Concreting operations involve multiple high-risk construction activities under WHS Regulations s.291, including work near excavations, working at heights during formwork, and handling heavy loads with cranes or concrete pumps.
Our concreting SWMS pack covers 10 work activities from formwork construction and steel reinforcement through to concrete pouring, finishing, post-tensioning, and tilt-up/precast panel installation. Each document addresses hazards specific to concrete work including chemical burns from wet concrete, silica dust exposure, manual handling of heavy materials, and plant/equipment risks.
Key Hazards Covered
Chemical burns from wet concrete contact
Silica dust inhalation during cutting and grinding
Formwork collapse during pouring
Manual handling of heavy reinforcement steel
Crane and concrete pump operations
Working near open excavations
Relevant Australian Standards
AS 3600 Concrete structures
AS/NZS 4576 Guidelines for scaffolding safety
AS 2550 Cranes, hoists and winches
AS/NZS 1891.1 Fall-arrest systems
Individual Documents — $67.96 each
Concreting SWMS — Common Questions
Do I need a SWMS for concreting work?
Yes, if your concreting work involves high-risk activities such as working at heights (e.g. elevated formwork), working near excavations, or operating cranes and concrete pumps. Most commercial concreting work triggers at least one high-risk category under WHS Regulations s.291.
What are the main hazards in concreting?
Key hazards include chemical burns from wet concrete, silica dust exposure from cutting and grinding, formwork collapse, manual handling of heavy steel reinforcement, crane and pump operations, and working near open excavations or penetrations.
Do these cover tilt-up and precast work?
Yes. Our concreting pack includes dedicated SWMS for tilt-up panel casting, lifting, and erection as well as precast installation — both of which involve crane operations classified as high-risk construction work.
Do I need a SWMS for concreting work in Victoria?
Yes, if your concreting work is high risk construction work, but in Victoria the requirement sits under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic), not the national WHS Regulations, because Victoria is not part of the national WHS scheme. The content is substantively equivalent, so concreting documents must be updated to cite Victorian law before you use them on a Victorian site.
Which concreting activities require a SWMS?
A SWMS is required when the work is high risk construction work under WHS Regulations s.291, such as elevated formwork with a fall risk of more than 2 metres, tilt-up and precast concrete panel work, work in areas with movement of powered mobile plant like concrete pumps and cranes, or work near trenches deeper than 1.5 metres. Routine slab finishing at ground level may not trigger a SWMS on its own, so assess each activity against s.291.
Do I need a SWMS for a small residential concrete slab?
Not automatically. A SWMS is only mandatory when the work meets a high risk construction work category under WHS Regulations s.291, so a simple ground-level residential slab with no fall, plant, or excavation hazard may not require one, while a job using a concrete pump, elevated formwork, or a deep footing trench would. Always assess the specific activities rather than assuming residential work is exempt.