Product Overview

This Working on Roads Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is designed to identify hazards, assess risks, and implement effective controls for all activities undertaken in and around live traffic environments, road reserves, and work zones. It is a comprehensive document that supports WHS compliance and provides end-to-end coverage of typical road construction and maintenance activities, from site set-up through to demobilisation.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Planning and establishment of road work sites, including traffic management plans and permit requirements
• Selection, placement, and inspection of traffic control devices such as signs, cones, bollards, and barriers
• Safe set-up and removal of temporary traffic control, lane closures, and detours on public roads
• Use of traffic controllers, stop/slow bat operations, and communication protocols with plant operators and drivers
• Management of vehicle and mobile plant movements within and around the road work zone
• Working adjacent to live traffic, including separation distances, exclusion zones, and pedestrian management
• Night works on roads, including lighting requirements, visibility, and high-visibility clothing controls
• Manual handling of roadwork equipment, signage, barriers, and materials to minimise musculoskeletal injury
• Use of small tools and equipment for road maintenance (e.g. compactors, jackhammers, saws) in live traffic environments
• Excavation and trenching within the road corridor, including underground services location and protection
• Hot works and asphalt laying activities, including exposure to bitumen, fumes, heat, and moving plant
• Management of environmental risks such as dust, noise, run-off, and debris impacting road users and the public
• Emergency response procedures for vehicle incidents, plant collisions, or injuries within the road work site

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for civil construction contractors, road maintenance crews, traffic control companies, utility providers working in road corridors, and site supervisors managing works on or adjacent to public roads.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Code of Practice: Construction Work – Guidance on managing risks associated with construction activities, including road and civil works
• Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace – Requirements for the safe use of vehicles and mobile plant in and around road work sites
• Code of Practice: Traffic Management for Construction or Maintenance Work (where adopted by the jurisdiction) – Guidance on planning and implementing safe traffic control at road works
• Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces – Controls for work at heights around bridges, culverts, and elevated road structures
• AS 1742 Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices – Standards for signage, devices, and layouts for temporary traffic management
• AS/NZS 1906.4 Retroreflective materials and devices for road traffic control purposes – Requirements for visibility of signs and devices used at road works
• AS/NZS 4602.1 High visibility safety garments – Specifications for high-visibility clothing worn by workers on roads
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017