Safe Work Method Statement template

All of the above safe work method statement templates share a similar structure, because there are some objective 'best practices' when it comes to the makeup of any safe work method statement.

You can view the template layout below in graphic format, but here is a general overview of the different sections of the template:

Organisational details - A neat organisational details table at the top of your safe work method statement enables you to stamp all of your important information on each SWMS record, along with the contact person.

Project details - Different companies have different approaches to how often they review and adjust their SWMS, but each project should have a specific SWMS which is created and maintained specifically to cater to that environment, that site, the other parties involved etc. so you'll need to have a place to 'place' your details on a SWMS template.

The activity - You can have the type of high risk activity the SWMS was created for at the top of the document, but it's usually helpful to have it in at least one other place to clarify and add detail to the activity. For example, maybe the safe work method statement is for working at heights, but maybe it's for a specific type of working at heights which you could further denote in this section of the template.

Some other SWMS details - Including the parties or people who helped develop and review this safe work method statement can be really important. If there are issues later down the track or if something was missed or non-compliant, it helps to be able to look back and understand who worked on what and why.

Training and instructions to be provided - The core of a safe work method statement is the job steps of that specific high risk construction activity, but outlining the other core safety practices, procedures and rules behind these operations is crucial too. For most high risk construction activities, people require a certain level of training. It's in this section of the SWMS template that you can document the required level of training which everyone who participates in this work requires. For specific trade safe work method statements, this might include a trade license, and for more general tasks, this might include a specific induction or training session on that activity.

Resources trades involved - Safe work method statements are intended to be quite specific, and they are also typically applicable (or more applicable) to certain trades. Defining which trades will be involved in a specific activity is a good way - along with the training provided above - to ensure that everyone performing the activity should be doing so.

Engineering details/certificates/work place health and safety approvals - In some cases and for some specific activities, there might be some engineering requirements, specific certificates or specific approvals required to move forward with a specific task. This is where you would place that information.

Plant and equipment used - Many high risk construction activities involve plant and equipment, which can save time and manual labour but can also introduce their own hazards and dangers. Identifying the plant and equipment which will and should be used for a specific activity benefits the SWMS and SWMS readers in a number of ways: it clarifies which plant and equipment they should use, which plant and equipment they probably shouldn't use, and also serves to remind the person creating the safe work method statement about the hazards and risks associated with the plant and equipment used in accordance with activity.

Warning signs and control measures - Most of the control measures associated with the activity being assessed in the SWMS are outlined in the job steps section, but there may be some general control measures and warning signs in place which are applicable to this activity.

Details of emergency procedures - Most of the time, this section of your safe work method statement template says 'as per the safety plan', because the basic emergency procedure is generally applicable to any emergency which arises from this specific activity.

In some cases, it may be different, in which case this section of the template would allow you to outline specific around the emergency procedure.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used - Personal protective equipment requirements are a staple section on any safe work method statement template - as well as most safety templates. This section of the template gives you a nice spot to point to in the case that someone who has signed off on the SWMS has not adhered to the PPE requirements clearly laid out in the SWMS.

Safety data sheets required - Another common and major source of danger on construction and industrial sites are safety data sheets. Where applicable, you should include details around the safety data sheets or safety data sheet requirements associated with a specific activity.

Legislative and codes/standards - Many of these high risk activities have led to many issues, injuries and fatalities in the past, which has led to the rise of legislation, standards and codes designed specifically for them. Listing the legislations and codes applicable to the activity is important, because it gives everyone a reference point and also shows any reader or auditor that the company was aware of the minimum requirements and it's obligations from a safety standpoint.

Job steps - The main section of any safe work method statement template - and the main contents of all of these SWMS templates is the job steps section. This section enables a company, project or team to outline all of the main steps involved with performing this activity, the hazards associated with each job step and the control measures in place for minimising and mitigating those hazards.

In addition, most safe work method statements will give each job step at least one risk score (which is the likelihood of the risk eventuating multiplied by its consequence), while many provide two scores - one before the control measures are in place and one after the control measures are in place.

This increase the likelihood that the control measures are well thought out and making an impact on safety.

Compliance signatures - The purpose of a safe work method statement is to ensure that everyone who conducts a specific high risk activity is conducting it safely. To 'record' that everyone has been shown the SWMS, people need to sign off and acknowledge that they have read and agreed to conduct work in this manner.

Monitoring and review signatures - Safe work method statements are living and breathing documents, and they need to be monitored for accuracy and reviewed regularly. Like all safety inputs and documents, the power of the document comes from being able to create it, and then measure it, and then improve it.

See a real-world example of the safe work method statement