Steel cap boots, Safety glasses, Work gloves, P2 dust mask, Half-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters), Overalls, Hard hat, Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs). The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More general building SWMS

SWMSSite Setup6 stepsSWMSHouse Extension7 stepsSWMSBathroom Renovation10 stepsSWMSKitchen Renovation5 stepsSWMSNew Home Construction6 stepsSWMSShed Construction5 stepsSWMSGranny Flat Construction5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionInternal Strip OutAlso involves disturbing asbestosElectricalSwitchboard UpgradeAlso involves working in an occupied home or buildingRoofingGutter ReplacementAlso involves disturbing asbestosConcretingConcrete Cutting and Core DrillingAlso involves electric shock from live wiringAir conditioning and refrigerationSplit System InstallationAlso involves electric shock from live wiringPlumbingHot Water System ReplacementAlso involves electric shock from live wiring

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkWorking at HeightsToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power Tools

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

Sources