Marine Engine / Vessel Servicing SWMS
SWMS template for marine engine / vessel servicing. Covers Inboard / outboard engine, fuel system.. 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.
Marine engine and vessel servicing covers maintenance, fault diagnosis, repair and recommissioning of inboard and outboard propulsion systems, fuel lines, cooling circuits, starter batteries and associated electrical wiring on commercial and recreational vessels berthed at wharves, slipways or hardstands. The work routinely combines confined engine bay entry, hot work near residual fuel vapour, energised 12/24 V DC and 240 V AC shore power systems, and physical risks from suspended drive components. Under WHS Regulation 2011 r291 (and corresponding 2025 amendments), this scope satisfies multiple High Risk Construction Work triggers — confined space entry, work involving energised electrical installations, and work where there is a risk of drowning from falls into water more than 300 mm deep. A documented SWMS is therefore mandatory before work commences, must be developed in consultation with workers under s47, retained for the duration of the task, and produced on request to the regulator or principal contractor.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Flash fire or vapour-cloud explosion causing full-thickness burns, blast lung injury and total vessel loss
Loss of consciousness, asphyxiation, and rescuer fatality without atmospheric testing or standby attendant
Severe burns, retinal damage, cardiac arrest from electric shock, secondary fall from working platform
Drowning, hypothermia, crush injury between hull and pile, particularly with tools or PPE weight
Amputation of fingers or hand, degloving injuries, entanglement of loose clothing or hair
Scald burns to face and forearms, eye injury from coolant spray, slip hazard from fluid spill
Acute lumbar disc injury, crush injury to feet, shoulder rotator cuff tear from awkward lifting posture
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Remove outboard from transom and transfer engine to dedicated workshop bench where confined bay entry, fall-to-water and shore-power exposure are eliminated entirely.
- 2Elimination — Drain and purge fuel system to atmosphere using grounded transfer pump before any hot work, eliminating residual vapour ignition risk in the engine bay.
- 3Substitution — Substitute solvent-based degreasers with low-VOC aqueous cleaners (per AS/NZS 60079.10.1 zoning) to reduce flammable atmosphere generation during servicing.
- 4Substitution — Use battery-powered cordless diagnostic tooling in place of 240 V AC corded equipment to remove shore-power lead and trip hazards across the wharf interface.
- 5Engineering — Install forced mechanical ventilation (minimum 20 air changes/hour) and continuous LEL/O2/CO monitoring in the engine bay per AS 2865 confined space requirements before entry.
- 6Engineering — Lock out and tag out battery isolator, fuel shutoff valve and shore power inlet using individual padlocks per AS/NZS 4836 prior to any intrusive work.
- 7Administrative — Issue confined space entry permit, hot work permit and pre-start atmospheric test record signed by competent person; brief all workers via this SWMS at pre-start.
- 8Administrative — Maintain dedicated standby attendant in radio contact with entrant, rescue plan rehearsed, and emergency services notified of vessel berth location and access route.
- 9PPE — Inherently flame-resistant coveralls (AS/NZS 4824), Type 1 self-inflating PFD (AS 4758.1), Class 0 electrical gloves, safety glasses with side shields, and steel-cap marine boots.
- 10PPE — Half-face respirator with A1P2 cartridges (AS/NZS 1716) when handling fuel, solvents or coolant aerosols, replaced per manufacturer schedule and stored sealed between uses.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Defines entry permit, atmospheric testing, standby attendant and rescue plan obligations triggered every time the engine bay is entered for servicing.
Governs shore power connection, isolation and earthing requirements applicable when servicing 240 V AC systems on berthed vessels.
Applies to fall-to-water risk during boarding, gangway use and work on elevated decks adjacent to the wharf edge.
Sets bunding, ignition control and decanting requirements when draining fuel tanks or transferring petrol and diesel during servicing.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Entry into the engine bay or fuel tank compartment for inspection, repair or cleaning meets the confined space definition under AS 2865.
Servicing involves live 12/24 V DC starter circuits and 240 V AC shore power connections that cannot always be fully isolated during fault diagnosis.
Vessel servicing at a wharf or pontoon places workers within fall distance of water deeper than 300 mm during boarding and deck work.
PCBU must prepare the SWMS in consultation with workers, retain it for the project duration plus two years post-incident, and produce on regulator request; penalties for non-compliance are substantial and indexed, with current maximums following the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Marine mechanics servicing commercial fishing fleets
- →Wharf maintenance contractors with vessel scope
- →Marina operators managing slipway service bays
- →Workboat skippers performing in-water engine repairs
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
At a regional commercial wharf, a two-person marine mechanic crew is tasked with replacing a leaking high-pressure fuel rail on a 6.7 L inboard diesel aboard a 12 m workboat berthed alongside. At the 0700 pre-start, the lead mechanic walks the apprentice through this SWMS on the wharf, page by page. They identify three controlling hazards for the shift: confined engine bay entry, residual diesel vapour during the rail removal, and the 1.8 m fall to water between hull and pile. Controls selected are mechanical ventilation set up before entry, continuous LEL/O2 monitoring clipped at the entrant's collar, a standby attendant positioned at the engine hatch with radio, padlocked isolation of battery and fuel shutoff, and Type 1 PFDs worn throughout boarding. Both workers sign the SWMS sign-on sheet and the confined space permit. Mid-task the LEL monitor alarms at 8% LEL when the rail is cracked open — work stops immediately per the SWMS stop-work trigger, ventilation is increased, and a vapour catch tray is added. The SWMS is annotated with this change, both workers re-sign acknowledging the revised control, and work resumes only once readings return below 5% LEL for ten continuous minutes. The completed SWMS is filed with the principal contractor that afternoon.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS/NZS 3000 — Electrical installations