SWMS requirements in Queensland: when you need one

General duties versus the SWMS trigger

Every business has general work health and safety duties to manage risks. A SWMS is an additional duty for a business doing high risk construction work. If the work is on the list, a SWMS must be prepared before it starts, followed on site, reviewed and kept. Where there is a principal contractor, give them a copy before work starts.

Safe Work Australia's official list has many items. The table gives three examples; check the full list in the official sources below for every job.

Sources[2][1]

Four things a SWMS must do

When preparing one, Queensland's regulator says it must:

• identify the work that is high risk construction work
• specify the hazards and the risks to health and safety
• describe the measures to control the risks
• describe how the control measures are implemented, monitored and reviewed

Sources[1]

Making it work on site

A line saying only 'use appropriate PPE' leaves the crew without specific controls. Consult workers and explain the hazards and controls. If work does not follow the SWMS, stop immediately or as soon as it is safe, and resume only when it can follow the statement. Keep it until at least the high risk work is finished.

Sources[1]

Before work starts: a practical SWMS check

Use this as a preparation checklist alongside the full regulator guidance. It is not a completed SWMS or an assessment of your site.

• Identify which activity on the high risk construction work list applies to the job; do not stop after checking only the three examples above.
• Work through the actual tasks with the workers who will do them, noting site hazards, controls and who will put those controls in place.
• Make the statement understandable and available to the people doing the work, and, where there is a principal contractor, give them a copy before starting.
• Check that the controls are in place on site. If the work departs from the SWMS, stop safely, review it and resume only when the work can follow it.

Sources[1]

Common questions

Do you need a SWMS for every job?

No. A SWMS is required for high risk construction work, which is a defined list. Other work still carries general safety duties, so manage the risks even when no SWMS is required.[1][2]

At what stage of activity is a SWMS required?

Before the high risk construction work starts. The business must ensure it is prepared first, and, where there is a principal contractor, they must have a copy before work begins.[1]