How to write a SWMS
The Regulations require exactly four things of a Safe Work Method Statement. Write to those four, in consultation with the crew, against the actual site — and the document almost writes itself. Here is the method, and the mistakes that make a SWMS fail.
The writing method
State the actual task and where it happens: “installation of roof sheeting on a two-storey dwelling, working from the roof edge”, not “roofing works”. The first statutory element is to identify the work that is high risk construction work, so say which of the 18 categories it falls into.
Break the job into its steps and, for each, record the hazards (the things with potential to cause harm — the unprotected edge, the live switchboard, the trench wall) and the risks associated with them (a fall of 3 metres, electric shock, engulfment). The Regulation asks for both, and writing them separately keeps the thinking honest.
For every risk, describe the measures that will control it, working down the hierarchy of controls: eliminate first, then substitute, isolate or engineer, then administrative controls, then PPE. “Guardrail to all exposed edges before work starts” is a control; “take care near edges” is not.
The most-skipped element, and it is mandatory: who puts each control in place, who checks it is working and how often, and what triggers a review. Name roles, not intentions — “supervisor inspects edge protection at the start of each shift”.
A SWMS written in an office and handed down is weaker in law and useless in practice. Prepare it with the crew, walk it against the actual site, and have everyone who will do the work sign on before starting.
The statement must be prepared taking into account the circumstances at the workplace — access, other trades, weather exposure, the WHS management plan if there is one — and it must be readily accessible to workers while the work is being done.
Steps 1–4 are the statutory elements of s. 299; steps 5 and 6 come from the preparation and accessibility requirements in the same section.
Five mistakes that make a SWMS fail
A purchased or reused SWMS is a legitimate starting point — but the Regulation requires it to be prepared taking into account the circumstances at the workplace. If the document could describe any site in the country, it does not describe yours.
Many SWMS list hazards and controls and stop. Describing how the controls are implemented, monitored and reviewed is a separate statutory requirement — a SWMS without it is incomplete on its face.
The duty is explicit: the SWMS must exist before high risk construction work commences. A statement backfilled after an incident is evidence against you, not for you.
The statement must be reviewed and revised when control measures are revised — when a control is not working, before a change that creates a new risk, when a new hazard appears, or when a health and safety representative asks. A SWMS with a two-year-old date and no revisions on a changing site is a red flag to any inspector.
The Regulation requires the statement to be set out and expressed in a way that is readily accessible and understandable to persons who use it. Ten pages of legal boilerplate fails that test as surely as a blank form does.
Common questions
What must a SWMS contain?
Four things: identify the work that is high risk construction work; specify the hazards relating to it and the risks associated with those hazards; describe the measures to be implemented to control the risks; and describe how the control measures are to be implemented, monitored and reviewed.
Can I use a template to write a SWMS?
Yes — a well-written template for your activity is a legitimate and common starting point. What the law requires is that the finished statement reflects your site and your crew: the Regulations say it must be prepared taking into account the circumstances at the workplace. Buy or download the template, then edit it against the actual job before anyone signs on.
What does a completed SWMS look like?
A completed SWMS names the job and site, identifies which high risk construction work categories apply, breaks the task into steps with hazards and risks per step, states a concrete control for each risk with the person responsible, describes monitoring and review arrangements, and carries the sign-on of every worker doing the work, with a revision history if anything has changed.
How long should a SWMS be?
As short as it can be while covering the four required elements for the actual work. The Regulation requires it to be readily accessible and understandable to the people who use it — a focused document the crew actually reads beats a long one they sign without reading.
Who signs a SWMS?
There is no statutory signature requirement, but sign-on by every worker carrying out the work is the standard way to evidence the consultation and instruction duties, and principal contractors almost universally require it. The person who prepared or approved the statement should be identifiable too.
General information, not legal advice. Statutory wording read from the Regulation on 2026-07-30.
Start from a document written this way
Every SWMS we publish is structured on the four statutory elements for its activity and state — you edit it to your site instead of writing from a blank page.
Browse SWMS documentsWhat is a SWMS? · When is a SWMS required? · The 18 HRCW activities