Scaffolding · Australia

SWMS for scaffold erection

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

Yes. Scaffold erection usually includes high risk construction work (risk of a person falling more than 2 metres), 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 height, scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold, road traffic and public entering the work area.

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SWMS example: scaffold erection

This is a complete SWMS for scaffold erection, 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)

Scaffold erection · Scaffolding · Example

Document SWMS-001 · Rev 1

High risk construction work covered

Risk of a person falling more than 2 metres

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Check the design, ground conditions and power lines before unloading	Contact with overhead power lines Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold	Extreme	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 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 Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold: see step 9 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
2	Set up an exclusion zone or hoarding and control traffic and the public	Public entering the work area Road traffic Falling tools and materials	Extreme	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 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 Road traffic: see step 3 for the full controls 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 Falling tools and materials: see step 6 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
3	Unload and stack gear close to the work, lifting with a partner	Lifting and carrying heavy loads Road traffic	Extreme	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 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	Medium
4	Set base plates and sole boards on firm, level ground	Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold	Extreme	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 Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold: see step 9 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
5	Erect lift by lift, installing guardrails as you go and staying clipped on	Falling from height Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold	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 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 Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold: see step 9 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
6	Pass components up by hand or with a rated gin wheel fixed to the maker's instructions, never throw them	Falling tools and materials Lifting and carrying heavy loads	High	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 Lower materials with a hoist, chute or rope. Never throw or drop anything down. Administrative Wear a hard hat anywhere objects could fall. PPE Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
7	Tie in to the building at the design spacing as each lift goes up	Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold Strong wind and storms	Extreme	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 Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold: see step 9 for the full controls Administrative 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
8	Fit decks, guardrails, toe boards and ladder access	Falling from height Falling tools and materials Falling from a ladder	Extreme	Falling from height: see step 5 for the full controls Administrative Falling tools and materials: see step 6 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	Medium
9	Inspect and tag the scaffold, and give a written handover certificate before anyone uses a scaffold over 4 m (WHS Regulations r.225(2))	Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold	Extreme	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

PPE

Steel cap bootsHard hatSafety harness and lanyardWork glovesHi-vis shirt or vestSafety glasses

Plant and equipment

Fixed scaffold: Scaffolding HRWL (SB, SI or SA) to erect, alter or dismantle where a fall of more than 4 m is possibleTrailerHand tools

Permits and plans

Working at heights 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.

Page 1 of the free scaffold erection SWMS template: business details, high risk construction work and job steps with hazards, risk ratings and controls

Free SWMS template for scaffold erection

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 scaffold erection

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
Edge protection installed and checked before anyone works above 2 m
Ladder inspected, secured and extending 1 m above the landing
Scaffold tagged, with a handover certificate if over 4 m
Overhead lines identified and safe distances marked
Exclusion zone and spotter set up for plant and traffic
Exclusion zone below the work and public kept out
Wind and weather checked; stop work limits agreed
First aider, first aid kit and emergency number (000) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: steel cap boots, hard hat, safety harness and lanyard, work gloves

The safe sequence of work

Check the design, ground conditions and power lines before unloading
Set up an exclusion zone or hoarding and control traffic and the public
Unload and stack gear close to the work, lifting with a partner
Set base plates and sole boards on firm, level ground
Erect lift by lift, installing guardrails as you go and staying clipped on
Pass components up by hand or with a rated gin wheel fixed to the maker's instructions, never throw them
Tie in to the building at the design spacing as each lift goes up
Fit decks, guardrails, toe boards and ladder access
Inspect and tag the scaffold, and give a written handover certificate before anyone uses a scaffold over 4 m (WHS Regulations r.225(2))

Hazards to watch on scaffold erection

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

Step 2, 3Road trafficPassing cars and trucks hit workers or plant working on or next to a road.

Step 1, 4, 5, 7, 9Scaffold 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 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 7Strong wind and stormsWind blows sheets, panels and people off roofs and scaffolds, and storms and lightning make work at height and lifting unsafe.

Step 8Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.

Step 5, 8Falling from heightA worker falls more than 2 metres from an edge, platform or opening and is badly hurt or killed.

Highest risk on scaffold erection: 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 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?
Will you sand, scrape, cut or heat paint on a building built before 1997?

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

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

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, Part 5.1 Plant and r.225 (scaffolds); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 3.2 (falling objects); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.2 Hazardous manual tasks; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.4 Falls.

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 scaffold erection?

Yes. Scaffold erection usually includes high risk construction work (risk of a person falling more than 2 metres), 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 scaffold erection?

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

More scaffolding SWMS

SWMSScaffold Dismantling5 steps SWMSMobile Scaffold5 steps SWMSScaffold Inspection4 steps SWMSRoof Edge Protection Installation5 steps SWMSScaffold Alteration5 steps

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