TV Antenna / Satellite Dish Installation SWMS
SWMS template for tv antenna / satellite dish installation. Covers Antenna pole mounting, cable, set-top box.. 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.
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.
Fractures, spinal injury, traumatic brain injury or fatality from uncontrolled fall onto hard landscaping below
Electrocution, cardiac arrest, severe burns and potential fatality; conductive mast acts as direct path to ground
Fall from ladder causing fractures, head injury, lacerations and crush injury under falling ladder
DC arc flash burns, electric shock; PV systems remain energised in daylight and cannot be fully isolated
Fall through roof onto floor below; potential asbestos fibre release exposing worker and occupants
Acute lumbar strain, shoulder rotator cuff injury, hernia and chronic musculoskeletal disorders from awkward lifting postures
Heat exhaustion, heat stroke, dehydration and accumulated UV skin damage leading to occupational skin cancer
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 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.
- 2Elimination — Pre-terminate and test coaxial cables and connectors at ground level before ascending so no rework or knife use occurs at height.
- 3Substitution — Substitute aluminium masts with fibreglass non-conductive masts when working within 3m of overhead service lines per AS/NZS 3000 clearance requirements.
- 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.
- 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.
- 6Engineering — Use a roof ladder with ridge hook and crawl boards when traversing brittle, aged or fibre-cement roofing identified during pre-start inspection.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Mandates a written SWMS be prepared, consulted on and kept available before any work at height exceeding 2m commences on the installation.
Sets the hierarchy for fall control selection — elimination, passive edge protection, work positioning, fall arrest — applied directly to roof-mounted antenna work.
Governs anchor point rating, harness inspection, lanyard length and rescue planning required when fall-arrest is the selected control on pitched roofs.
Defines minimum approach distances from overhead service lines for conductive masts and ladders, directly governing antenna pole positioning and approach.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Antenna and dish brackets are mounted to ridge, fascia or chimney points routinely 3–8 metres above ground on domestic and commercial rooflines.
Elevating work platforms and boom lifts are frequently used for two-storey or commercial installations, exposing ground workers to plant movement zones.
Conductive masts, ladders and cables are manipulated within proximity of overhead 240V/415V mains, PV DC strings and roof-mounted electrical infrastructure.
PCBUs must prepare the SWMS in consultation with workers, monitor compliance, and retain the document for at least 2 years after any notifiable incident; penalties are substantial and indexed, with the current maximum following the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Licensed antenna and satellite installation technicians
- →Electrical contractors offering home entertainment fit-outs
- →Telecommunications cabling subcontractors on residential builds
- →Property maintenance trades servicing aged-care and rental portfolios
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 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