Solar Inverter Installation SWMS

Solar inverter installation involves mounting and terminating string or hybrid inverters — typically on external walls, plant platforms or within switchrooms — and integrating them with PV array DC circuits, AC switchboards and, in many cases, battery energy storage systems. The work exposes electricians and solar accredited installers to lethal DC voltages that cannot be readily isolated while the array is illuminated, AC network fault energy, working-at-height risks during roof-to-inverter cable runs, arc flash on live switchboard terminations, and manual handling of inverters that commonly exceed 25 kg.

Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), section 291 defines high risk construction work (HRCW) to include work involving a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres and work carried out on or near energised electrical installations or services. Section 299 requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be prepared before the work commences, kept accessible, and complied with. Controls follow the hierarchy in section 36, prioritising isolation and engineered protection over administrative measures and PPE.

Hazards identified

12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Eliminate live work wherever practicable: cover the array with opaque tarps during DC connector making/breaking and follow the isolation sequence in AS/NZS 5033 (PV array installation) — open AC first, then DC isolator at inverter, then array DC isolator, then verify dead with a rated tester.
2. 2Substitute rooftop cable runs with pre-terminated, tested DC leads and factory-assembled MC4 connectors from the same manufacturer to eliminate field-crimping errors that cause series arc faults.
3. 3Engineer fall protection to AS/NZS 1891 (industrial fall-arrest systems) and the SafeWork NSW Code of Practice 'Managing the risk of falls at workplaces': roof edge guardrails, temporary anchor points, or an EWP for facade-mounted inverters above 2 m.
4. 4Install and use lockable DC and AC isolators to AS/NZS 3000 (Wiring Rules) and AS/NZS 4777.1 (grid connection of energy systems via inverters); apply personal danger tags and padlocks under a documented lock-out/tag-out procedure.
5. 5Verify de-energisation with a two-pole voltage tester rated to CAT III 1000 V (AS/NZS 61010) on every conductor before touching — prove-test-prove — including on battery-coupled systems where DC can be back-fed from the BESS.
6. 6For battery-coupled installations, follow AS/NZS 5139 (electrical installations — safety of battery systems) for clearances, ventilation, signage and thermal separation from the inverter and combustibles.
7. 7Use mechanical lifting aids or two-person lift for inverters over 20 kg; pre-fit the mounting bracket, then lift the inverter onto the bracket rather than holding it during fixing.
8. 8Control silica dust during masonry drilling with on-tool H-class dust extraction or wet suppression, in line with the SafeWork NSW Code of Practice 'Managing the risks of respirable crystalline silica from engineered stone'; wear a P2 respirator to AS/NZS 1716.
9. 9Where the building predates 1990, obtain the asbestos register before drilling into wall sheeting, eaves or meter-board backing; if unknown, assume ACM and follow the SafeWork NSW Code of Practice 'How to manage and control asbestos in the workplace'.
10. 10Arc-rated clothing, insulated gloves tested to AS/NZS 2225, safety glasses to AS/NZS 1337.1 and Class 2 hi-vis to AS/NZS 4602.1 for all live-adjacent tasks; PPE is the last line, not the primary control.
11. 11Commission strictly to AS/NZS 4777.2 (inverter requirements) and AS/NZS 5033, complete the Certificate of Compliance Electrical Work (CCEW), and provide the customer handover pack before energising.
12. 12All workers to hold White Card (CPCCWHS1001), a current NSW electrical licence, and Clean Energy Council accreditation appropriate to the system; consult workers on this SWMS under section 47 of the WHS Act and review it under section 302 of the WHS Regulation 2025 whenever the control measures, plant or site conditions change.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A two-person team from a Penrith-based solar contractor is installing a 10 kW hybrid inverter and coupled lithium battery on the external garage wall of a two-storey home in Glenmore Park. Before commencing, the supervisor confirms the White Card and CEC accreditation of both workers, walks the site, and reviews this SWMS with them, capturing signatures on the sign-on register. The array is covered with opaque tarps before DC connectors are made off, a temporary roof anchor is installed for the roof-to-eaves cable run (fall zone 4.2 m), and the existing meter-board backing — pre-1990 fibro — is confirmed on the asbestos register as non-friable, with drilling avoided in favour of a surface-mounted enclosure. AC isolation is proven at the main switch with a CAT III tester, the inverter is lifted onto a pre-fitted bracket by both workers, and commissioning is completed to AS/NZS 4777.2. Mid-job, the customer requests relocation of the battery indoors; the supervisor pauses work and reviews the SWMS under section 302 before proceeding.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)
• Electricity Supply Act 1995 (NSW)
• Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2017 (NSW)
• Home Building Act 1989 (NSW)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW)

Frequently asked questions