SWMS Requirements in Queensland

Queensland SWMS rules at a glance

Queensland is a model-scheme state. It adopted the harmonised work health and safety laws in 2011, so the SWMS rules that apply on a Brisbane, Gold Coast or regional QLD site use the same section numbers as the national model WHS Regulations. The regulator is WorkSafe Queensland, and the duty holder who must prepare the SWMS is the PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) carrying out the high risk construction work.

When you need a SWMS in Queensland

A SWMS is only legally required for high risk construction work (HRCW). Section 291 of the WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) lists 18 activities, lettered (a) to (r), that count as HRCW. If your job involves even one of them, a SWMS must be prepared before that work starts.

The 18 activities include:

• Work where a person could fall more than 2 metres, s.291(a)
• Work on a telecommunication tower, s.291(b)
• Demolition of a load-bearing or structural element, s.291(c)
• Work that disturbs asbestos, s.291(d)
• Structural alterations or repairs needing temporary support, s.291(e)
• Work in or near a confined space, s.291(f)
• Work in a shaft or trench deeper than 1.5 metres, or a tunnel, s.291(g)
• Use of explosives, s.291(h)
• Work on or near pressurised gas mains or piping, s.291(i)
• Work on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines, s.291(j)
• Work on or near energised electrical installations, s.291(k)
• Work in an area with a contaminated or flammable atmosphere, s.291(l)
• Tilt-up or precast concrete work, s.291(m)
• Work on, in or adjacent to a road, railway or shipping lane, s.291(n)
• Work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant, s.291(o)
• Work in areas with artificial extremes of temperature, s.291(p)
• Work in or near water with a risk of drowning, s.291(q)
• Diving work, s.291(r)

What a Queensland SWMS must contain (s.299)

Section 299 sets out the mandatory content. Under s.299(2), every SWMS must do four things: identify the work that is high risk construction work, specify the hazards relating to that work and the risks to health and safety, describe the measures to be implemented to control the risks, and describe how those control measures will be implemented, monitored and reviewed.

Section 299(3) adds context requirements. The SWMS must take into account the circumstances at the workplace, such as adjacent activities and underground or overhead hazards. If the work is part of a construction project, it must also account for the WHS management plan. And it must be readily accessible and understandable to the workers who use it, so a document written in plain language beats one stuffed with jargon.

There is a special rule for fall work under s.291(a). If a SWMS for work with a risk of falling more than 2 metres relies only on administrative controls or PPE, it must describe all the control measures that were considered, effectively justifying why higher-order controls such as engineering solutions were not used.

Duties on site: sections 300 to 303

Preparing the SWMS is only the start. Section 300 requires the PCBU to ensure the high risk construction work is carried out in accordance with the SWMS; if work departs from it, work must stop until it either complies or the SWMS is revised. Non-compliance is an offence under the WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) and can attract court-imposed penalties.

Section 301 requires that a copy of the SWMS be given to the principal contractor before the high risk construction work starts. Section 302 requires the SWMS to be reviewed, and revised if necessary, whenever circumstances change. Section 303 requires the SWMS to be kept and remain available for inspection. Failure to review or keep a SWMS is also an offence, and WorkSafe Queensland inspectors can issue on-the-spot fines for SWMS breaches.

How Queensland compares with other states

Because Queensland follows the model WHS scheme, its SWMS provisions line up with NSW, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT: s.299 for the SWMS itself and s.291 for the HRCW list. The Northern Territory uses the same provision numbers under the WHS (National Uniform Legislation) Regulations 2011 (NT), but cites them regulation-style as Reg 299 and Reg 291. A SWMS built to the model requirements will map cleanly across those jurisdictions, though you should still cite the correct state act and check any local rules.

Two states differ. Victoria never joined the harmonised scheme; it runs the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) and OHS Regulations 2017 (Vic), where the SWMS duty sits at Reg 327, the HRCW list at Reg 322 covers 19 classes, and the duty holder is the employer rather than the PCBU. Western Australia joined the scheme later with the WHS Act 2020 (WA) and WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA), where the equivalent provisions are Reg 299 and Reg 291. South Australia is worth a note too: since 1 July 2026 its fall threshold for HRCW is 2 metres, harmonising with the national model, so the fall trigger is now consistent between QLD and SA.

Getting a compliant SWMS for QLD work

Practically, a compliant Queensland SWMS starts from the four s.299(2) pillars, is adjusted for the actual site conditions, gets a copy to the principal contractor before work begins, and is signed by the workers doing the job as evidence of consultation. Keep it on site, review it when anything changes, and do not let it become a document that lives in the ute and never gets read.

If you would rather not build one from scratch, GSR sells 753 editable Word safety documents across 22 trades and 7 document types, including SWMS from $79.95 and JSA from $19.95. Every document cites the relevant WHS provisions and AS/NZS standards, so you can adapt it to your Queensland site rather than starting with a blank page.

Queensland at a glance

Related guides

• What Is a SWMS? Safe Work Method Statements Explained
• High Risk Construction Work: The Full List of 18 HRCW Activities
• SWMS Legal Requirements: Sections 299 to 303 Explained
• SWMS Requirements in NSW: What the Law Says