General building · Australia

SWMS for site setup

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

Yes. Site setup usually includes high risk construction work (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 hitting underground services, electric shock from live wiring, road traffic and being hit by mobile plant.

Make this SWMS now Word template PDF

SWMS example: site setup

This is a complete SWMS for site setup, 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)

Site set up and establishment · General building · Example

Document SWMS-001 · Rev 1

High risk construction work covered

Work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Get BYDA plans and check for overhead power lines	Hitting underground services Contact with overhead power lines	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 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
2	Install site fencing and signs to keep the public out	Public entering the work area Lifting and carrying heavy loads	High	Fence off the site with secure temporary fencing and lock the gates when you leave. Isolate Give pedestrians a safe, marked path around the work, with ramps for prams and wheelchairs. Isolate Use hoarding, covered walkways or catch fans where work is above public areas. Engineering Put signs at each entry: site name, contact number and "No unauthorised entry". Administrative Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower plant, remove ladders and lock tools away. Administrative Use a spotter when moving plant or materials across public paths. Administrative 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
3	Set up toilets, first aid, fire extinguishers and the sign in area	Fire and emergencies Poor housekeeping and waste	High	Provide fire extinguishers suited to the site, checked and easy to reach. Engineering Keep exits and escape routes clear and signed. Engineering Have a site emergency plan: alarm, exits, assembly point and emergency contacts. Administrative Keep a stocked first aid kit and at least one trained first aider on site. Administrative Know the site address and how emergency services get in. Call 000. Administrative Go through the emergency plan with every worker and visitor at induction. Administrative Keep flammable materials and rubbish away from exits and escape routes. 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
4	Arrange temporary power with RCD protection	Electric shock from leads and power tools Electric shock from live wiring	Extreme	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 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
5	Mark delivery routes and parking, away from walkways	Road traffic Being hit by mobile plant	Extreme	Do the work at low-traffic times, or close the road or lane with approval. Eliminate Put solid barriers between the work and traffic where speeds are high, not just cones. Isolate Use a truck-mounted attenuator or buffer vehicle on high speed roads. Engineering Have a Traffic Management Plan. Signs and cones are set out by accredited traffic controllers to your state's rules. Administrative Get a road occupancy or street works permit from the road authority before you start. Administrative Park work vehicles to shield the work zone, with beacons on. Administrative Wear day and night hi-vis clothing (AS/NZS 4602.1). PPE Separate people and plant with barriers, exclusion zones and marked walkways. Isolate Use plant with working reversing alarms, cameras and lights. Engineering Have a traffic management plan showing plant routes, loading areas and pedestrian paths. Administrative Use a spotter when reversing or working near people. Administrative Make eye contact with the operator before going near. Stay out of the swing radius. Administrative Operators hold a High Risk Work Licence where needed (for example forklift) and are trained and assessed on other plant. Administrative Do a pre-start check on each machine every day and record it. Administrative Wear hi-vis clothing and a hard hat. PPE	Medium
6	Run the site induction for every worker	Working alone Fatigue	High	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 Plan hours so workers get a proper break between shifts and do not work long stretches without a day off. Eliminate Avoid high risk tasks at the end of long shifts. Administrative Take regular breaks and rotate tiring tasks. Administrative Speak up if you or a workmate are too tired to work safely. Administrative Plan travel so nobody drives a long way home after a long shift. Administrative	Medium

PPE

Steel cap bootsHi-vis shirt or vestHard hatWork gloves

Plant and equipment

TrailerHand toolsGeneratorSkid steer (Bobcat): Verification of competency (VOC) for the machine

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 site setup

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 site setup

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
Overhead lines identified and safe distances marked
BYDA plans on site and services located
Exclusion zone and spotter set up for plant and traffic
Exclusion zone below the work and public kept out
First aider, first aid kit and emergency number (000) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: steel cap boots, hi-vis shirt or vest, hard hat, work gloves

The safe sequence of work

Get BYDA plans and check for overhead power lines
Install site fencing and signs to keep the public out
Set up toilets, first aid, fire extinguishers and the sign in area
Arrange temporary power with RCD protection
Mark delivery routes and parking, away from walkways
Run the site induction for every worker

Hazards to watch on site setup

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

Step 6FatigueLong hours, early starts and long drives leave workers tired and slow to react, so mistakes and crashes happen.

Step 6Working aloneA worker on their own is hurt or falls ill and nobody knows to help them.

Step 5Road trafficPassing cars and trucks hit workers or plant working on or next to a road.

Step 3Fire and emergenciesA fire, injury or other emergency happens and workers cannot get out, raise the alarm or get first aid in time.

Step 1Contact 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 4Electric shock from leads and power toolsDamaged leads, plugs or tools, or water near power, give the user an electric shock.

Highest risk on site setup: 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 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 in an area with movement of powered mobile plant

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

Skid steer (Bobcat): Verification of competency (VOC) for the machine

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 4.2 Hazardous manual tasks; WHS Regulation 2011, regulation 43 (emergency plans); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.7 and AS/NZS 3012; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.7 General electrical safety; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 5.1 Plant; WHS Regulation 2011, regulation 48 (remote or isolated work).

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 site setup?

Yes. Site setup usually includes high risk construction work (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 site setup?

Usually Steel cap boots, Hi-vis shirt or vest, Hard hat, Work gloves. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

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Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at Heights Toolbox talkOverhead Power Lines Toolbox talkExtension Leads and Power Tools Toolbox talkFatigue Management

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