Fire Hydrant Install SWMS
Install of street and on-site fire hydrants per AS 2419. Includes pipework excavation, pressure-rated hydrant installation, booster pump connection, hydrostatic testing, commissioning with fire authority.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Fire hydrant installation covers the installation of fire hydrant systems — the hydrant pipework, the hydrants and booster, the pumps and the water supply connection — that provide water for firefighting. It is fire-protection plumbing work governed by the fire hydrant standard, combining excavation for below-ground hydrant mains, the manual handling of heavy pipe and components, the pressure of the hydrant system, electrical work for booster pumps, and the protection of the drinking water supply through high-hazard backflow prevention. This document is written on the basis that fire hydrant systems are installed by appropriately licensed and competent installers to the fire hydrant standard, with the excavation, pressure and water-supply hazards controlled.
Fire hydrant systems are installed to AS 2419.1, the fire hydrant installations standard, with the water supply and any connection to the drinking water supply protected by high-hazard backflow prevention to the relevant part of AS/NZS 3500, because a fire service is a high-hazard connection. The work commonly involves excavation for the hydrant main, controlled to the excavation Code of Practice with existing services located first, and electrical work for the booster pumps. This document coordinates the fire-hydrant-standard, excavation, pressure, electrical and backflow controls so the system is installed and the water supply protected.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Burial and crush injury from collapsing trench walls
Electrocution, gas release or service damage where services are not located
Backflow contamination where the high-hazard fire connection is not protected
High-pressure water release from the hydrant system during work or testing
Crush and musculoskeletal injury handling heavy components
Electric shock where booster pumps are connected without a licensed electrician
Crush and run-over injury where plant and workers are not separated
Stored-energy release during the high-pressure test of the system
Trench instability and working in water in the excavation
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: install the fire hydrant system to AS 2419.1 — the hydrant pipework, hydrants, booster, pumps and water supply — to the standard.
- 2Engineering: provide high-hazard backflow protection — a reduced pressure zone device — on the fire service connection to the drinking water supply to the relevant part of AS/NZS 3500, because a fire service is a high-hazard connection.
- 3Engineering: control the excavation for the hydrant main to the excavation Code of Practice with benching, battering or shoring and existing services located first, with a SWMS for the deeper excavation.
- 4Engineering: use mechanical lifting for heavy pipe, hydrants and components, and maintain plant-and-pedestrian separation around the excavation with a spotter.
- 5Administrative: have the booster pump electrical work carried out by a licensed electrician with the supply isolated, coordinating the plumbing and electrical work.
- 6Administrative: manage the stored pressure of the hydrant system, isolating and making safe before working on a charged section, and pressure test the installed system with the stored-energy controls.
- 7Engineering: manage water ingress in the excavation, and commission the system to confirm it performs and the water supply is protected.
- 8Administrative: ensure the work is carried out and certified by an appropriately licensed plumber or gasfitter under the relevant state or territory plumbing and gasfitting licensing scheme, with a compliance certificate issued where required.
- 9Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001) before entering any construction workplace, with the plumbing, gasfitting and any confined space competencies and licences required for the work.
- 10Administrative: conduct a daily pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, isolations, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
- 11Administrative: consult workers and any health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document available at the workplace.
- 12PPE: eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, hearing protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
- 13Administrative: review and update this SWMS whenever the work scope changes, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, when new hazards are identified, or at minimum every 12 months.
Applicable Codes of Practice
The fire hydrant installations standard for the design, installation and commissioning of the system.
The water services standard for the high-hazard backflow protection on the fire service connection to the drinking water supply.
Trenching and excavation controls including support against collapse, ground assessment and existing services.
Electrical safety and isolation for any electrical work, carried out by a licensed electrician.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Installing the below-ground hydrant main commonly requires a trench deeper than 1.5 metres, which is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS before the work commences.
This is licensed plumbing or gasfitting work that, in the circumstances described, is high risk construction work — in or near a shaft or trench with an excavated depth greater than 1.5 metres — so a SWMS must be prepared before the work commences, kept readily accessible, reviewed as necessary, and given to the principal contractor if one is appointed. The work is carried out to the relevant AS/NZS 3500 plumbing and drainage standards and, where gas is involved, AS/NZS 5601.1:2022, which are called up by the state and territory plumbing and gas safety legislation, with the excavation, confined space or work-at-height controls applied as relevant. A failure in this work can cause serious injury or harm to the water supply or the public, and breaches of the plumbing and gas legislation and the primary duty of care under the model WHS Act are actively enforced, with offence categories running from failure-to-comply through to reckless conduct, and the most serious breaches carrying imprisonment for individuals. Body-corporate maxima are substantial and indexed; the current maximum follows the prevailing schedule of the responsible regulator.
Who this is for
- →Licensed and competent fire hydrant installers.
- →Fire-protection contractors installing fire hydrant systems.
- →Civil and plumbing contractors laying hydrant mains.
- →Builders and PCBUs requiring fire hydrant systems in their buildings.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the excavation, pressure and backflow controls.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) fully compatible with Microsoft Word 2016 and newer, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- ✓Title page with editable fields for PCBU name, ABN, site address, project name, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the fire hydrant installation hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Fire hydrant installation prompts referencing AS 2419.1, a high-hazard backflow section referencing AS/NZS 3500.1, an excavation control section, and a pressure-test and booster-pump-electrical section.
- ✓Licensing and compliance-certificate prompts for the relevant plumbing and gasfitting scheme, and a respiratory protection selection and fit-test record per AS/NZS 1715 where relevant.
- ✓Worker consultation record per the model WHS Act consultation duty and a worker sign-on register (blank, expandable).
- ✓Applicable legislation and Codes of Practice schedule pre-populated for the model WHS jurisdiction with a state-variance reference table covering the harmonised states, plus Victoria.
- ✓Emergency procedure template and a revision log.
Worked example
A fire-protection contractor is engaged to install a fire hydrant system for a commercial building, including a below-ground hydrant main and a booster pump. The system is installed to AS 2419.1, with the pipework, hydrants, booster and water supply to the standard, and a reduced pressure zone device installed on the fire service connection to the drinking water supply, because a fire service is a high-hazard connection. Existing services are located and protected before excavation, the trench for the hydrant main is benched and shored to the excavation Code of Practice, and a SWMS prepared for the deeper excavation, with heavy pipe and hydrants placed using mechanical lifting and plant-and-pedestrian separation maintained. The booster pump electrical work is carried out by a licensed electrician with the supply isolated. The stored pressure of the hydrant system is managed, and the installed system is pressure tested with the stored-energy controls. The system is commissioned and the water supply protection confirmed. The installer issues the compliance documentation and retains the records.
Related legislation
- Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — Section 291 high risk construction work and the SWMS preparation and review duties, and the confined space and excavation provisions where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- The relevant plumbing and drainage standards AS/NZS 3500 (Parts 0–5), AS 2118 for fire sprinklers, AS 2419.1 for fire hydrants, AS 2896 for medical gas, and, for gas, AS/NZS 5601.1:2022 and AS/NZS 1596, are called up by the state and territory plumbing and gas safety legislation, together with the requirements of the relevant network utility or authority.
- Plumbing and gasfitting work is licensed under each state and territory's plumbing and gasfitting licensing scheme, with compliance certification required for notifiable work.
- Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the high risk construction work, confined space and excavation provisions applying in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
What standard applies to fire hydrant installation?
Fire hydrant systems are installed to AS 2419.1, the fire hydrant installations standard, which governs the design, installation and commissioning of the hydrant pipework, hydrants, booster, pumps and water supply. The connection to the drinking water supply is protected to the relevant part of AS/NZS 3500 because a fire service is a high-hazard connection.
Why does a fire hydrant need high-hazard backflow protection?
A fire hydrant service is a high-hazard connection because the water in the system can be stagnant or contaminated and must not flow back into the drinking water supply. A reduced pressure zone device — the high-hazard backflow device — is installed on the connection to protect the potable supply, and is field tested by an accredited tester.
What excavation controls apply to installing a hydrant main?
Installing the below-ground hydrant main commonly requires a trench deeper than the regulated depth, so existing services are located and protected first, the trench is benched, battered or shored to the excavation Code of Practice, and a SWMS is prepared. Heavy pipe and hydrants are placed using mechanical lifting, with plant-and-pedestrian separation maintained.
What pressure hazards apply to fire hydrant work?
The hydrant system operates at high pressure, so the stored pressure is managed during work, the system is isolated and made safe before working on a charged section, and the installed system is pressure tested with the stored-energy controls. A high-pressure release from the hydrant system is a serious hazard, so the pressure is controlled throughout the work and testing.
Who connects the booster pump?
The booster pump electrical work is carried out by a licensed electrician with the supply isolated, coordinating the plumbing and electrical work, because it is electrical work. The installer installs the hydrant system and its plumbing, and the electrical connection of the booster pump is carried out by the appropriate licensed electrical practitioner.