TV Antenna / Satellite Dish Installation SWMS

TV antenna and satellite dish installation involves working at height on residential and commercial rooflines, drilling structural penetrations, routing coaxial cable through wall cavities and ceiling spaces, and connecting set-top equipment to mains-powered infrastructure. The work routinely exceeds two metres above ground, places installers near energised overhead service lines and roof-mounted solar arrays, and requires extended ladder work on pitched and often weathered roof surfaces. Under WHS Regulation 2011 r291, work performed at heights above two metres constitutes High Risk Construction Work, triggering a mandatory written Safe Work Method Statement before work commences. The SWMS must identify each hazard, document the control measures selected from the hierarchy of control, name the workers consulted, and remain on site for the duration of the task. Failure to prepare, communicate or comply with a SWMS exposes the PCBU, supervisors and individual workers to enforcement action under the WHS Act, including improvement notices, prohibition notices and prosecution.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Where feasible, mount antenna on a ground-mounted pole or external wall bracket below 2m to eliminate rooftop access and fall-from-height exposure entirely.
2. 2Elimination — Pre-terminate and test coaxial cables and connectors at ground level before ascending so no rework or knife use occurs at height.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute aluminium masts with fibreglass non-conductive masts when working within 3m of overhead service lines per AS/NZS 3000 clearance requirements.
4. 4Substitution — Replace standard extension ladders with platform ladders or mobile scaffolds rated to AS/NZS 1576 where the work duration on the roof exceeds 30 minutes.
5. 5Engineering — Install temporary roof edge protection or anchor a fall-arrest system to a certified anchor point compliant with AS/NZS 1891.4 before stepping onto any roof above 2m.
6. 6Engineering — Use a roof ladder with ridge hook and crawl boards when traversing brittle, aged or fibre-cement roofing identified during pre-start inspection.
7. 7Administrative — Conduct documented pre-start inspection of roof condition, overhead service clearances, PV isolation status and weather forecast; record findings on this SWMS before sign-on.
8. 8Administrative — Use a competent second person as ladder footer and spotter; prohibit solo rooftop work and maintain radio or line-of-sight communication throughout the task.
9. 9PPE — Wear full body harness with shock-absorbing lanyard (AS/NZS 1891.1), non-slip rated soft-soled footwear, cut-resistant gloves and impact-rated safety glasses.
10. 10PPE — Wear long-sleeve UPF50+ sun-protective clothing, broad-brim hard hat liner and SPF50+ sunscreen; rotate workers off roof every 45 minutes during heat above 32°C.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a two-storey weatherboard rental in a suburban street, a two-person antenna crew arrives to replace a corroded VHF mast with a new digital UHF antenna and reroute coaxial cable to a relocated lounge-room set-top box. Before unloading, the lead installer opens this SWMS on a tablet at the tailgate and walks the offsider through each hazard line. They identify that the eastern roof gable sits within 2.4 metres of the overhead service drop — the SWMS control triggers a substitution to a fibreglass mast and repositions the mounting point to the western ridge. The roof is 1990s-era concrete tile rated for foot traffic, but the pre-start inspection box prompts them to check tile condition; two cracked tiles are flagged and a crawl board is deployed. Both workers sign the SWMS sign-on register, confirming they have been consulted on the controls. Mid-task, wind gusts increase past the forecast 35 km/h threshold noted in the administrative control. The lead installer pauses work, returns to the SWMS, and documents the stoppage in the dynamic risk amendment section. Work resumes 40 minutes later when gusts subside. At completion, the signed SWMS is filed against the job number and retained for the regulated minimum period, providing auditable evidence of consultation and control implementation should the regulator or insurer later request it.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS/NZS 3000 — Electrical installations

Frequently asked questions