General Building and Construction Work SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers planning, site access, material handling, inspections, elevated access, fixing, building alterations, cleaning and sign-off. It supports planning and managing risks from site interactions, services, falls, tools, dust, materials and incomplete work.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Plan work and consult with the work group
• Establish site access and work controls
• Unload and position materials
• Inspect structures and services
• Set up elevated access
• Inspect tools and work controls
• Mark fixing locations
• Drill masonry and concrete
• Install anchors and brackets
• Complete building alterations
• Clean the work area
• Demobilise and sign off

Who is this for?

For contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out general building and construction work.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

The template includes references relevant to the documented work, including:

• Applicable Commonwealth, state or territory WHS/OHS legislation and regulations.
• Model Code of Practice: Construction Work — guidance on planning, consultation, high risk construction work and SWMS requirements; confirm whether adopted or approved in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace — guidance for safe plant selection, inspection, maintenance, exclusion zones and operator competency.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces — guidance for eliminating or minimising fall risks through higher-order controls.
• Model Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks — guidance for assessing and controlling lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling and sustained-force tasks.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace — guidance for isolation, RCD protection, testing and safe use of electrical equipment.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Respirable Crystalline Silica in the Workplace — concrete, masonry, bricks, mortar and cleanup dust can contain or generate respirable crystalline silica; controlled processing requires higher-order dust controls before relying on RPE.
• Code of Practice: Working Safely When Cutting, Drilling and Grinding Concrete and Masonry Products — guidance for service locating, RCD protection, dust extraction, wet suppression, exclusion zones and safe cleanup.
• AS/NZS 3012:2019 Electrical installations — Construction and demolition sites.
• AS/NZS 1715:2009 Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment; AS/NZS 1716:2012 Respiratory protective devices.
• AS/NZS 1891 series Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices; AS/NZS 1576 series Scaffolding; AS/NZS 4576 Guidelines for scaffolding.
• AS 5216:2021 Design of post-installed and cast-in fastenings in concrete; use manufacturer-approved anchor installation data and engineered fixing design where loads are safety-critical.

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Standard SWMS Features (Click to Expand)

• Task-specific job steps, hazards and control measures
• Initial and residual risk ratings
• Assigned responsible persons for each job step
• Plant, equipment and PPE requirements where applicable
• Permits, qualifications and high-risk construction work details where applicable
• Worker consultation, sign-off and review sections