Solar Hot Water Install SWMS
SWMS template for solar hot water install. Covers Roof-mounted collectors, tank below.. 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.
Solar hot water system installation covers the installation of solar water heating systems — the roof-mounted collector panels, the storage tank, the circulation and the connection to the water supply and any gas or electric boost. It combines the heated-water work, with its scalding, Legionella and relief-valve requirements, with the significant hazard of working at height on the roof to install and connect the collector panels, and the manual handling of the heavy collectors and tank. This document is written on the basis that solar hot water installation is carried out by a licensed plumber with the work-at-height, heated-water, scalding and manual-handling controls in place.
Solar hot water systems are installed to AS/NZS 3500.4 for the heated water service, with delivered water to sanitary fixtures used for personal hygiene temperature-limited to prevent scalding, Legionella controlled, and the relief valve fitted with safe discharge. The collector panels are installed on the roof, so the work is at height and governed by the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, and a risk of a person falling more than two metres is high risk construction work. This document coordinates the work-at-height, heated-water, scalding, relief and manual-handling controls so the solar hot water system is installed safely.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Serious or fatal injury from a fall installing the roof collectors
Crush and musculoskeletal injury from the heavy collectors and tank
Serious burns from over-temperature solar-heated delivered water
Legionnaires' disease from microbial growth in the system
Tank over-pressure or overheating with risk of rupture or steam release
Falls through fragile roofing or from sloped roofs
Gas or electrical hazards connecting the boost system
Heat illness working on the roof in hot conditions
Impact injury to people below from dropped objects
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: provide fall prevention for the roof work — edge protection, scaffold or a harness-based system where edge protection is not practicable — to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, with a SWMS for the work at height.
- 2Engineering: use mechanical lifting and team lifting to raise and place the heavy collectors and tank, controlling the crush and manual-handling hazard.
- 3Engineering: provide delivery-temperature control with a tempering or thermostatic mixing valve so delivered water to sanitary fixtures used for personal hygiene is limited to the required maximum to prevent scalding, while the system controls Legionella.
- 4Engineering: fit and confirm the pressure and temperature relief valve and pipe the relief discharge to a safe, visible disposal point so hot discharge cannot scald.
- 5Administrative: control Legionella through storage and delivery temperatures and management, and where a gas or electric boost is fitted, carry out the gas work to AS/NZS 5601.1:2022 or the electrical work by a licensed electrician.
- 6Engineering: assess fragile and sloped roof surfaces and provide protection against falling through or from them, and control dropped tools and materials with tethering and exclusion below.
- 7Administrative: manage hot conditions and heat illness on the roof, and confirm the system delivers within temperature, controls Legionella and is leak-free on commissioning.
- 8Administrative: ensure the work is carried out and certified by an appropriately licensed plumber, drainer or gasfitter under the relevant state or territory plumbing and gasfitting licensing scheme, with the relevant competencies and a compliance certificate issued where required.
- 9Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001) where the work is construction work, with the plumbing, gasfitting, confined space and any other competencies required for the work.
- 10Administrative: conduct a 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, high-visibility clothing, 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 heated water services standard for temperature control, relief and Legionella prevention.
The water services standard for the water supply, backflow protection and connection.
Fall-prevention controls for any work at height involved in the task.
Tempering and thermostatic mixing valves for delivered-temperature control.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Installing solar collectors on the roof 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, drainage, gasfitting or specialist 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 the relevant gas, pressure, excavation, confined space or demolition requirements, which are called up by the relevant legislation, with the controls for the specific hazards applied. A failure in this work can cause serious injury, burial, an atmospheric incident, a loss of containment or harm to the water supply, and breaches of the relevant 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 plumbers installing solar hot water systems.
- →Plumbing and solar businesses installing roof-mounted solar water heating.
- →Hot water and renewable installers.
- →Homeowners and PCBUs commissioning solar hot water.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the work-at-height and heated-water 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 solar hot water 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.
- ✓Solar hot water prompts referencing AS/NZS 3500.4, a work-at-height and fragile-roof section, a scalding and tempering-valve section, and a relief-valve and commissioning record.
- ✓Licensing, competency and permit prompts for the relevant plumbing, gasfitting, confined space and specialist work, 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 licensed plumber is engaged to install a roof-mounted solar hot water system. Because the collectors are installed on the roof, a SWMS is prepared and fall prevention provided — edge protection and scaffold — to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, with fragile and sloped roof surfaces assessed and protected. The heavy collectors and tank are raised and placed using mechanical and team lifting, controlling the crush hazard, and dropped tools and materials controlled with tethering and exclusion below. The heated water service is installed to AS/NZS 3500.4, with a tempering valve so delivered water to sanitary fixtures is limited to the required maximum to prevent scalding while the system controls Legionella, and the pressure and temperature relief valve fitted with safe discharge. The gas boost work is carried out to AS/NZS 5601.1:2022. Hot conditions and heat illness on the roof are managed. The system is confirmed to deliver within temperature, control Legionella and be leak-free, and the records retained.
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, excavation, demolition and electrical provisions where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- The relevant plumbing and drainage standards AS/NZS 3500 (Parts 0–5), AS/NZS 5601.1:2022 for gas, the pressure piping and pressure equipment standards, the AS 4032 valve standards, and the hazardous chemicals, demolition and asbestos requirements, are called up by the relevant legislation, together with the relevant network utility, insurer and site requirements.
- Plumbing, drainage and gasfitting work is licensed under each state and territory's plumbing and gasfitting licensing scheme, with the relevant competencies for the specialist work, and compliance certification required for notifiable work; electrical work is carried out by a licensed electrician.
- 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, excavation and demolition provisions applying in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
Why is solar hot water installation work at height?
The solar collector panels are mounted on the roof, so installing and connecting them is work at height where a person could fall more than two metres. Fall prevention is provided to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, and the work is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS, with fragile and sloped roof surfaces assessed and protected.
How is scalding prevented from solar hot water?
A tempering or thermostatic mixing valve is fitted so delivered water to sanitary fixtures used for personal hygiene is limited to the required maximum to prevent scalding, while the system stores water hot enough to control Legionella. Solar systems can heat water to high temperatures, so the temperature control is important to prevent scalding.
Is a relief valve fitted to a solar hot water system?
Yes. A pressure and temperature relief valve is fitted to manage the pressure and temperature of the stored water, with the relief discharge piped to a safe, visible disposal point so hot discharge cannot scald. The relief valve and its discharge line are essential safety components of the heated water service.
How are the heavy collectors handled?
The heavy collectors and tank are raised and placed using mechanical and team lifting, controlling the crush and manual-handling hazard, particularly given the roof location. Managing the manual handling of the heavy collectors and tank, and controlling dropped objects from the roof, are important parts of the installation.
Who installs a solar hot water system?
Solar hot water installation is licensed plumbing work carried out by a licensed plumber to AS/NZS 3500.4, with any gas boost by a licensed gasfitter and electrical boost by a licensed electrician. The work combines the heated-water controls with the significant work-at-height controls of the roof installation.