Quick answer: Facilities management businesses in Australia carry substantial WHS obligations as PCBUs, including managing the safety of contractors, maintaining building compliance registers, and controlling high risk work through permit-to-work systems. Key requirements include SWMS for high risk activities, a contractor management system, an asbestos register for pre-2004 buildings, and essential services records. This page pulls together the essential resources, guides, and SWMS templates that facilities management businesses need.
Last reviewed: 12 June 2026
Facilities management sits at the intersection of property compliance, contractor coordination, and workplace health and safety. Whether you manage a single commercial building or a portfolio of properties, the WHS obligations on a facilities manager are broad — and they do not disappear simply because most of the hands-on work is carried out by contractors rather than direct employees.
This page is a practical resource hub for facilities management businesses. It links to guides, checklists, SWMS templates, and WHS document resources relevant to building operations, maintenance, and contractor management in Australia. Use it as a starting point to understand your obligations and find the tools you need.
Note: WHS laws in Australia are based on the model Work Health and Safety Act 2011, but each state and territory has its own legislation and regulator. Always check the requirements that apply in your jurisdiction.
WHS obligations for facilities management businesses
Facilities managers carry WHS obligations in several overlapping capacities. Understanding which duties apply to you is the first step to compliance.
Duty as a PCBU
Any facilities management business carrying on a business — sole trader, partnership, or company — is a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) under Australian WHS legislation. As a PCBU, a facilities manager must ensure the health and safety of:
- their own workers (employees, labour hire, and maintenance staff)
- contractors and their workers performing work in or on managed buildings
- building occupants, tenants, and visitors who could be affected by maintenance or construction activities
The PCBU duty is to eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable, or if that is not possible, to minimise them so far as is reasonably practicable. Engaging contractors does not transfer or reduce this duty.
Person with management or control of a workplace
Facilities managers are typically the person with management or control of the buildings they manage. This role attracts specific duties under the WHS Act and Regulations, including obligations to:
- Maintain the workplace in a safe condition
- Ensure safe means of access and egress
- Prepare and maintain an asbestos register for buildings built before 1 January 2004
- Ensure workers and contractors are informed of known hazards in the workplace before work begins
Where management of a building is shared between a facilities manager and a building owner, both parties may be duty holders and should clearly document their respective responsibilities.
Contractor management obligations
The majority of WHS risk in facilities management arises through the activities of contractors — maintenance trades, specialist service providers, and project workers performing work in occupied or semi-occupied buildings. Facilities managers cannot simply hand off WHS responsibility to contractors.
Practical contractor management obligations include:
- Conducting contractor pre-qualification before engagement
- Communicating site rules, known hazards (including asbestos, live services, and building-specific risks), and permit-to-work requirements before work commences
- Reviewing SWMS and job safety analyses (JSAs) submitted by contractors
- Issuing and controlling permits-to-work for high risk activities
- Monitoring contractor work to ensure controls are being followed
- Maintaining a contractor register with current insurance certificates and compliance records
See What Is Contractor WHS Management? for a detailed overview of contractor WHS obligations and how to structure your management system.
Contractor management: the core of facilities management WHS
Pre-qualification
Before engaging any contractor, a facilities management business should conduct pre-qualification to verify the contractor is competent, insured, and has adequate WHS systems in place. Pre-qualification typically covers:
- Current public liability insurance (minimum limits set by building owner or company policy)
- Workers compensation insurance (for contractors with employees)
- Evidence of WHS policy or management system
- Relevant licences, tickets, and competency certificates for the work to be performed
- SWMS or JSA templates relevant to the contractor's scope of work
Contractor register
A contractor register is the central record of all contractors engaged by the business. It should capture each contractor's name, trade or service type, insurance certificate expiry dates, licence details, and WHS compliance status. Maintaining a current contractor register enables rapid identification of contractors with lapsed insurances or expired licences before they are authorised to work.
See What Is a Contractor Register? for guidance on what to include and how to maintain a compliant register.
Permit-to-work systems
A permit-to-work (PTW) system is a formal process that authorises and controls specific high risk or non-routine tasks. PTW systems are a cornerstone of safety management in facilities management because they create a documented, accountable process around work that carries a significant risk of serious injury or death.
Common PTW categories in facilities management include:
- Electrical isolation and live electrical work
- Hot work (welding, grinding, cutting, open flame)
- Confined space entry
- Working at heights or roof access
- Asbestos disturbance (in conjunction with a licensed asbestos removalist)
- Lockout/tagout for plant and equipment
Each permit should identify the task, location, hazards, controls, responsible contractor, authorising person, and time boundaries. The authorising person — typically the facilities manager or building manager — must verify that controls are in place before signing off.
See Permit-to-Work Systems for a plain-language guide to establishing a PTW system for your managed buildings.
For a practical audit tool, see the Contractor Compliance Checklist.
Building compliance obligations
Facilities managers are responsible for ensuring that the buildings they manage meet ongoing legislative and regulatory compliance obligations. WHS compliance sits alongside — and intersects with — building compliance in several important areas.
Asbestos register
For any building or structure built before 1 January 2004, a facilities manager must ensure an asbestos register is in place unless it has been confirmed through inspection that no asbestos-containing materials (ACM) are present. The register must:
- Identify the location of all known or presumed ACM
- Describe the type and condition of the ACM
- Be reviewed and updated when work is carried out that may disturb ACM, or at least every five years
- Be made available to workers and contractors before they commence work in areas where ACM may be present
Contractors working in buildings with known or potential ACM must be informed before work begins. If a contractor's work is likely to disturb ACM, the work must be carried out by a licensed asbestos removalist (Class A or Class B depending on the type and quantity of ACM).
Essential services register
Essential services are fire safety, emergency, and other life safety systems required by the building's occupancy permit or fire safety schedule — including fire detection and alarm systems, emergency lighting, exit signage, sprinkler systems, fire hydrants, and smoke control systems. Facilities managers are typically responsible for ensuring:
- Essential services are inspected and maintained by accredited contractors at the required intervals
- Records of all inspections, testing, and maintenance are retained
- Essential services certificates or compliance statements are provided as required by the relevant authority
Maintaining an essential services register that tracks each item, the required inspection frequency, last service date, and next due date is standard practice in facilities management and reduces the risk of missed inspections and non-compliance.
Plant and equipment register
Facilities managers are often responsible for plant and equipment within managed buildings — including lifts, escalators, boilers, pressure vessels, cooling towers, and air handling units. Plant that requires registration with the relevant WHS regulator must be registered before it is put into service and maintained in accordance with the applicable standard or manufacturer's specifications.
SWMS requirements for facilities management
When does a facilities management business need a SWMS?
A Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is required before commencing any high risk construction work (HRCW) as defined in the WHS Regulations. In a facilities management context, SWMS obligations most commonly arise when:
- Maintenance or repair work involves working at a height of more than 2 metres
- Work is performed near live electrical services
- Confined space entry is required
- Mechanical or electrical servicing involves isolation of plant or equipment
- Roof access or façade maintenance involves risk of falling
SWMS must identify the specific HRCW activity, list the associated hazards, set out the risk controls that will be implemented, and be reviewed and signed by workers before work commences.
Where contractors are performing HRCW on or in a managed building, the facilities manager should obtain and review the contractor's SWMS before authorising the work to proceed.
Common SWMS for facilities management businesses
The table below lists the SWMS most commonly needed by facilities management businesses for maintenance and building operations activities.
| SWMS | When needed |
|---|---|
| Facilities Maintenance SWMS | General maintenance activities across managed buildings involving multiple hazards |
| Building Inspection SWMS | Formal building inspections, condition assessments, and compliance audits |
| HVAC Maintenance (Mechanical and Electrical Service) SWMS | Servicing, maintaining, and inspecting HVAC, mechanical, and electrical building services |
| Lockout/Tagout SWMS | Isolation and de-energisation of plant and equipment before maintenance or repair |
| General Working at Heights SWMS | Any work above 2 metres — roof access, elevated maintenance platforms, ladder work |
| General Commercial and Office Cleaning SWMS | Cleaning activities in commercial, office, and public building environments |
WHS documents a facilities management business needs
| Document | Purpose | When required |
|---|---|---|
| WHS Policy | Demonstrates leadership commitment to health and safety; sets out responsibilities | Any business with workers; expected by clients, building owners, and insurers |
| Contractor Pre-Qualification Records | Evidence that contractors were assessed as competent and insured before engagement | Before any contractor is engaged; updated when insurances or licences expire |
| Contractor Register | Tracks all engaged contractors, their insurance status, licences, and compliance | Maintained continuously; updated when new contractors are engaged or records change |
| SWMS | Identifies HRCW activities, hazards, and risk controls | Before commencing any HRCW activity; reviewed with workers before work begins |
| Permit-to-Work Templates | Authorises and controls high risk or non-routine work in managed buildings | Before hot work, electrical isolation, confined space entry, roof access, and similar activities |
| Asbestos Register | Records location, type, and condition of all known or presumed ACM | Required for all buildings built before 1 January 2004; reviewed and updated as required |
| Essential Services Register | Tracks inspection, testing, and maintenance of essential fire and life safety systems | Maintained continuously; used to demonstrate compliance with essential services obligations |
| Plant and Equipment Register | Tracks plant on site, registration status, inspection records, and operator competencies | Maintained for all registrable and non-registrable plant; updated after each service |
| Hazard / Risk Register | Documents identified hazards, risk ratings, and controls | Maintained continuously; updated as new hazards are identified in managed buildings |
| Incident Register | Records incidents, near misses, dangerous occurrences, and work-related injuries | Ongoing; serious incidents must be reported to the regulator |
| Training Register | Records qualifications, licences, and training for all workers | Ongoing; confirmed before workers perform licensed or competency-restricted work |
| Emergency Plan | Sets out emergency response procedures for each managed building | Required for all workplaces; building-specific procedures for each managed premises |
For a detailed guide on the full set of WHS documents a facilities management business needs, see WHS Documents for Facilities Management Businesses.
Useful guides for facilities management businesses
The following guides cover the WHS topics most relevant to facilities management.
- WHS Documents for Facilities Management Businesses — Full guide to WHS documents required for building operations and maintenance
- What Is Contractor WHS Management? — Overview of contractor WHS obligations and how to structure a management system
- What Is a Contractor Register? — Guidance on what to include in a contractor register and how to maintain it
- Permit-to-Work Systems — Plain-language guide to establishing a permit-to-work system
- Contractor Compliance Checklist — Practical checklist for auditing contractor WHS compliance
SWMS templates for facilities management businesses
Blue Safe Online provides SWMS templates for the maintenance and building operations activities most commonly performed in managed facilities. Templates are professionally prepared, editable, and ready to customise to your specific building, work methods, and contractor requirements.
Browse the full range of facilities management SWMS and WHS documents at Blue Safe Online.
Frequently asked questions
What WHS documents does a facilities management business need?
A facilities management business typically needs a WHS policy, Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for high risk work activities carried out on managed premises, a contractor register, contractor pre-qualification records, permit-to-work templates, an asbestos register (for buildings built before 2004), an essential services register, a hazard/risk register, incident register, plant and equipment register, training register, and an emergency plan. The exact documents required depend on the type and scale of facilities managed, whether the business has its own direct workers or relies entirely on contractors, and your state or territory.
Is a facilities manager a PCBU?
Yes. A facilities management business that carries on a business — whether as a sole trader, partnership, or company — is a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) under Australian WHS legislation. A PCBU has a primary duty of care to ensure the health and safety of workers and others affected by the work, so far as is reasonably practicable. This duty extends to contractors and their workers who perform work on or within facilities managed by the business, as well as building occupants and visitors who could be affected.
What is a permit-to-work system and when is it required in facilities management?
A permit-to-work (PTW) system is a formal, documented process that authorises specific high risk or non-routine work to be carried out under controlled conditions. In a facilities management context, PTW systems are commonly used for activities such as electrical isolation, hot work (welding, grinding, cutting), confined space entry, working at heights, and roof access. A permit-to-work is typically raised before the work begins, sets out the hazards and controls, identifies who is authorised to perform the work, and requires sign-off at the start and completion of the task. While WHS legislation does not always mandate a permit-to-work system by name, the duty to manage risk so far as is reasonably practicable means PTW systems are widely considered best practice — and in some cases are required by building owners, insurers, or lease conditions.
Who is responsible for the asbestos register in a managed building?
Under the WHS Regulations, the person with management or control of a workplace is responsible for ensuring an asbestos register is prepared and maintained for any building or structure built before 1 January 2004 (unless it has been confirmed that no asbestos is present). In a facilities management context, this obligation typically falls on the facilities manager or building manager as the person who has day-to-day management or control of the premises. The asbestos register must record the location, type, and condition of any identified asbestos or asbestos-containing materials (ACM), and must be made available to workers and contractors before they commence work in areas where ACM may be present.
Get your WHS documents sorted
Blue Safe Online provides SWMS templates and WHS management systems for Australian facilities management businesses. Whether you are setting up your contractor management system for the first time, adding permit-to-work templates, or updating outdated SWMS, Blue Safe Online gives you access to professionally prepared, ready-to-customise WHS documents for the facilities management industry.
Browse SWMS and WHS documents for facilities management on Blue Safe Online
This page provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. WHS requirements may vary by state or territory, building type, contract conditions, and your role in managing the premises. Consult the relevant WHS regulator or a qualified WHS professional for advice specific to your circumstances.