Roof Plumbing — Pipework & Flashings Install SWMS
Roof plumbing pipework and flashings installation covers vent stack penetration, flashing installation around penetrations, lead-free flashing material handling, fall protection on pitched roofs, and weather sealing per AS/NZS 3500.3.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Roof plumbing, pipework and flashings installation covers the roof plumbing work on buildings — installing and maintaining the roof drainage, gutters, downpipes, rainwater pipework, flashings and roof penetrations that manage rainwater and weatherproof the roof. The defining hazard is the work at height on the roof, which is among the highest-consequence hazards in plumbing, alongside the fragile and sloped roof surfaces, the weather and the manual handling of materials at height. This document is written on the basis that roof plumbing is carried out by a licensed plumber with the work-at-height, fragile-roof, weather and falling-object controls in place.
Roof plumbing, pipework and flashings installation is carried out to AS/NZS 3500.3 and AS/NZS 3500.5 for the roof drainage and roof plumbing, with the work at height on the roof governed by the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, under which a risk of a person falling more than two metres is high risk construction work. The work at height, the fragile and sloped roof surfaces, the weather, and the falling objects are the considerations. This document coordinates the work-at-height, fragile-roof, weather and falling-object controls so the roof plumbing is carried out safely.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Serious or fatal injury from a fall from the roof or roof edge
Falls through fragile roofing such as skylights, sheeting and old roofing
Falls from sloped and slippery roof surfaces
Falls through penetrations and openings in the roof
Wind, rain and weather increasing the fall and slip hazard
Impact injury to people below from dropped objects
Musculoskeletal injury handling materials at height
Sun exposure, heat and heat illness on the roof
Electric shock from powerlines or services near the roof
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: provide fall prevention for the roof work — edge protection, guardrails, scaffold or a roof-safety system, and a harness-based fall-arrest system where higher-order controls are not practicable — to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, with a SWMS for the work at height.
- 2Engineering: identify and protect fragile roof surfaces — skylights, sheeting and old roofing — with covers, guarding or barriers, and do not walk on or work from fragile surfaces unprotected.
- 3Engineering: manage sloped and slippery roof surfaces with appropriate roof access, anchorage and footing, and protect roof penetrations and openings against falls.
- 4Administrative: monitor the weather and do not carry out roof work in adverse weather — wind, rain or conditions — that increases the fall and slip hazard.
- 5Engineering: control dropped tools and materials with tethering, securing and exclusion of people below the roof work.
- 6Engineering: use mechanical aids and correct technique for materials at height, and manage sun exposure and heat on the roof.
- 7Administrative: identify powerlines and services near the roof and maintain safe distances, and carry out the roof plumbing to AS/NZS 3500.3 and AS/NZS 3500.5.
- 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 roof drainage and plumbing standards for the roof plumbing, flashings and rainwater work.
Fall-prevention controls for any work at height involved in the task.
The water services standard for the water supply, backflow protection and connection.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Roof plumbing is carried out at height on the roof 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 and roof plumbers carrying out roof plumbing.
- →Plumbing and roofing businesses installing roof drainage and flashings.
- →Roof plumbing and rainwater contractors.
- →Builders, property owners and PCBUs requiring roof plumbing.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the work-at-height and fragile-roof 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 roof plumbing, pipework and flashings installation hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Roof plumbing prompts referencing AS/NZS 3500.3 and AS/NZS 3500.5, a work-at-height and fall-prevention section, a fragile-roof and weather section, and a falling-object and roof-drainage 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 roof plumber is engaged to install roof drainage, gutters, downpipes and flashings on a building. Because the work is at height on the roof, a SWMS is prepared and fall prevention provided — edge protection, guardrails and scaffold, with a harness-based fall-arrest system where higher-order controls are not practicable — to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice. Fragile roof surfaces — skylights, sheeting and old roofing — are identified and protected with covers and barriers, and not walked on or worked from unprotected. The sloped and slippery roof surfaces are managed with appropriate roof access, anchorage and footing, and roof penetrations and openings protected against falls. The weather is monitored, and roof work is not carried out in adverse weather that increases the fall and slip hazard. Dropped tools and materials are controlled with tethering, securing and exclusion of people below. Mechanical aids are used for materials at height, sun exposure and heat managed, and powerlines and services near the roof identified with safe distances maintained. The roof plumbing is carried out to AS/NZS 3500.3 and AS/NZS 3500.5, 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
What is the defining hazard in roof plumbing?
The defining hazard is the work at height on the roof, which is among the highest-consequence hazards in plumbing, alongside the fragile and sloped roof surfaces, the weather and the falling objects. The work at height is 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 requiring a SWMS.
How is the fall hazard controlled?
Fall prevention is provided for the roof work — edge protection, guardrails, scaffold or a roof-safety system, and a harness-based fall-arrest system where higher-order controls are not practicable — to the managing the risk of falls Code of Practice, with a SWMS. The higher-order fall-prevention controls are preferred over fall-arrest, following the hierarchy of controls for falls.
What is the fragile-roof hazard?
Fragile roof surfaces — skylights, sheeting and old roofing — can give way and cause a person to fall through, so they are identified and protected with covers, guarding or barriers, and not walked on or worked from unprotected. Fragile roof surfaces are a major cause of falls in roof work, so they are identified and protected.
Why does weather matter for roof work?
Wind, rain and adverse weather increase the fall and slip hazard on the roof, so the weather is monitored and roof work is not carried out in adverse conditions that increase the hazard. Monitoring the weather and not working in adverse weather is an important control for roof plumbing, because weather amplifies the fall and slip hazard.
Who carries out roof plumbing?
Roof plumbing, pipework and flashings installation is licensed plumbing work carried out by a licensed plumber or roof plumber to AS/NZS 3500.3 and AS/NZS 3500.5, with the work-at-height, fragile-roof, weather and falling-object controls. The roof drainage and flashings are installed with the fall hazard rigorously controlled.