Kerb & Channel Construction SWMS
SWMS template for kerb & channel construction. Covers Formwork, pour, trowel finish. 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.
Kerb and channel construction covers the construction of kerb and channel (kerb and gutter) — forming and placing the concrete kerb and channel along roads with a kerbing machine or by hand, including the concrete and finishing. The defining hazards are the wet alkaline concrete which burns, the kerbing machine and powered mobile plant, the road traffic, and the manual handling. This document is written on the basis that kerb and channel construction is carried out with the concrete-burn, plant, traffic and manual-handling controls in place.
Kerb and channel construction is carried out as construction work in connection with the construction, plant and traffic requirements, with the wet alkaline concrete managed against burns, the kerbing machine and plant operated safely, the road traffic managed, and the manual handling managed. Because the work is on or adjacent to a road and in an area of powered mobile plant movement, it is high risk construction work. The concrete burns, the plant, the traffic, and the manual handling are the considerations. This document coordinates the concrete-burn, plant, traffic and manual-handling controls so the kerb and channel construction is carried out safely.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Chemical burns and dermatitis from the wet alkaline concrete
Crush and run-over from the kerbing machine and plant
Being struck by road traffic on or adjacent to a road
Musculoskeletal injury handling concrete and materials
Silicosis from respirable crystalline silica cutting concrete
Crush from pedestrian and plant interaction
Injury from the concrete delivery and pump
Musculoskeletal injury from awkward postures and kneeling
Burns from eye and skin contact with concrete
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1PPE: protect skin and eyes against wet alkaline concrete, which causes burns and dermatitis, with waterproof gloves and clothing and prompt washing of any contact.
- 2Engineering: use the road and civil plant — pavers, rollers, profilers, graders, rigs and trucks — safely to the plant requirements and the manufacturer's instructions, with guarding, pre-operational checks, competent operators and the plant maintained.
- 3Engineering: manage the road traffic with a traffic management plan and traffic guidance scheme, accredited traffic controllers, signage, barriers and speed reduction, separating the workers and plant from the live traffic, because working on or near a live road is a serious hazard.
- 4Engineering: use mechanical aids — excavators, cranes, pipe layers and lifting equipment — and team lifting for the heavy pipes, barriers, panels, rolls and materials, and manage the manual-handling and awkward-posture hazard with the hierarchy of controls for hazardous manual tasks.
- 5Engineering: control the respirable crystalline silica from cutting concrete at the source with water suppression or extraction, never dry-cutting uncontrolled, with respiratory protection.
- 6Engineering: separate pedestrians and powered mobile plant with designated routes, exclusion zones, spotters and a traffic management plan, because pedestrian and plant interaction is a leading cause of serious injury on civil sites.
- 7Engineering: manage the concrete delivery and pump safely, and avoid eye and skin contact with the concrete.
- 8Administrative: manage the awkward postures and kneeling.
- 9Administrative: because the work is on, in or adjacent to a road or traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians, prepare a SWMS for the high risk construction work before it commences, with the traffic management implemented.
- 10Administrative: because the work is carried out in an area in which there is movement of powered mobile plant, prepare a SWMS for the high risk construction work before it commences, with the pedestrian and plant separation implemented.
- 11Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001), with the plant tickets, traffic control accreditation, confined space, and other competencies required for the work.
- 12Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, the traffic and plant movements, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
- 13Administrative: consult workers and any health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document available at the workplace.
- 14PPE: high-visibility clothing to AS/NZS 4602.1, eye protection, hearing protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
- 15Administrative: review and update this SWMS whenever the work scope changes, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, when new hazards are identified, or at minimum every 12 months.
- 16Administrative: confirm the work is completed safely, the excavation, plant and area are left in a safe condition, and the site is secured.
Applicable Codes of Practice
The general construction work duties for the civil road work, including the SWMS and principal contractor duties.
Management of the bitumen, paints, solvents and fuels, including safety data sheets and exposure controls.
The separation of workers and plant from live road traffic, traffic guidance schemes and traffic control.
Controls for the road and civil plant, rigs, rollers and pavers used in the work, including guarding and safe operation.
The control of respirable crystalline silica from cutting, profiling and milling asphalt, concrete and rock.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
The work is carried out on or adjacent to a road in use by traffic other than pedestrians, which is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS and a traffic management plan before the work commences.
The work is carried out in an area in which there is movement of powered mobile plant, which is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS before the work commences.
This is civil construction work that, in the circumstances described, is high risk construction work — involving on, in or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians; in an area at a workplace in which there is movement of powered mobile plant — so a SWMS must be prepared before the work commences, kept readily accessible, reviewed as necessary, and given to the principal contractor if one is appointed. The work is carried out in connection with the relevant construction, excavation, traffic, plant and other requirements, with the controls for the specific hazards applied. A failure in this work can cause a fatal trench collapse, traffic, plant, fall, gas or other serious injury, and breaches of the relevant legislation and the primary duty of care under the model WHS Act are actively enforced, with offence categories running from failure-to-comply through to reckless conduct, and the most serious breaches carrying imprisonment for individuals. Body-corporate maxima are substantial and indexed; the current maximum follows the prevailing schedule of the responsible regulator.
Who this is for
- →Kerbing crews and concreters.
- →Kerbing and civil construction contractors.
- →Civil and road construction businesses.
- →Councils and PCBUs requiring kerb and channel.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the concrete-burn, plant and traffic controls.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) fully compatible with Microsoft Word 2016 and newer, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- ✓Title page with editable fields for PCBU name, ABN, site or project address, work description, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the kerb and channel construction hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Kerb and channel prompts referencing the construction and traffic Codes of Practice, a wet-concrete and burns section, a kerbing-machine section, and a traffic and manual-handling record.
- ✓Licensing and competency prompts for the plant, traffic control, confined space and other work, and a plant pre-operational and inspection checklist where relevant.
- ✓Worker consultation record per the model WHS Act consultation duty and a worker sign-on register (blank, expandable).
- ✓Applicable legislation and Codes of Practice schedule pre-populated for the model WHS jurisdiction with a state-variance reference table covering the harmonised states, plus Victoria.
- ✓Emergency procedure template and a revision log.
Worked example
A kerbing crew is engaged to construct kerb and channel along a road. The wet alkaline concrete is managed against burns with waterproof gloves and clothing and prompt washing, and eye and skin contact avoided. The kerbing machine and plant are operated safely, and pedestrians and the plant separated. The road traffic is managed with a traffic management plan and accredited traffic controllers. The concrete and materials are handled with mechanical aids and team lifting. The respirable crystalline silica from cutting concrete is controlled at the source with water suppression or extraction. The concrete delivery and pump are managed safely. The awkward postures and kneeling are managed. Because the work is on a road and in an area of powered mobile plant movement, a SWMS is prepared for the high risk construction work. The kerb and channel are constructed, the area secured, and the records retained.
Related legislation
- Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — the construction work, excavation, plant, traffic, confined spaces and falls provisions, and the Section 291 high risk construction work and SWMS duties, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- The construction work, excavation work, confined spaces and falls Codes of Practice, the traffic management guidance, and the relevant standards such as AS 5100 for bridges and AS 4678 for retaining structures, are called up by the relevant safety legislation for the civil road work.
- Essential services information is obtained through Before You Dig Australia for underground assets and the Look Up and Live information for overhead assets before excavating; plant operation, traffic control and confined space work require the relevant licences, accreditations and competencies.
- Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the construction, excavation, plant and high risk construction work provisions applying in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main hazard in kerb and channel construction?
The hazards are the wet alkaline concrete which burns, the kerbing machine and powered mobile plant, the road traffic, the manual handling, and the silica from cutting concrete. These are managed with the concrete-burn, plant, traffic and manual-handling controls.
Is kerb and channel construction high risk construction work?
Yes — it is carried out on or adjacent to a road and in an area of powered mobile plant movement, both of which are high risk construction work requiring a SWMS before the work commences. Kerb and channel construction triggers the traffic-corridor and powered-mobile-plant high risk construction work categories.
Why is wet concrete a burn hazard?
Wet concrete is alkaline and can cause chemical burns and dermatitis on contact with skin, so it is managed with waterproof gloves and clothing and prompt washing, and eye and skin contact avoided. Protecting the skin and eyes against the wet alkaline concrete prevents burns in kerb and channel construction.
How is the kerbing machine managed?
The kerbing machine and powered mobile plant are operated safely to the plant requirements, with pedestrians and the plant separated. Managing the kerbing machine and the pedestrian-plant interaction controls the crush and run-over hazard.
Who constructs kerb and channel?
Kerb and channel construction is carried out by competent kerbing crews in connection with the construction, plant and traffic requirements, with the concrete-burn, plant, traffic and manual-handling controls, and a SWMS for the high risk construction work. The kerb and channel are constructed with the concrete, plant and traffic managed.