Landscaping work involves high-risk activities including excavation, working near underground services, operating powered mobile plant (excavators, skid steers), and tree work at height — all requiring SWMS under WHS Regulations s.291.
Our landscaping SWMS pack covers 10 activities including earthworks and excavation, retaining wall construction, irrigation system installation, paving and concreting, tree removal and pruning, garden bed construction, turf laying, and plant/equipment operations. Documents address hazards such as trench collapse, underground service strikes, chainsaw injuries, plant-pedestrian interactions, and manual handling of heavy materials.
Yes, when landscaping involves excavation (especially trenching over 1.5 metres), tree work at height, operating heavy plant, or working near underground services. These are classified as high-risk construction work under WHS Regulations s.291.
Is tree removal covered?
Yes. Our landscaping pack includes a dedicated tree work SWMS covering tree felling, pruning at height, chainsaw operations, chipper safety, and drop zone management — referenced to AS 4373 Pruning of amenity trees.
What about excavation for landscaping?
Our earthworks SWMS covers excavation safety including trench shoring, benching, Dial Before You Dig requirements, underground service location, plant operations, and soil stability assessment.
Do I need a SWMS for landscaping work in Victoria?
Yes, if your landscaping work is high risk construction work, but Victoria is not part of the national WHS scheme, so it is governed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) and the OHS Regulations 2017 (Vic) rather than the model WHS Regulations. A landscaping SWMS used in Victoria must cite that Victorian legislation, and the content requirements for activities like deep excavation and tree work at height are substantively equivalent.
Do I need a SWMS for a small residential landscaping job?
Not automatically. A SWMS is only mandatory when the job involves high risk construction work defined in WHS Regulations s.291, such as trenches deeper than 1.5 metres, tree work with a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres, or work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant like an excavator. A small garden bed or turf-laying job with none of those activities does not require a SWMS, though a job safety analysis is still good practice.
Which landscaping activities trigger a SWMS requirement?
Common landscaping activities classed as high risk construction work under WHS Regulations s.291 include excavation in trenches deeper than 1.5 metres, tree pruning or felling where there is a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres, and any work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant such as excavators and skid steers. Once any of these is involved a SWMS must be prepared before work starts under s.299 and given to the principal contractor before the work begins under s.301.