Termite Inspection SWMS
Visual termite / timber pest inspection of residential or commercial property. Includes subfloor crawl, roof void entry, perimeter inspection, moisture-meter use, thermal-camera scanning, photographic record.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Termite and timber pest inspections require technicians to access confined subfloor cavities, traverse fragile roof voids, and assess perimeters of residential and commercial buildings using moisture meters, thermal imaging cameras, and torches. The work routinely exposes inspectors to biological agents, asbestos-containing materials in pre-1990 building fabric, manual handling strain from crawling postures, and the risk of falls through ceilings or onto unstable substrates. Under WHS Regulation 2025, entry to confined or restricted-access spaces and work involving biological hazards triggers High Risk Construction Work under section 291 categories, making a documented Safe Work Method Statement mandatory before any inspection commences. A PCBU who deploys a technician without a task-specific SWMS, signed by each worker and available on site, contravenes regulation 299 and exposes the business to enforceable undertakings, prohibition notices, and prosecution. This SWMS covers the full inspection workflow — pre-entry assessment, subfloor and roof void access, instrument use, perimeter survey, and photographic documentation — aligned to AS 4349.3 and AS 3660.2.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Inhalation of airborne fibres causing mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer with latency of 20-40 years post-exposure
Fractures, spinal injury, head trauma or fatality from fall onto hard surface below the access plane
Leptospirosis, histoplasmosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, redback or whitetail envenomation requiring hospitalisation
Heat exhaustion, heat stroke, syncope and collapse with delayed rescue from confined elevated space
Lumbar disc injury, shoulder impingement, knee bursitis and chronic musculoskeletal disorders requiring workers compensation
Electric shock, cardiac arrhythmia, burns or electrocution from contact with energised conductors in damp environments
Localised dermatitis, allergic reaction, and contamination of inspection equipment with biological residue
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Decline inspection access where asbestos register flags friable ACM or where roof void substrate fails visual integrity assessment from the manhole.
- 2Elimination — Conduct perimeter and external inspection only where structural condition of subfloor bearers or ceiling battens cannot be verified as safe.
- 3Substitution — Use borescope cameras and remote thermal imaging through service penetrations in lieu of full body entry where building geometry permits.
- 4Engineering — Deploy crawl boards spanning ceiling joists and rated 120kg minimum across roof voids to distribute load away from plasterboard or brittle sheeting.
- 5Engineering — Use forced-air ventilation fans at subfloor and roof access points to reduce internal temperature and replenish oxygen prior to entry.
- 6Administrative — Complete pre-entry checklist covering asbestos register review, electrical isolation confirmation, atmospheric assessment, and two-person communication protocol before access.
- 7Administrative — Limit continuous subfloor or roof void exposure to 30 minutes with mandatory rest, hydration and visual check-in at 10-minute intervals per AS 2865.
- 8Administrative — Brief and sign-on every worker against this SWMS at the pre-start, with photographic record of access points and identified hazards retained for seven years.
- 9PPE — Wear P2 respirator, disposable Type 5/6 coveralls, nitrile gloves, knee pads, hard hat with chin strap, and impact-rated safety glasses for all void entries.
- 10PPE — Use intrinsically safe LED headlamp, high-visibility long sleeves, steel midsole boots, and personal gas monitor where confined space classification applies.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Defines minimum inspector competency, access requirements, reportable conditions and safety obligations when inspection access is restricted or unsafe.
Sets methodology for visual inspection, moisture assessment and reporting that drives the technician's exposure profile and SWMS scope.
Mandates hierarchy of control application and consultation under WHS Act sections 19 and 47-49 for all pest inspection PCBUs.
Triggered when inspection enters pre-1990 building fabric or any space meeting confined space criteria under WHS Regulation 2025 Part 4.3.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Subfloor cavities under 600mm clearance and unventilated roof voids meet the WHS Regulation 2025 confined space definition for atmospheric and access risk.
Inspection of pre-1990 subfloor lagging, eaves sheeting and vermiculite insulation creates foreseeable disturbance of asbestos-containing materials during traversal.
Exposure to rodent droppings, bat guano, arachnids and live termite colonies in enclosed cavities constitutes biological agent exposure under section 291.
PCBU must prepare, consult workers on, and retain this SWMS for two years post-incident; failure attracts Category 1-3 offences with penalties indexed annually under the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Licensed timber pest inspectors and pre-purchase consultants
- →Pest control PCBUs servicing residential and strata portfolios
- →Building surveyors conducting combined structural and pest reports
- →Property managers commissioning periodic termite inspections
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 Tuesday pre-start at a 1960s weatherboard cottage scheduled for a pre-purchase timber pest inspection, the lead inspector opens this SWMS on a tablet at the vehicle tailgate with the second-year apprentice. They walk through the hazard register together: the asbestos register supplied by the vendor flags millboard behind the meter box, so the inspector marks that zone external-only and adds a note to the photographic record. The subfloor clearance is measured at 480mm with a tape through the access vent, triggering the confined space controls — they set up a forced-air fan, agree 10-minute radio check-ins, and the apprentice remains at the access hatch as standby. Both workers sign the SWMS sign-on register against their names and licence numbers. Mid-inspection, the apprentice reports the thermal camera showing a 38°C anomaly near the bathroom wet area; the inspector pauses, refers to the SWMS biological hazard control, dons fresh nitrile gloves before probing the affected timber, and photographs the active Coptotermes workings without disturbing the gallery. On exit, coveralls are bagged for disposal, the moisture meter and torch are wiped down with biocide, and the SWMS is annotated with the in-field control adjustment before being filed against the job number for the seven-year retention period.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals CoP; APVMA registered product label requirements
Frequently asked questions
Does a pre-purchase timber pest inspection need a SWMS?
A standalone inspection of an occupied home is not construction work, so the s299 duty is not automatically triggered. What binds on every job is the confined space duties for subfloors and unventilated roof voids, the falls duties for ceiling and roof traversal, the asbestos duties where pre-1990 fabric is present, and the primary duty to have a documented safe system of work. Where the inspection is carried out as part of construction work — during a renovation or a defects assessment on an active site — entry into a confined space engages WHS Regulation s291(f) and likely disturbance of asbestos engages s291(d). Most builders and strata managers ask for the document regardless.
When should the inspector refuse to enter?
The controls make declining a documented outcome rather than a failure. Access is refused where the asbestos register flags friable material, or where the roof void substrate fails a visual integrity assessment made from the manhole before anyone commits weight to it. Where subfloor bearers or ceiling battens cannot be verified as structurally sound, the inspection reverts to perimeter and external only. AS 4349.3 recognises restricted and unsafe access as a reportable condition, so an inspection limited on safety grounds is reported as limited — the pressure to crawl in anyway is exactly what the elimination control exists to resist.
Is a subfloor under 600 mm actually a confined space?
It commonly meets the criteria, and unventilated roof voids reaching internal temperatures above 55 degrees are the more dangerous version of the same problem, since heat exhaustion in an elevated cavity means a delayed rescue. The controls require forced-air ventilation at subfloor and roof access points before entry to drop temperature and replenish oxygen, continuous exposure limited to 30 minutes with mandatory rest and hydration, visual or radio check-ins at 10-minute intervals, and a personal gas monitor where the confined space classification applies. The worked example measures 480 mm through the access vent and sets up a standby at the hatch.
How do we avoid falling through a ceiling?
By spreading the load and, better still, by not entering. Crawl boards rated to a minimum 120 kg are spanned across ceiling joists so weight never sits on plasterboard or brittle sheeting, and the substrate is assessed visually from the manhole first. The substitution control goes further: borescope cameras and remote thermal imaging pushed through service penetrations often answer the question without a body entry at all. Damaged subfloor wiring is a companion hazard in the same cavities, so electrical isolation confirmation sits in the pre-entry checklist alongside the asbestos register review.
What do I receive and how long do the records need to be kept?
One editable Word document, bought once, in a state edition for NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT or ACT, containing the hazard register with risk ratings, hierarchy-of-control mapping, the legislation schedule, a worker sign-on register, a pre-start checklist and an incident escalation flow. The administrative controls have workers sign on against their names and licence numbers, and retain the photographic record of access points and identified hazards for seven years — which aligns with how long a timber pest report can be relied on by a purchaser. Annotate any in-field control change before filing it against the job number.
Document details
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