Concrete Pool Construction (Concreter Side) SWMS

Concrete pool construction by the concreter trade involves a sequence of high-risk activities including bulk excavation of the pool shell, fixing of heavy reinforcement cages, and pneumatic application of shotcrete or gunite to form the structural shell. Each phase exposes workers to mechanical, gravitational, respiratory, and ergonomic hazards that are individually capable of causing serious injury or fatality. Under WHS Regulation 2011 r291 and equivalent state provisions, this scope of work meets multiple definitions of High Risk Construction Work (HRCW), making a documented and signed Safe Work Method Statement mandatory before work commences. The SWMS must identify hazards, specify controls in line with the hierarchy of control under r36, be developed in consultation with workers under s47-48, and remain available for inspection for the duration of the work. This template addresses concreter-side duties only and integrates excavation, reo fixing, shotcrete and respirable crystalline silica controls into one auditable document.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Elimination — Eliminate manual dry-mix shotcreting by specifying wet-mix process delivery from an agitator truck removing dust generation and reducing nozzleman exposure at source.
2. 2Elimination — Eliminate confined working at base by sequencing reo cage prefabrication above ground and craning the assembled cage into the excavation in one lift.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute high-silica aggregates with lower-silica fine sand blends in the shotcrete mix design where structural specification permits to reduce respirable silica generation.
4. 4Substitution — Substitute hand-tied reo with prefabricated mechanically coupled cages reducing time spent kneeling on bars and exposure to impalement points.
5. 5Engineering — Engineering: install benched or battered excavation profile to geotechnical report angles, shotcrete-anchored capping beam, and edge protection meeting AS/NZS 4994.1 around the perimeter.
6. 6Engineering — Engineering: cap all protruding starter bars with engineered impalement protection caps, fit hose whip-checks and safety pins at every coupling, and use remote nozzle holders where geometry permits.
7. 7Administrative — Administrative: conduct daily pre-start using this SWMS, enforce silica exclusion zones during shotcreting, rotate nozzlemen every two hours, and complete health monitoring under WHS Reg r435.
8. 8Administrative — Administrative: verify excavation by competent person each shift after rain, restrict access to shotcrete rebound zone via hard barricades, and log all sign-ons and toolbox amendments.
9. 9PPE — PPE: P2 half-face respirators for general crew and PAPR with hood for nozzlemen, AS/NZS 1716 compliant, fit-tested annually under AS/NZS 1715.
10. 10PPE — PPE: alkali-resistant nitrile gauntlets, impervious overalls, safety eyewear to AS/NZS 1337.1, steel-cap rubber boots and hi-vis to AS/NZS 4602.1 for all shotcrete and reo activities.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a typical sloping suburban backyard pool project, the concreting leading hand opens this SWMS at the 6:30am pre-start gathered around the excavation, which a geotechnical report has confirmed as sandy clay battered at 45 degrees to 2.4m depth. He walks the three-person crew through the seven hazards, pausing on impalement and silica. Reviewing the control list, the crew confirms starter bar caps are fitted, the wet-mix agitator truck is on site instead of dry-mix, and the PAPR allocated to today's nozzleman has a charged battery and a current fit-test sticker. A first-year apprentice raises that overnight rain has softened the southern batter; the leading hand amends the SWMS in the field under administrative controls, adds a competent-person re-inspection before any worker enters the deep end, and all four crew initial the amendment. Each worker then signs the consultation sign-on register confirming they understand the controls. Mid-morning, the shotcrete hose blocks at a coupling. Because the SWMS specifies whip-checks and a clearance exclusion zone, the nozzleman steps clear, the pump operator depressurises, and the blockage is cleared without incident. At smoko the leading hand notes the event in the SWMS review log so the next shift inherits the lesson learned, demonstrating that the document is a live control tool, not a filed formality.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• Crystalline Silica — National Strategy + CoP

Frequently asked questions