What are a principal contractor's duties in Victoria?

2 hours ago

2 min read

In Victoria, a construction project costing $350,000 or more must have a principal contractor. The principal contractor must prepare a health and safety coordination plan, make sure high risk construction work has a SWMS, put up a sign with their name and contact details, and manage safety across the whole site.

Who is the principal contractor?

The owner or developer appoints the principal contractor in writing, usually the builder. If no one is appointed, the owner can be treated as the principal contractor. There is only one principal contractor for a project at a time.

Main duties

Prepare a health and safety coordination plan before work starts, keep it up to date and available on site
Make sure no high risk construction work is done without a SWMS, and check subcontractors are following their SWMS
Display a sign at the site entrance with the principal contractor's name and contact details
Coordinate site inductions, supervision and safety across all contractors
Manage site access, traffic, exclusion zones, amenities and emergency arrangements

What the coordination plan should cover

Who is responsible for health and safety on site, and what each role does
Site safety rules and how they are communicated to everyone on site
How incidents and emergencies are managed
How SWMS are collected, checked, monitored and reviewed
How changes on site are managed and the plan kept current

Watch the threshold

Model WHS laws used in other states set the principal contractor threshold differently. In Victoria it is $350,000. Interstate templates and generic online advice often get this wrong.

How CWT helps head contractors

CWT writes coordination plans and SWMS, reviews subcontractor SWMS ($190 + GST each) and audits sites against the Victorian regulations ($2,450 + GST). Read what a SWMS must include and when you need a SWMS.

Talk to Chris

CWT Safety & Advisory is based in Frankston South and works across Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and regional Victoria. Call Chris Warren on 0415 637 981, see every fixed fee on the pricing page, or send a request through the contact page.