Confined Space Rescue / Stand-by Team SWMS
SWMS template for confined space rescue / stand-by team. Covers Stand-by attendant duties, retrieval system, BA donning. 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.
Confined space rescue and stand-by team operations are among the most hazardous activities undertaken in Australian workplaces. Statistically, more than 60% of confined space fatalities are would-be rescuers who entered without proper planning, atmospheric monitoring, or retrieval systems. This Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) covers the duties of stand-by attendants, deployment of mechanical retrieval systems (tripod and winch), self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) donning procedures, and emergency response coordination for entries into permit-required confined spaces.
Under the model Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (and equivalent state regulations updated through 2025), Part 4.3 (regulations 62–77) imposes strict duties on persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) to ensure that no person enters a confined space until first-aid and rescue procedures are established, rehearsed, and resourced. Regulation 74 specifically requires that emergency procedures be tested before entry and that rescuers do not themselves become casualties. Confined space rescue is also classified as High Risk Construction Work (HRCW) under regulation 291 where the work involves a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres, work in or near a confined space, or work with potential for engulfment.
A SWMS is legally required before this work commences. Section 38 of the WHS Regulation and the Safe Work Australia Code of Practice 'Confined Spaces' (2020) require that the SWMS identifies hazards, assesses risk, documents controls, and is available for inspection by the regulator and accessible to all workers performing the task. Failure to prepare, follow, or review a SWMS for HRCW carries penalties of up to $30,000 for an individual and $150,000 for a body corporate under section 38 of the WHS Regulation.
Hazards identified
6 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Rapid loss of consciousness, asphyxiation, or fire/explosion risk leading to fatality of entrant or rescuer within minutes
Acute toxic exposure, unconsciousness, chemical burns to airways, and death; secondary casualty risk to rescuer
Loss of communication and retrieval capability, multiple-fatality incident, breach of WHS Reg r74
Inability to extract a downed entrant within the survivable window, fall from height, crush injury
Rescuer inhalation of toxic atmosphere, hypoxia mid-rescue, dual-casualty event
Burial, drowning, suffocation; rescuer trapped requiring secondary rescue team
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Issue a Confined Space Entry Permit signed by a competent person before any entry, with rescue plan attached and tested per WHS Reg r74 prior to commencement
- 2Continuous atmospheric monitoring using a calibrated 4-gas detector (O2, LEL, CO, H2S) with audible/visual alarms; pre-entry test from top to bottom of space and continuous monitoring throughout occupancy per AS/NZS 2865:2009
- 3Dedicated stand-by attendant stationed at the entry point at all times — never enters the space, maintains continuous voice or line-of-sight communication with entrant, and initiates emergency response without delay
- 4Mechanical retrieval system rigged before entry: tripod or davit arm rated to AS/NZS 1891.4, man-rated winch, and full-body harness with dorsal D-ring; retrieval line attached unless it creates a greater hazard (entanglement)
- 5SCBA used for IDLH atmospheres or where atmospheric controls cannot guarantee a safe atmosphere; positive-pressure open-circuit SCBA compliant with AS/NZS 1716 and AS/NZS 1715, with minimum 30-minute cylinder duration plus reserve
- 6Pre-use SCBA function check: cylinder pressure ≥80%, positive-pressure test, low-pressure warning whistle test, facepiece seal check (negative and positive); recorded on entry permit
- 7Rescue team trained and competent to RIIWHS202E (Enter and work in confined spaces) and PUASAR025 (Undertake confined space rescue); refresher training every 12 months and rescue drill rehearsal at the actual worksite before high-risk entries
- 8Pre-entry briefing covering specific space hazards, communication signals, abort criteria (alarm activation, communication loss, atmospheric change), and the rescue plan with named roles
- 9Emergency services notification protocol — local fire/rescue advised of the entry where extraction time exceeds team capability; site address, access route, and entry point details prepared in advance
- 10Lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) of all energy sources, mechanical agitators, and inflow lines before entry per WHS Reg r150; isolation verified by zero-energy test
- 11Forced-air ventilation (mechanical blower) provided where atmosphere cannot otherwise be guaranteed, with intake located in clean air and not recirculating exhaust
- 12Daily inspection and annual third-party recertification of all rescue equipment (tripod, winch, harnesses, lanyards, SCBA) with records retained for 5 years
Applicable Codes of Practice
Primary code of practice prescribing risk management, entry permits, atmospheric testing, communication, and emergency procedures including rescue team requirements
Australian Standard establishing the minimum requirements for safe entry, work and exit from confined spaces, referenced throughout state WHS regulations
Specifies fit-testing, selection criteria and maintenance regime for SCBA used by rescue team members
Performance and construction standard for SCBA equipment to be used in IDLH confined space rescue
Governs selection and use of harnesses, retrieval lines, tripods and winches for vertical confined space access and rescue
Establishes SWMS preparation requirements for HRCW including confined space work under WHS Reg r291
Sets first-aid provisioning expectations including for confined space casualties pending paramedic arrival
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Rescue stand-by operations are conducted at the boundary of and, in emergencies, inside a permit-required confined space. WHS Reg r291(1)(f) automatically classifies this as HRCW regardless of duration.
Vertical entry confined spaces (tanks, silos, manholes, pits) routinely exceed 2 m depth, requiring fall-arrest and retrieval systems and triggering r291(1)(b).
Where rescue is conducted in industrial environments with forklifts, MEWPs or vehicle traffic near the entry point, r291(1)(n) applies and is documented in this SWMS.
Because this work is HRCW under WHS Regulation r291, a written SWMS is mandatory before work commences (r299). The SWMS must be available for inspection by an inspector (r301), provided to the principal contractor on construction sites (r300), and reviewed if controls are revised or an incident occurs. Failure to prepare or comply attracts penalties up to $6,000 (individual) / $30,000 (body corporate) for non-preparation and up to $30,000 / $150,000 for failing to comply, per the WHS Regulation.
Who this is for
- →Confined space rescue contractors and stand-by service providers
- →Industrial cleaning, tank servicing and inspection companies
- →Water and wastewater utilities entering wet wells, digesters and reservoirs
- →Petrochemical, refining and bulk storage operators conducting internal vessel work
- →Mining and minerals processing site safety teams managing silo, bin and process vessel entries
- →PCBU safety managers and HSE advisors responsible for permit-to-work systems
- →Principal contractors coordinating subcontractor confined space activities on construction sites
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) SWMS template fully populated for confined space rescue and stand-by operations
- ✓State-specific legislation schedule covering NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, NT and ACT WHS/OHS regulations and codes
- ✓Pre-populated hazard and risk register with risk matrix scoring (likelihood × consequence)
- ✓Worker sign-on register and daily pre-start verification sheet
- ✓Confined Space Entry Permit template aligned to AS/NZS 2865:2009
- ✓Rescue plan worksheet including emergency contact list and extraction time estimation
- ✓SCBA pre-use checklist and atmospheric monitoring log
- ✓CIH-reviewed content delivered as an editable file as an instant download
Worked example
A wastewater utility contracts a confined space crew to inspect a 6-metre-deep wet well at a pump station in regional Victoria. Before entry, the supervisor opens this SWMS, walks the four-person crew through each identified hazard, and assigns roles: one entrant, one dedicated stand-by attendant at the manhole, one rescue technician on retrieval, and one supervisor maintaining the permit. The atmospheric monitor is bump-tested, the tripod is rigged over the manhole with the man-rated winch and entrant's harness connected, and SCBA sets are donned and pressure-checked using the SWMS pre-use checklist. Each worker signs the worker register confirming they understand the hazards and abort criteria. Mid-task, the 4-gas detector alarms on H2S at 12 ppm. Following the documented controls, the stand-by attendant immediately calls the abort, the entrant self-rescues to the surface, and the rescue technician operates the winch as a back-up. No entry into the space is made by the stand-by team because the controls in this SWMS — continuous monitoring, pre-rigged retrieval, rehearsed abort — prevented the situation escalating to a rescue scenario. The signed SWMS, permit and atmospheric log are retained on file for 5 years and produced when the WorkSafe Victoria inspector audits the site two months later.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth model) — sections 19 (primary duty), 28 (worker duties), 38 (notifiable incidents)
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 — Part 4.3 Confined spaces (r62–r77)
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 — Part 6.3 High risk construction work and SWMS (r291, r299–r303)
- Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (VIC) — Part 3.4 Confined Spaces
- Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) — Part 4.3
- Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (VIC) and equivalent state workers' compensation legislation
- Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations — applicable where confined space contains Class 2 or 3 dangerous goods
Frequently asked questions
Does WHS law require a separate rescue team, or can the entry crew rescue themselves?
Under WHS Regulation r74 and the Confined Spaces Code of Practice, emergency procedures must be in place and rehearsed before entry. Self-rescue is the preferred first response, but a stand-by attendant who can summon and direct rescue resources is mandatory, and a competent rescue capability (either on-site team or guaranteed-response external service) must be available. The rescue capability must be able to retrieve a casualty within the breathing apparatus duration and survivable window — typically minutes — so reliance on '000' alone is generally insufficient for IDLH spaces.
Is confined space rescue classified as High Risk Construction Work?
Yes, when performed in connection with construction work it falls under WHS Regulation r291(1)(f) — work in or near a confined space — and frequently also r291(1)(b) where fall risk exceeds 2 metres. A SWMS is legally required before work commences and must be available for inspection by the regulator and the principal contractor.
Who is competent to act as a stand-by attendant?
The attendant must hold a current confined space entry competency such as RIIWHS202E and, where rescue is part of their duty, PUASAR025 'Undertake confined space rescue'. They must be trained in the specific permit, atmospheric monitor, communication system and retrieval equipment in use, and must not perform any other duty that distracts from monitoring the entrant.
How often must this SWMS be reviewed?
WHS Regulation r302 requires the SWMS to be reviewed and revised whenever the work method changes, controls are found to be inadequate, a notifiable incident occurs, or a Health and Safety Representative requests it. Best practice is also to review at least annually and before any non-routine entry. The editable DOCX format allows you to date-stamp revisions and re-issue to workers.
Does this SWMS cover all Australian states and territories?
Yes. The template is based on the model WHS Act and Regulation adopted by NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, NT, ACT and WA (from 2022), and includes a state-specific schedule mapping clauses to the equivalent Victorian OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017. Citations and code references are provided for all eight jurisdictions.
Can I customise the document after purchase?
Absolutely. You receive an editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) file with no locked sections. You can insert your company logo, ABN, project details, site-specific hazards and additional controls. We recommend any substantive changes to risk assessment content be reviewed by a competent WHS practitioner to maintain the integrity of the CIH-reviewed baseline.