WHS Guides & Resources

A Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is a written document the WHS Regulations require before any high risk construction work starts. It must identify the high risk work, spell out the hazards, describe the control measures, and explain how those controls will be implemented, monitored and reviewed. This guide covers what a SWMS is, who prepares it, and when the law demands one.

A SWMS is a legally mandated document required before any of the 18 high risk construction work activities listed in s.291 of the WHS Regulations, with content prescribed by s.299. A JSA is a general risk-assessment tool with no prescribed format, used for everyday task planning. A JSA cannot stand in for a SWMS where the law demands one.

High risk construction work (HRCW) is defined in s.291 of the model WHS Regulations, which lists 18 activities from working above 2 metres to diving work. If your job involves even one of them, you must prepare a Safe Work Method Statement before work starts. This guide reproduces the full 18-activity list and explains what each trigger means on site.

Five sections of the model WHS Regulations set the legal requirements for a SWMS: s.299 (what it must contain), s.300 (work must comply or stop), s.301 (copy to the principal contractor), s.302 (review) and s.303 (record keeping). This guide explains each duty, the on-the-spot fines, how long you must keep a SWMS, and how to check yours is compliant.

NSW follows the harmonised national WHS scheme. The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (NSW) require a safe work method statement before any of the 18 high risk construction work activities in s.291 can start. This guide covers when a SWMS is required in NSW, what it must contain under s.299, and how SafeWork NSW enforces the rules.

Victoria never joined the national WHS scheme, so SWMS requirements come from the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic), not the model WHS Regulations. Regulation 327 requires employers to prepare a SWMS before high risk construction work starts, and Regulation 322 defines 19 classes of that work. This guide covers who must prepare one, what it must contain, and how WorkSafe Victoria enforces it.

Queensland applies the national model WHS laws through the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) and WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld). If your crew carries out any of the 18 high risk construction work activities in s.291, the PCBU must prepare a SWMS under s.299 before work starts. Here is what the law requires, what the document must contain, and how Queensland compares with other states.

Western Australia now runs on the harmonised WHS scheme through the WHS Act 2020 (WA) and the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA). A SWMS is mandatory before any high risk construction work as defined in Reg 291, with the requirement to prepare one and its content rules set by Reg 299, and is enforced by WorkSafe WA. Here is what WA tradies and subcontractors need to know.

South Australia runs the harmonised WHS scheme: the WHS Act 2012 (SA) and WHS Regulations 2012 (SA), enforced by SafeWork SA. A SWMS is mandatory before any high risk construction work under regulation 299, with the 18 triggering activities defined in regulation 291. Since 1 July 2026, SA's fall-from-height trigger dropped from 3 metres to 2 metres, so jobs that never needed a SWMS in SA now do.

If there is a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres, the work is high risk construction work under WHS Regulations s.291(a) and a SWMS is mandatory before it starts. The test is the fall risk, not the job title, so roofers, scaffolders, carpenters and painters trigger it routinely. Here is how the 2 metre rule works in every state.

Demolition work almost always requires a SWMS. Knocking down load-bearing or structural elements is high risk construction work under s.291(c) of the WHS Regulations, and older buildings often add asbestos disturbance (s.291(d)) and temporary structural support (s.291(e)) to the same job. This guide explains when each trigger applies, what the SWMS must contain, and how Victoria and WA differ.

Yes. Work in or near a confined space is high risk construction work under s.291(f) of the model WHS Regulations, so a SWMS must be prepared before the work starts. Confined space jobs often trigger other high risk categories at the same time, including contaminated or flammable atmospheres and shafts or trenches deeper than 1.5 metres. Here is what the law actually requires.

Yes, if the job is construction work on or near energised electrical installations or services. That is high risk construction work under s.291(k) of the model WHS Regulations, and a Safe Work Method Statement must be prepared before work starts. Your electrical licence does not replace this duty. Here is what triggers the requirement, what the SWMS must cover, and how it varies by state.