Structural Underpinning / House Lifting SWMS
SWMS template for structural underpinning / house lifting. Covers Mass concrete underpinning, screw piles, jacking.. 8-state AU coverage, CIH-reviewed editable DOCX, available as an instant download.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Structural underpinning and house lifting works involve transferring building loads onto new foundations through mass concrete underpinning, screw pile installation, or hydraulic jacking systems. These operations are classified as High Risk Construction Work under WHS Regulation 2011 r291 because they involve structural alterations that may cause collapse, work near excavations deeper than 1.5 metres, and the use of temporary load-bearing supports. The simultaneous presence of suspended structural loads, confined excavation environments, and heavy mechanical plant creates compounding hazards that demand documented risk control before any worker enters the zone of influence. A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory under WHS Regulation s299 prior to commencement and must be developed in consultation with workers performing the task. This SWMS template addresses sequenced jacking, pin-loading verification, excavation shoring, and the carpentry-specific timber needling and noggin installation required to redistribute load during temporary support phases.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Crush fatality, multi-level building failure, manslaughter prosecution under WHS Act s31 reckless conduct provisions
Fatal crush injury to operator, structural damage, building condemnation requiring full demolition
Asphyxiation, traumatic crush injury, multiple worker entrapment requiring extended technical rescue
Severe blunt force trauma, fractured skull, permanent disability from rotating hydraulic attachment failure
Lumbar disc herniation, chronic musculoskeletal injury, permanent restricted work capacity
Electrocution, gas explosion, sewer contamination causing biological exposure and significant third-party liability
Head and shoulder impact injuries, masonry strike fatalities to workers in adjacent excavation pits
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Eliminate manual underpinning by specifying screw pile or resin injection alternatives during design review where ground conditions and engineer certification permit.
- 2Elimination — Remove workers from excavation pits during active jacking sequences by using remote hydraulic pump stations positioned outside the zone of influence.
- 3Substitution — Substitute traditional mass concrete pits with engineered screw piles to reduce excavation depth, exposure time, and confined working volume per pin.
- 4Substitution — Replace solid timber needles with engineered steel needle beams sized by structural engineer to reduce manual handling weight and improve load predictability.
- 5Engineering — Install proprietary trench shoring or shotcrete pit linings to AS 5047 standards before any worker enters excavations exceeding 1.5 metres in depth.
- 6Engineering — Use calibrated hydraulic jacks with integrated pressure transducers and mechanical lock-off collars compliant with AS 2538 to prevent uncontrolled load release.
- 7Administrative — Sequence underpinning pits in 1-2-3 hit-and-miss pattern per engineer's methodology, with documented hold points and surveyor monitoring of building movement.
- 8Administrative — Conduct daily pre-start briefings using this SWMS, exclusion zone signage, Dial Before You Dig service plans, and sign-on register for all workers in zone.
- 9PPE — Issue AS/NZS 1801 Type 1 hard hats, AS/NZS 2210.3 steel-cap boots, high-visibility AS/NZS 4602.1 garments and cut-resistant gloves to all underpinning crew.
- 10PPE — Provide AS/NZS 1337.1 impact-rated eye protection and AS/NZS 1270 Class 4 hearing protection during screw pile installation and concrete breaking activities.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates shoring, benching or battering for excavations over 1.5m, ground assessment, and supervisor competency directly applicable to underpinning pits.
Establishes HRCW SWMS requirements under r291, principal contractor duties, and consultation obligations for structural alteration work involving load transfer.
Provides ground classification, compaction testing and supervision frequency criteria that underpin engineer certification of pit bases before concrete pour.
Governs screw pile torque verification, installation tolerances and load testing protocols that establish the safe working load during house lifting operations.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Underpinning transfers the entire building dead load onto temporary needles and jacks during pin installation, meeting the temporary support criterion directly.
Mass concrete underpinning pits routinely extend 1.8-2.4 metres below footings to reach competent founding strata, exceeding the trigger depth.
Narrow underpinning pits with restricted access, limited natural ventilation and risk of engulfment meet the confined space classification under AS 2865.
PCBUs must prepare, consult workers on, and retain this SWMS for two years post-incident under WHS Reg s291; penalties for non-compliance are substantial and indexed, with current maximums following the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Residential underpinning contractors and house lifters
- →Restumping and reblocking specialists on heritage cottages
- →Screw pile installation crews on remedial projects
- →Principal contractors managing subsidence rectification works
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX template — Microsoft Word compatible
- ✓State-specific WHS legislation schedule (NSW/VIC/QLD/SA/WA/TAS/NT/ACT)
- ✓Hazard register with risk ratings + hierarchy-of-control mapping
- ✓Worker sign-on register, pre-start checklist, and incident escalation flow
Worked example
On a suburban Federation cottage restumping project, the site supervisor opens this SWMS at the 6:45am pre-start brief with a three-person crew preparing to commence pit 4 of a 12-pit sequenced underpinning program. Working through the hazard register, the team confirms the previous day's pit 3 has reached 72-hour concrete cure and surveyor readings show less than 2mm movement on the brick wall above. The supervisor walks the crew to pit 4, points out the proximity of a sewer connection identified on the Dial Before You Dig plan, and selects the engineering control requiring hand excavation within 500mm of the marked service. The carpenter responsible for needle installation reviews the manual handling control and pairs with the labourer to two-person lift the steel needle beam rather than the timber alternative. All three workers sign on to the SWMS register. Mid-morning, ground conditions change to running sand at 1.6m depth. The supervisor halts work, refers back to the SWMS excavation hazard, and implements the documented escalation — installing proprietary trench shields before any worker re-enters. The amendment is recorded on the SWMS, workers re-sign, and the engineer is called to inspect before the pour proceeds that afternoon.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- Construction Work CoP; Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces CoP
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a SWMS for structural underpinning or house lifting work?
Yes. Underpinning and house lifting is High Risk Construction Work because it involves structural alterations requiring temporary support, work in trenches deeper than 1.5 metres, and work in confined underpinning pits, so a SWMS is legally required before the work starts. The document must be developed in consultation with the workers performing the task and kept available while the work is carried out.
Can I use this SWMS in Victoria or other states and territories?
You can use it as a starting point in every jurisdiction — the template includes a state-specific WHS legislation schedule covering NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT. Victoria is the exception to the model WHS framework: it operates under the OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017, so update the legislation schedule with OHS-Act equivalents and cite WorkSafe Victoria compliance material in place of the model Codes of Practice.
Are the Codes of Practice referenced in this SWMS legally binding?
In New South Wales, yes. The Excavation Work and Construction Work Codes of Practice referenced in this template are legally binding under Section 26A of the WHS Act (NSW) since 1 July 2026, meaning duty holders must comply with the Code or achieve an equivalent or higher standard of protection. In other jurisdictions the Codes remain strong evidence of what is reasonably practicable.
Does this SWMS replace the structural engineer's underpinning methodology?
No. The SWMS documents the safety controls around the work — shoring, jack lock-offs, exclusion zones and manual handling — but the pit sequence, needle sizing, jacking loads and hold points must come from a structural engineer, and pit bases still require engineer certification before any concrete pour. It also does not replace Dial Before You Dig service plans or any licensing required for the trade.
How do I make this SWMS site-specific before use?
Every SWMS must be tailored to the actual site before work starts. Enter the PCBU and project details, align the hit-and-miss pit sequence and hold points with your engineer's methodology, mark up known underground services from the service plans, and remove any hazards or controls that do not apply. Review the document with the crew at the pre-start briefing, have every worker sign on, and amend it whenever ground conditions or the method change.