SWMS for concrete work: Australian site-specific template
Use this as a starting form, not a ready-approved SWMS. Concrete work is varied: placing a small slab, pumping concrete, cutting cured concrete and installing tilt-up panels do not have identical hazards or legal triggers. Under the model WHS framework, a Safe Work Method Statement is required when the job involves high-risk construction work. Safe Work Australia lists triggers that can arise on concrete jobs, including tilt-up or precast concrete, work in an area with powered mobile plant, a fall risk over two metres, work near specified services or a deep trench. Ordinary concrete work is not automatically high-risk construction work merely because it involves concrete. Check the actual activity, site and local jurisdiction before deciding.
The Complys AU SWMS software page owns the general SWMS product and trigger list. The existing free SWMS builder owns the generic interactive tool. This proposed template owns a narrower concrete-specific, copyable planning record. It must not compete with the generic builder for “SWMS template” or suggest that filling in a few standard rows makes a crew safe.
First: identify the concrete task and high-risk trigger
Tick every relevant activity after checking the real work and the local WHS/OHS rules:
- [ ] In-situ pour or placing/finishing concrete
- [ ] Concrete pumping, boom or line pump
- [ ] Reinforcement, formwork or temporary support
- [ ] Tilt-up or precast concrete element handling or erection
- [ ] Cutting, drilling, grinding, polishing or demolition of cured concrete
- [ ] Work at height with a risk of falling more than two metres under the model trigger
- [ ] Work in an area where powered mobile plant moves
- [ ] Work near energised electrical installation or other listed services
- [ ] Work in or near a shaft/trench deeper than 1.5 metres
- [ ] Other locally defined high-risk activity: ______
High-risk construction work identified and why: ______. Jurisdiction and local regulator checked: ______. Separate specialist plans required (for example lifting, traffic, temporary works, silica or permit): ______. A SWMS should name the high-risk activity it covers, not just say “concreting.” Safe Work Australia's interactive SWMS tool can help test the model trigger, but it expressly does not guarantee compliance with local law.
Copyable SWMS header and controls
| Field | Site-specific entry |
|---|---|
| PCBU/business and ABN | |
| Project/site and precise work area | |
| Principal contractor and contact | |
| Work scope, drawings and revision | |
| Concrete operation and high-risk trigger(s) | |
| Prepared by, role, date and version | |
| Workers and subcontractors consulted | |
| Supervisor and stop-work authority | |
| Plant, pump, formwork, lifting gear and inspection status | |
| Required licences, training and task competency | |
| Site access, deliveries and exclusion zones | |
| Relevant services and isolation arrangements | |
| Weather/ground/edge and other site conditions | |
| Emergency plan, first aid and rescue contacts | |
| Related risk assessment, lift/traffic/silica/temporary-work plans |
Control-selection note: Eliminate the risk where reasonably practicable; then select suitable engineering and other controls for the actual task. A row below is a prompt, not a prescribed control. Replace generic text with the concrete equipment, person, location, sequence and verification step used on this job. Do not rely on PPE as the only response to a controllable hazard.
| Step and high-risk activity | Hazard and who may be harmed | Site-specific control and how it will be implemented | Person responsible | How the control is checked and reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Pre-start survey, design and services check | Ground instability, hidden services, poor access, interface with others | Record findings: ______; confirm drawings/services/ground bearing: ______; change work if assumptions fail | ||
| 2. Deliveries and traffic setup | Vehicle-person contact, reversing, congested access | Traffic route, separation, spotter where justified, delivery windows and exclusion zone: ______ | ||
| 3. Formwork, reinforcement and temporary support | Collapse, impalement, sharp edges, manual handling | Design/check/inspection and hold points: ______; safe handling and edge controls: ______ | ||
| 4. Pump or placing equipment setup | Ground failure, overturn, boom/service contact, moving parts | Competent setup, outrigger/ground check, line/boom location, barriers and communication: ______ | ||
| 5. Concrete pumping or placement | Hose whip, line failure, splash/alkalinity, slips, moving plant | Pump/line inspection, exclusion zone, coordinated signals, contact and wash facilities: ______ | ||
| 6. Finishing, curing and access | Falls, wet surfaces, exposure, fatigue, changing weather | Access, edge/void protection, sequencing, breaks and hygiene: ______ | ||
| 7. Cutting, drilling or surface treatment (if in scope) | Respirable crystalline silica, flying debris, noise | Assess silica process and applicable controls separately; source capture/water methods and verification: ______ | ||
| 8. Tilt-up/precast handling (if in scope) | Element collapse, suspended load, lifting failure, crush zone | Engineer's design and approved lift/bracing sequence; exclusion zone and inspection: ______ | ||
| 9. Clean-down, waste and handover | Residual pressure, washout, slips, environmental release, premature access | Depressurise/clean in sequence, manage washout and barricades, inspect before handover: ______ |
Do not leave an inapplicable row as if it were part of the job. Delete it with a reason or mark it clearly outside scope. Add steps for the actual equipment and order of operations. The row on tilt-up/precast is a prompt to obtain specialist engineering and lifting controls, not a complete erection method.
Concrete-specific hazards that deserve separate attention
Pumping. Safe Work Australia identifies boom failure, contact with overhead powerlines, delivery-hose whipping and hazardous moving parts. Establish the pump setup, ground support, boom reach, service clearance, line condition, connection sequence, emergency stop and communication method before the pour. A line blockage is not solved by improvising while the system is pressurised. The pump operator and placing crew need a shared procedure and exclusion zone.
Silica. Cutting, drilling, grinding or polishing cured concrete can generate respirable crystalline silica. Safe Work Australia's silica guidance explains the exposure risk and controls. Recent model rules include a documented assessment of whether processing a crystalline silica substance is high risk; the official optional assessment template is a starting point. A SWMS may interact with a silica risk control plan, but the current local rule and the adequacy of the SWMS content need verification. Do not add a single “wear mask” line and assume the issue is managed.
Precast and tilt-up. These are explicit model high-risk construction categories. Handling and erection require design, lifting, temporary stability, bracing, exclusion zones and competent coordination. A generic in-situ slab template is inadequate. Record the engineer's documents and project-specific method separately from this checklist.
Wet concrete and washout. Consider skin/eye exposure, hygiene, slips, access and environmental controls. Use the product's current safety information and the site's plan to select precautions. A concrete mix, admixture and exposure situation can differ from another; do not assume one PPE or washout arrangement fits all.
Worker consultation, briefing and change control
Under the model high-risk construction framework, a PCBU doing the work must prepare, keep, comply with and review the SWMS; Safe Work Australia says a copy is provided to the principal contractor. Before work, discuss the actual steps with the people doing them, including pump crew, formwork crew, finishers and adjacent trades where relevant. Ask what site conditions could invalidate the plan. Make sure each person can find the current version and knows when to stop and seek review.
Briefing record: version ______; date/time ______; workers/roles present ______; questions/changes raised ______; supervisor ______; evidence of acknowledgement ______. Change triggers: different pump/boom, changed ground or weather, altered pour sequence, additional plant, new overhead service, failed formwork inspection, silica-producing work added, incident/near miss or a control that cannot be followed. If the SWMS is no longer accurate, stop the affected high-risk work, revise the method and rebrief. A signature on an outdated sheet is not evidence of safe practice.
Example: a pumped slab near vehicle traffic
A crew plans to pump a ground-floor slab on a busy construction site. The pump location is beside the haul route and the boom may approach overhead electrical services. A draft with only “pump concrete; wear PPE” misses the key risks. The competent planner checks the service clearance, pump reach and ground support; agrees a delivery route and physical separation; inspects pump and line; defines a hose-control and communication method; and records who will stop work if vehicles enter the exclusion zone. The SWMS identifies the model high-risk category of work in an area with powered mobile plant, plus any other actual trigger. The supervisor briefs the crew and verifies the barriers before pumping. If the pump is moved, the setup and method are reassessed.
This is an illustration, not a certified control plan. A qualified pump and site team must determine the real equipment and distances under local requirements.
What a good finished SWMS proves—and what it does not
A completed SWMS should let a worker explain the actual sequence, the hazards at each high-risk step, the controls, who implements them and how they are checked. It should identify the current version and be available at the work. It is not a guarantee that the site is safe or a replacement for engineering design, plant inspection, training, licences, silica controls or specialist permits. The supervisor must verify that the described controls are actually in place.
The free Complys AU SWMS builder may help format a document; the SWMS software page describes management features. Both are vendor-published, and their exact implementation and plan availability must be checked before publication. This template can be copied without an account. Neither a generated PDF nor an AI suggestion can select site facts that were never supplied.
Source/claim, ownership and QA
| Material point | Primary evidence | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Model high-risk construction work categories and SWMS duties | Safe Work Australia high-risk work | Concrete alone not an automatic trigger; check local law. |
| Concrete pumping hazards | Safe Work Australia pumping | Task prompts, not preset safe method. |
| Silica from concrete processing | Safe Work Australia silica; high-risk assessment template | Separate assessment/local rules gate. |
| Existing Complys owners | AU SWMS builder; SWMS software | Template owns concrete-specific fillable planning intent. |
Writer-side QA: Actual copyable task table and briefing record; site facts left blank rather than invented; high-risk trigger decision explicit; pumping, silica and precast boundaries; no false universal concrete SWMS duty; current jurisdiction and product checks gated. READY is writer-side complete for independent repository review, not publication approval.