Facade Access — BMU / Davit System SWMS
SWMS template for facade access — bmu / davit system. Covers Building maintenance unit (BMU), davit system, cradle.. 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.
Facade access using a Building Maintenance Unit (BMU), davit arm system or suspended cradle is one of the highest-consequence activities in the Australian construction and property maintenance sector. Operators are suspended from rooftop davits or telescoping BMU jibs, frequently working many storeys above grade with exposure to wind loading, dynamic cradle motion, electrical hazards from facade-mounted services, and the risk of structural failure of suspension points or wire ropes. This work is classified as High Risk Construction Work under WHS Regulation 2011 r291 (and equivalent state regulations), specifically because it involves a risk of a person falling more than two metres and the use of a powered mobile plant suspending workers. A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before work commences, must be developed in consultation with the suspended workers and riggers, and must be available on site for inspection by the regulator, the principal contractor and any HSR. This SWMS template addresses BMU, davit and cradle operations across all eight Australian jurisdictions.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Uncontrolled cradle fall causing fatal multi-storey impact injuries to occupants and ground-level public
Complete loss of suspension causing fatality, plant detachment and significant structural damage to building
Operator crush injury, glazing breakage, falling debris striking persons below and loss of body positioning
Electrocution, severe burns, induced cardiac arrest and uncontrolled muscular release of hand controls
Worker free-fall during cradle malfunction causing fatal arrest forces or suspension trauma fatality
Pedestrian fatality or serious head injury at ground level and breach of public exclusion duties
Orthostatic shock and death within 15-30 minutes if rescue and post-suspension medical protocol delayed
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where reasonably practicable, specify reach-from-roof or telescopic MEWP solutions for low-level facade tasks rather than deploying suspended access plant.
- 2Elimination — Schedule glazing replacement and major facade rectification during construction phase via scaffold to remove ongoing suspended access exposure.
- 3Substitution — Substitute manual davit-rigged cradles with engineered permanent BMU where facade geometry allows, reducing rigging exposure per AS 1418.13.
- 4Engineering — Verify all suspension points, davit sockets and tie-backs hold current annual structural certification to AS 2550.13 with proof-load test records on site.
- 5Engineering — Use cradles fitted with dual independent wire ropes, secondary fall-arrest blocks and over-speed governors meeting AS/NZS 1418.13 design requirements.
- 6Engineering — Install anemometer with audible alarm at operator station; cradle automatically returns to stowed position when wind speed exceeds 36 km/h.
- 7Administrative — Daily pre-start inspection by ticketed rigger using manufacturer checklist; log entries countersigned before crew boards the cradle.
- 8Administrative — Restrict operation to workers holding rope access (IRATA/SPRAT) or BMU operator competency, with documented exclusion zones and spotter at ground level.
- 9Administrative — Implement rescue plan with secondary cradle or rope rescue team on standby; suspension trauma protocol drilled quarterly per AS/NZS 1891.4.
- 10PPE — Full body harness to AS/NZS 1891.1 with twin lanyards, suspension trauma straps, chin-strap helmet to AS/NZS 1801, and tethered tools to all hand equipment.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Specifies design, manufacture, installation and load testing requirements for BMU and davit cradles — mandates dual rope and secondary brake systems.
Governs safe operating procedures, daily inspection, operator competency, wind speed limits and annual recertification regime for facade access plant.
Sets harness selection, anchor independence, rescue planning and suspension trauma response — directly engaged by r291 fall-from-height duty.
Codifies hierarchy of fall control, edge protection on rooftop davit zones, and SWMS content requirements for suspended access work above two metres.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Operators are suspended in cradles typically 10-200 metres above ground with continuous fall exposure across the entire facade work cycle.
BMU machines are powered mobile plant traversing rooftop tracks while suspending workers, with crush and entanglement risk at jib slew and trolley travel zones.
Facade workers face wind loading, solar radiation, sudden gusts and storm cells with no shelter available once the cradle is deployed.
PCBU must document the SWMS, consult suspended workers and HSRs, retain it for two years (or duration of any notifiable incident), and stop work if controls fail; penalties are substantial and indexed under the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Facade access contractors on commercial high-rise buildings
- →BMU operators and IRATA-certified rope access technicians
- →Property managers commissioning recurring facade cleaning works
- →Principal contractors coordinating multi-trade rooftop access programs
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 28-storey commercial tower undergoing biannual facade cleaning, the site supervisor opens this SWMS at the rooftop pre-start brief at 6:45am with a four-person crew. Working down the hazard register, the lead rigger confirms the davit sockets were proof-load tested six weeks ago and the certificate is in the plant logbook. The crew reviews the wind hazard row: the rooftop anemometer reads 18 km/h with a forecast peak of 32 km/h by 2pm, so the supervisor amends the SWMS daily addendum to set a 1:30pm cease-work trigger rather than the default 36 km/h cutoff. Each operator signs the harness and twin-lanyard inspection column, demonstrating their suspension trauma straps are deployed and accessible. The secondary fall-arrest line is rigged to an independent rooftop anchor — not the davit — as the SWMS controls require. Ground-level exclusion barriers and a spotter with radio are confirmed in place before the cradle is boarded. At 11:20am the wind shifts and gusts to 29 km/h; the lead operator references the SWMS escalation control, radios the rooftop, and returns the cradle to the stowed position for 25 minutes until conditions stabilise. The amendment, the stop, and the restart authorisation are all logged on the SWMS field copy before work resumes — exactly as the document is designed to be used.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces CoP