What is a SWMS?
SWMS stands for Safe Work Method Statement. It is a written document that sets out the high risk construction work being carried out, the hazards it creates, and the measures that will control them — and it must be prepared before that work starts.
It is pronounced “swims”. In New South Wales the requirement sits at s. 299 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW); the same duty applies across every state and territory.
What a SWMS must contain
The Regulations are specific. A SWMS is not a generic safety form — to be compliant it must do four things:
It must also be prepared taking into account the circumstances at the workplace, and be “set out and expressed in a way that is readily accessible and understandable to persons who use it”. Separately, the SWMS must be kept (s.303) and reviewed and revised whenever the control measures are revised (s.302).
The 18 high risk construction work activities
A SWMS is required whenever construction work falls into any one of the categories below. This is the list at s. 291 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — reproduced from the Regulation itself, with its own paragraph letters so you can check any item against the source.
Meeting one category is enough. The work does not have to be dangerous in the ordinary sense — routine work beside a live road, or above 2 metres, is caught.
involves a risk of a person falling more than 2m
is carried out on a telecommunication tower
involves demolition of an element of a structure that is load-bearing or otherwise related to the physical integrity of the structure
involves, or is likely to involve, the disturbance of asbestos
involves structural alterations or repairs that require temporary support to prevent collapse
is carried out in or near a confined space
is carried out in or near a shaft or trench with an excavated depth greater than 1.5m, or a tunnel
involves the use of explosives
is carried out on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping
is carried out on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines
is carried out on or near energised electrical installations or services
is carried out in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere
involves tilt-up or precast concrete
is carried out on, in or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor that is in use by traffic other than pedestrians
is carried out in an area at a workplace in which there is movement of powered mobile plant
is carried out in an area in which there are artificial extremes of temperature
is carried out in or near water or other liquid that involves a risk of drowning
involves diving work
SWMS vs JSA vs SWP
| Document | What it is | Required by law? |
|---|---|---|
| SWMS | Safe Work Method Statement — states the high risk construction work, its hazards, the controls, and how controls are implemented, monitored and reviewed. | Yes — s. 299, for high risk construction work |
| JSA / JSEA | Job Safety Analysis — a technique for breaking a task into steps and assessing the risk of each. Useful input to a SWMS. | No — not a term defined in the Regulations |
| SWP / SOP | Safe Work Procedure — a standing instruction for how a task is normally performed. | No — good practice, not a SWMS |
The practical point: a builder asking for “a JSA” on high risk construction work still needs a SWMS. Calling the document a JSA does not satisfy the duty.
Common questions
What does SWMS stand for?
SWMS stands for Safe Work Method Statement. It is pronounced "swims", which is why the misspellings "swims" and "swwms" are common. It is a written document that sets out the high risk construction work being done, the hazards involved, and the control measures that will be used.
What is a SWMS?
A SWMS is a document that identifies the high risk construction work being carried out, states the health and safety hazards and risks arising from it, describes the measures that will control those risks, and describes how those control measures will be implemented, monitored and reviewed. In New South Wales this is required by s. 299 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW).
When is a SWMS required?
A SWMS is required before high risk construction work starts. "High risk construction work" is defined in the Regulations as 18 categories of work — including any risk of a fall over 2 metres, work in or near a confined space, structural demolition, asbestos disturbance, work on energised electrical installations, and work adjacent to a road or traffic corridor. If the work falls into any one of those categories, a SWMS is required by law, not as best practice.
What is the difference between a SWMS and a JSA?
A SWMS is a specific legal document required for high risk construction work under the WHS Regulations. A JSA (Job Safety Analysis) or JSEA (Job Safety and Environmental Analysis) is a risk-assessment technique — a useful tool, but not a term defined in the Regulations and not a substitute for a SWMS where one is legally required. A JSA can inform a SWMS; it cannot replace it.
What is the purpose of a SWMS?
The purpose of a SWMS is to make the highest-risk construction work planned, not improvised: it forces the people doing the work to identify the hazards before starting, agree the controls that will manage them, and record who implements and monitors each control. On site it doubles as the reference the crew works to — and the document an inspector or principal contractor checks the work against.
Who is responsible for preparing the SWMS?
The PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) carrying out the high risk construction work must prepare the SWMS, in consultation with the workers who will do the work. Where there is a principal contractor for a construction project, they must take all reasonable steps to obtain a copy before the work starts.
Does a SWMS expire?
A SWMS has no fixed expiry date, but it must be reviewed and revised whenever the control measures are revised — for example when the work changes, a new hazard appears, a control is found not to be working, or a health and safety representative requests a review. It must also be kept and made available for inspection.
Is a SWMS the same in every Australian state?
Almost. Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT have adopted the model WHS Regulations, so the requirement is materially the same as New South Wales. Victoria has not adopted the model laws: it operates the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic), where the SWMS duty for high risk construction work sits at r. 327. The practical content is similar, but the legal citation and some definitions differ.
Where this comes from
The provisions below are from the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW). Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT apply the equivalent model provisions. Victoria is not harmonised — see r. 327 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic).
- s.291Meaning of “high risk construction work”
- s.299Safe work method statement required for high risk construction work
- s.300Compliance with safe work method statement
- s.301Safe work method statement — copy to be given to principal contractor
- s.302Review of safe work method statement
- s.303Safe work method statement must be kept
- s.312Principal contractor must take reasonable steps to obtain a copy
This page is general information, not legal advice. Provisions verified 2026-07-30.
Need a SWMS for your trade?
Editable, state-specific Safe Work Method Statements written against the Regulation above — pick your activity and jurisdiction, and put your own details on it.
Browse SWMS documentsThe 18 HRCW activities · When is a SWMS required? · How to write a SWMS