Tradie Run Sheet Builder / Before you start / High risk construction work
High risk construction work
Printed on a job only when this tag is ticked or hrcw is in its tags column. Never read from the task text.
The tick carries seven options, printed beside the line: Fall over 2 m (hrcw-fall), Trench over 1.5 m (hrcw-trench), Near powerlines or live electrical (hrcw-electrical), Asbestos (hrcw-asbestos), Structural or demolition work (hrcw-structural), Traffic corridor (hrcw-traffic), Confined space (hrcw-confined).
What the sheet prints
- SWMS for this task on site; crew briefed before start; stop if the work leaves it WHS Regs r 299, r 300, r 303; Construction Code of Practice 4.1 to 4.3
The clauses behind it
Each clause below is our statement of it, cited to it, not the text verbatim.
the model WHS Regulations, r299
r 299 Prepare a safe work method statement before high risk construction work. A PCBU carrying out high risk construction work ensures, before it starts, that a safe work method statement is prepared (or already prepared by another person) that identifies the high risk construction work, specifies the hazards and risks, describes the control measures and how they will be implemented, monitored and reviewed, takes account of the workplace circumstances and any project WHS management plan, and is readily accessible and understandable to those using it.
the model WHS Regulations, r300
r 300 Carry out high risk construction work in accordance with the SWMS; stop if it is not. The PCBU puts arrangements in place to ensure high risk construction work is carried out in accordance with the SWMS and, if it is not, ensures the work stops immediately or as soon as safe and resumes only in accordance with the statement.
the model WHS Regulations, r301-303
rr 301 to 303 Give the SWMS to the principal contractor, review it and keep it accessible. For high risk construction work on a construction project, the PCBU gives the principal contractor a copy of the SWMS before the work starts; reviews and revises the SWMS whenever relevant control measures are revised under r 38; and keeps a copy until the work is completed, or at least 2 years after a notifiable incident connected with it, readily accessible to the workers doing the work and available for inspection.
the model Code of Practice for construction work, 4.1
4.1 Prepare a SWMS before high risk construction work starts, and coordinate who prepares it (r 299). A PCBU must prepare a safe work method statement, or ensure one has been prepared, before high risk construction work starts (WHS Regulations r 299). A SWMS is a written document identifying the high risk construction work, its hazards and risks, the controls and how they will be implemented, monitored and reviewed. The person carrying out the work is best placed to prepare it with the workers who will do it; where several PCBUs share the duty they must consult and cooperate to coordinate who prepares it. One SWMS can cover several high risk activities at a workplace, or separate SWMS may be prepared, in which case their interaction and consistency should be considered (for example a roof plumber and a crane operator each needing a SWMS for falls over 2 metres and powered mobile plant). Other construction work needs no SWMS but its risks must still be managed.
the model Code of Practice for construction work, 4.2a
4.2 SWMS content: specific controls, accessible, workplace specific, generic versions reviewed. The SWMS must identify the high risk construction work, specify its hazards and risks, describe the controls and how they will be monitored and reviewed. Controls should be stated clearly, with nothing left for supervisors or workers to decide (for example not simply use appropriate PPE). The SWMS must be accessible and understandable to anyone who needs to use it, taking account of literacy and cultural and linguistic diversity. It must take into account the circumstances at the workplace that may affect how the work is done: the site, the environment and the workers. A generic SWMS for regular activities may be used but must be reviewed for the specific workplace and revised as needed. It may also record the person responsible for compliance and, for projects, the principal contractor's name, site address, preparation and handover dates and review date.
the model Code of Practice for construction work, 4.2b
4.2 Consult workers and HSRs when preparing and reviewing a SWMS. Workers and their HSRs, if any, must be consulted when a SWMS is prepared and when it is reviewed; if no workers are engaged at planning, consultation occurs when the SWMS is first made available to them, for example during workplace-specific training or a toolbox talk. The SWMS may record the workers consulted, the date and their signatures.
the model Code of Practice for construction work, 4.3a
4.3 Ensure work follows the SWMS; stop work when it does not (r 300). PCBUs involved in high risk construction work must put arrangements in place to ensure the work is done in accordance with the SWMS (r 300), such as routine or random inspections observing whether controls are in use. Responsibility for implementation and monitoring may be given to a leading hand or supervisor, but the PCBU's duty is not transferable and it must be satisfied controls are implemented, monitored and reviewed; a builder must have a system to monitor compliance. If work is not being done in accordance with the SWMS, it must stop immediately or as soon as it is safe, and not resume until it can be done in accordance with the SWMS; the work and SWMS should be reviewed, and revised before restarting if a safer practical method is found.
the model Code of Practice for construction work, 4.3b
4.3 Make the SWMS readily accessible and instruct workers on it. PCBUs must ensure the SWMS is readily accessible to workers engaged in the high risk construction work, and workers should understand the hazards and risks, understand and implement the controls, and know what to do if work departs from the SWMS; this may be covered in induction, workplace-specific training or toolbox talks by the principal contractor, contractor or subcontractor.
the model Code of Practice for construction work, 4.3c
4.3 Keep the SWMS until the work is complete, or 2 years after a notifiable incident (r 303). The SWMS must be kept and be readily accessible to anyone engaged in the high risk construction work and available for inspection until the work is completed, or where a notifiable incident occurs in connection with it, for at least 2 years after the incident (r 303). If not kept at the workplace it should be stored where it can be brought quickly; it can be electronic; and every revised version should be kept.
In Victoria
A Victorian sheet prints, in place of the lines above:
- SWMS prepared before the work starts; the work done as the SWMS says and stopped if it is not; SWMS reviewed when the work changes and kept until the work is complete OHS Regs (Vic) r 327(1)(a), (1)(b), (2), r 328, r 329; rr 322 and 324
Victoria: the lines below cite the Victorian OHS Act and OHS Regulations; the Regulations are due to sunset, so check the version in force.
Each clause below is our statement of it, cited to it, not the text verbatim.
the Victorian OHS Regulations, r327-1a
r 327(1)(a) Prepare a SWMS before high risk construction work starts. No employer, and no self-employed person, may carry out high risk construction work (any r 322 category) that involves a risk to anyone's health or safety unless a SWMS for that work was prepared before the work started. For work that removes or is likely to disturb asbestos, an asbestos control plan prepared under r 272 counts as preparing the SWMS (r 327(3)(a)). Act compliance is through ss 21, 23 and 24.
the Victorian OHS Regulations, r327-1b
r 327(1)(b) Perform high risk construction work in accordance with the SWMS. Having prepared the SWMS, the employer or self-employed person may only carry out the high risk construction work in line with it: the control measures and implementation steps it describes must be what happens on site. For asbestos removal or disturbance, following the r 272 asbestos control plan counts as following the SWMS as regards the risk of breathing airborne asbestos fibres (r 327(3)(b)). Act compliance is through ss 21, 23 and 24.
the Victorian OHS Regulations, r327-2
r 327(2) Stop work that does not comply with the SWMS. If work is not complying with its SWMS, the employer, or the self-employed person, must stop that work straight away, or, where halting at once is unsafe, at the first safe moment, and must not restart it until the SWMS is being complied with, or has been reviewed and, where needed, revised under r 328. Act compliance is through ss 21, 22 and 23.
the Victorian OHS Regulations, r328
r 328 Review and revise the SWMS. An employer or self-employed person carrying out high risk construction work that needs a SWMS under r 327 must review the SWMS, and revise it if needed, each time the work changes, and whenever there is a sign that risk controls (including controls that other Parts of the Regulations require) are not adequately controlling the risks, including after any incident during the work. Act compliance is through ss 21, 23 and 24.
the Victorian OHS Regulations, r329
r 329 Keep a copy of the SWMS for the duration of the work. Employers and self-employed persons must hold a copy of the SWMS until the high risk construction work it covers is complete. The retained copy is what the work is checked against under r 327, and what must be reviewed and revised under r 328 when the work changes or controls fail. Maximum penalty: 60 units (individual), 300 units (company).
the Victorian OHS Regulations, P5.1-hrcw
rr 322 and 324 High risk construction work categories and SWMS content. High risk construction work (r 322) means construction work falling in any of these 19 categories: (a) a person risks a fall of over 2 metres; (b) the work is on a telecommunications tower; (c) demolition is involved; (d) asbestos is removed or is likely to be disturbed; (e) structural alterations need temporary support so the structure does not collapse; (f) a confined space is involved; (g) a trench or shaft is dug to a depth greater than 1.5 metres; (h) a tunnel is involved; (i) explosives are used; (j) the work is on or close to pressurised gas mains or gas distribution piping; (k) the work is on or close to lines carrying chemicals, fuel or refrigerant; (l) the work is on or close to live (energised) electrical installations or services; (m) the area may hold a flammable or contaminated atmosphere; (n) tilt-up or precast concrete is involved; (o) the work is on or beside a road or railway carrying traffic; (p) powered mobile plant moves about the workplace; (q) the area has artificially created temperature extremes; (r) the work is in, above or beside water or another liquid with a drowning risk; (s) diving is involved. Categories (j), (k) and (l) are how Part 5.1 treats work near gas, chemical, fuel, refrigerant and electrical services: they make the work high risk and so trigger a SWMS; Part 5.1 contains no separate services provision. A safe work method statement (SWMS, r 324) is a document that identifies the high risk construction work, states its hazards and risks, adequately describes the control measures and how they will be put in place, and is written so the people who use it can readily access and understand it.
Trades that meet it most: electricians, builders.