A safe work method statement, or SWMS, is the document that sets out how high-risk construction work will be carried out safely. Safetysure prepares SWMS from scratch and reviews the ones you already hold, so the document satisfies the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) and, just as importantly, works in the hands of the crew on site. We support builders, principal contractors, subcontractors, and trades across Queensland.
When a SWMS is legally required
Under section 299 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld), a SWMS must be prepared before high-risk construction work starts. It is not optional, and it is tied to the type of work, not the size of the job.
Section 299 also sets what the document must contain. A SWMS must identify the high-risk construction work, state the hazards and the risks to health and safety, describe the control measures, and describe how those controls will be implemented, monitored, and reviewed. It must be prepared with the conditions at the workplace and the WHS management plan in mind, and it must be set out so the people using it can read and follow it.
Where the work involves a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres and the statement relies only on administrative controls or personal protective equipment, section 299 requires it to record every control that was considered, measured against the general fall-protection duty in section 79. We make sure that reasoning is documented rather than assumed.
You might like to read Are AI Generated SWMS Compliant?
What counts as high-risk construction work
Section 291 of the Regulation lists eighteen categories of high-risk construction work. If your work falls into any of them, a SWMS is required:
- a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres
- work on a telecommunications tower
- demolition of a load-bearing element, or one otherwise related to the structure’s integrity
- work that involves, or is likely to involve, disturbing asbestos
- structural alterations or repairs that need temporary support to prevent collapse
- work in or near a confined space
- work in or near a shaft or trench deeper than 1.5 metres, or a tunnel
- the use of explosives
- work on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping
- work on or near chemical, fuel, or refrigerant lines
- work on or near energised electrical installations or services
- work in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere
- work involving tilt-up or precast concrete
- work on, in, or next to a road, railway, shipping lane, or other traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians
- work in an area with any movement of powered mobile plant
- work in an area with artificial extremes of temperature
- work in or near water or another liquid with a risk of drowning
- diving work
Read related content: Fine Demonstrates Importance of Following Safe Work Method Statements or Assessing a Principal Contractor for Due Diligence
Our SWMS services
SWMS review
If you already have SWMS, we audit them against sections 299 and 300 of the Regulation and against how the work is actually done. A common problem is a statement that reads well on paper but does not match the task, names controls no one uses, or was copied from a template written for different work. We tell you where each SWMS is compliant, where it is exposed, and exactly what to change, in plain language a site team can act on.
SWMS custom build
We prepare bespoke statements for your specific work, plant, and site. Each one identifies the high-risk construction work, works through the hazards and the hierarchy of control properly, with elimination and engineering controls preferred over administrative measures and personal protective equipment, and is written to be used at the point of work rather than filed and forgotten. We build them to suit your trade, whether that is structural work, demolition, work at height, confined space entry, or work around mobile plant.
Principal contractor and subcontractor support
The duties do not sit in one place. A business carrying out high-risk construction work must prepare the SWMS and, under section 301, give a copy to the principal contractor before the work starts. The principal contractor, under section 312, must take all reasonable steps to obtain that copy before the work begins. We help principal contractors set up systems to collect, check, and keep statements across all their subcontractors, and we help subcontractors produce ones that will pass that check. For the wider contractor assurance picture, see our subcontractor WHS audit.
What makes a SWMS work, not just comply
Compliance is the floor. A statement earns its place when the crew reads it, recognises the job, and follows it. We keep them specific, free of copied filler, and matched to the actual sequence of work, so the document supports the toolbox talk rather than contradicting it. That is the difference between a SWMS that protects people and one that only protects a filing cabinet.
Related services
SWMS work often sits alongside other high-risk work support: control of working at height, confined space entry, and broader WHS audits. For the full picture of how we work, see our WHS consultants Brisbane page and our Queensland coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a SWMS for all construction work?
No. A SWMS is required for high-risk construction work, the eighteen categories in section 291. Ordinary construction work outside those categories does not need one, although you still have to manage its risks under the Act.
Is a SWMS the same as a JSA or a safe work procedure?
No, although they overlap. A SWMS is a specific document required by the Regulation for high-risk construction work, with set contents. A job safety analysis or a safe work procedure is a broader risk tool you can use for any task. We prepare all three and can tell you which one your work calls for.
Can you review SWMS prepared by our subcontractors?
Yes. That is a large part of the review work we do for principal contractors. We check each subcontractor SWMS against the Regulation and against the work it covers, and flag the ones that need revising before work starts.
Talk to us about your SWMS
Whether you need an existing set reviewed or new statements built for an upcoming job, we can help. Call Safetysure on 1300 087 888, email admin@safetysure.com.au, or use our contact page to discuss the work and request a quote.
Safetysure S1, Level 2, 12 Browning Street, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Phone: 1300 087 888 Email: admin@safetysure.com.au
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm (24-hour emergency call-out available)