Fire Sprinkler System Installation SWMS
SWMS template for fire sprinkler system installation. Covers Pipework, head install, hydrostatic testing. 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.
Fire sprinkler system installation covers the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems — the pipework, sprinkler heads, valves, alarm and the water supply connection — that detect and control fire by discharging water automatically. It is fire-protection plumbing work governed by the fire sprinkler standards, and it combines the hazards of working at height to install overhead pipework, the manual handling of heavy pipe and components, hot work where pipework is welded or brazed, and the connection to and protection of the water supply. This document is written on the basis that fire sprinkler systems are installed by appropriately licensed and competent installers to the fire sprinkler standard, with the work at height, hot work and water-supply hazards controlled.
Fire sprinkler systems are installed to the AS 2118 series, the automatic fire sprinkler systems standards, with the water supply and any connection to the drinking water supply protected by backflow prevention to the relevant part of AS/NZS 3500, because a fire service is a high-hazard connection. The work is carried out predominantly at height to install overhead pipework, governed by the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, and may involve hot work for pipe jointing. This document coordinates the fire-sprinkler-standard, work-at-height, hot-work and backflow controls so the system is installed and the water supply protected.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Serious or fatal injury from a fall installing pipework at height
Crush and musculoskeletal injury handling heavy components overhead
Fire and burns from hot work during pipe jointing
Backflow contamination where the high-hazard fire connection is not protected
Water release under pressure during work or testing
Falls and equipment hazards using access equipment at height
Water damage and discharge from accidental system activation during work
Impact injury to workers below from dropped objects
Stored-energy release during the pressure test of the system
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: install the fire sprinkler system to the AS 2118 series — the pipework, heads, valves, alarm and water supply — with the design and installation 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: provide fall prevention for the overhead pipework — elevating work platforms, scaffolds or edge protection — to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, and use the access equipment to its safe operating requirements.
- 4Administrative: where hot work is carried out, apply the hot-work precautions — a hot-work permit, fire watch, clearing combustibles and extinguishing means — to AS 1674.1.
- 5Engineering: use mechanical lifting and team lifting for heavy pipe, valves and components, particularly when working overhead, and control dropped objects with tool tethering and exclusion zones below.
- 6Administrative: control accidental discharge of the system during work, manage the stored pressure and water, and isolate and make safe before working on a charged system.
- 7Administrative: pressure test the installed pipework to the standard with the stored-energy controls, and commission the system to confirm it performs.
- 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 automatic fire sprinkler systems standards for the design and installation of the system.
The water services standard for the high-hazard backflow protection on the fire service connection to the drinking water supply.
Fall-prevention controls for the work at height involved in the task.
Fire precautions for any hot work — welding, brazing or cutting — carried out during the installation.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Installing overhead fire sprinkler pipework involves work at height where a person could fall more than 2 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 — where there is a risk of a person falling more than 2 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 sprinkler installers.
- →Fire-protection contractors installing automatic sprinkler systems.
- →Plumbing and mechanical businesses carrying out fire sprinkler installation.
- →Builders and PCBUs requiring fire sprinkler systems in their buildings.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the work-at-height, hot-work 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 sprinkler system 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 sprinkler installation prompts referencing the AS 2118 series, a high-hazard backflow section referencing AS/NZS 3500.1, a work-at-height and access-equipment section, and a hot-work and pressure-test 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 an automatic fire sprinkler system in a commercial building, with overhead pipework throughout. The system is installed to the AS 2118 series, with the pipework, heads, valves, alarm and water supply to the standard. Because a fire service is a high-hazard connection, a reduced pressure zone device is installed on the connection to the drinking water supply to protect the potable supply. The overhead pipework is installed from elevating work platforms with fall prevention to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, and a SWMS is prepared for the work at height. Heavy pipe and valves are handled using mechanical and team lifting, and dropped objects are controlled with tool tethering and exclusion zones below. Where pipework is welded or brazed, a hot-work permit, fire watch and extinguishing means are in place. Accidental discharge is controlled during the work. The installed pipework is pressure tested with the stored-energy controls and the system commissioned. 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 sprinkler installation?
Automatic fire sprinkler systems are installed to the AS 2118 series, the automatic fire sprinkler systems standards, which govern the design and installation of the pipework, heads, valves, alarm 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 service need high-hazard backflow protection?
A fire service is classified as a high-hazard connection because the water in the fire 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 work-at-height controls apply to sprinkler installation?
Installing overhead sprinkler pipework involves work at height where a person could fall more than two metres, so fall prevention — elevating work platforms, scaffolds or edge protection — applies to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, and the work is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS. Access equipment is used to its safe operating requirements, and dropped objects are controlled.
What hot-work controls apply?
Where the pipework is welded or brazed, hot-work precautions apply — a hot-work permit, a fire watch, clearing combustibles from the area, and extinguishing means available — to AS 1674.1. The hot-work controls are particularly important in an occupied or fitted-out building, because the work introduces an ignition source into the building.
How is accidental discharge controlled during installation?
Accidental discharge of the sprinkler system during work is controlled by managing the system isolation and the charged sections, so the system is not inadvertently activated while work is carried out. The stored pressure and water are managed, and the system is isolated and made safe before working on a charged section, with the system pressure tested and commissioned on completion.