Marquee / Temporary Structure Erection SWMS

Marquee and temporary structure erection involves assembling frame or canopy systems, raising vertical posts and roof beams, tensioning fabric, and securing the structure against wind uplift using ballast weights or ground anchors. This work routinely exceeds two metres in height during roof installation and presents significant fall, crush, manual handling, and structural collapse risks under variable weather conditions. Under WHS Regulation 2011 r291, work at heights above two metres is classified as High Risk Construction Work (HRCW), making a Safe Work Method Statement legally mandatory before any erection task commences. Event riggers, hire company crews, and principal contractors must prepare, communicate, and sign onto a task-specific SWMS that addresses the unique combination of working at height, dynamic load management, and weather exposure inherent to temporary structures. This SWMS template provides a CIH-reviewed framework aligned with AS 3850, AS/NZS 1891, and the Construction Work Code of Practice, covering frame marquees, canopy structures, ballast configurations, and ground anchoring systems across all eight Australian jurisdictions.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Where event brief permits, substitute pole marquees for fully self-ballasted modular frame systems eliminating ground penetration and reducing height of working platforms required.
2. 2Elimination — Reschedule or postpone erection when forecast wind exceeds manufacturer's stated maximum erection wind speed (typically 36 km/h) per AS/NZS 1170.2 site assessment.
3. 3Substitution — Use mechanical lifting aids (genie lifts, A-frame hoists, telehandlers) instead of manual roof beam raising to remove overhead manual handling exposure.
4. 4Substitution — Replace metal stakes with concrete ballast blocks of engineered weight (minimum 250kg per leg for standard 6x6m bay) where ground penetration is restricted or services present.
5. 5Engineering — Erect from elevated work platforms or scaffold towers with full edge protection compliant with AS/NZS 1576 rather than ladder access for all work above 2m.
6. 6Engineering — Use proprietary lifting frames, pre-tensioning jigs and locking pins on roof beams to prevent springback and uncontrolled component movement during assembly.
7. 7Administrative — Conduct Dial Before You Dig search and confirm underground services clearance before driving any anchor stake, recorded on the SWMS sign-on sheet.
8. 8Administrative — Implement continuous wind monitoring using anemometer with documented trigger points for cessation, ballast augmentation, and full evacuation per engineered structure certificate.
9. 9Administrative — Pre-start toolbox talk delivers SWMS sign-on, role allocation (lift coordinator, spotter, ground crew), and exclusion zone marking before any component is raised.
10. 10PPE — Mandatory hard hats to AS/NZS 1801, safety eyewear to AS/NZS 1337, gloves, steel-cap boots, and harnesses with energy absorbers to AS/NZS 1891.1 for work above 2m.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On the morning of a regional agricultural show bump-in, a four-person crew arrives to erect a 10m x 20m frame marquee with canopy roof and ballast block restraint. The lead rigger opens the Marquee Erection SWMS on a tablet at the tailgate and runs the pre-start brief: she reads through the seven hazards, confirms today's BOM wind forecast (peak 28 km/h, below the 36 km/h trigger), and allocates roles — one lift coordinator, two assemblers, one ground spotter with anemometer. Each crew member signs on, acknowledging the fall-from-height and wind-uplift controls. During roof beam raising, the spotter reads a wind gust of 31 km/h and calls a hold; the crew references the SWMS administrative control which mandates ballast augmentation above 30 km/h sustained, and they add two additional 300kg blocks per leeward leg before resuming. When a crew member proposes using a ladder to reach a stuck canopy clip at 3.2m, the lead rigger redirects to the engineering control — the genie lift on site — and updates the SWMS field-amendment log to note the deviation prevented. The signed SWMS is uploaded to the site file before the marquee is handed to the event organiser, satisfying r291 record-keeping and providing evidence of consultation if an inspector attends.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces CoP

Frequently asked questions