When do you need a SWMS in Victoria?
In Victoria, you need a SWMS before any high risk construction work starts. This is a legal requirement under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017. If the work does not follow the SWMS, it must stop until it does or the SWMS is reviewed.
What counts as high risk construction work?
The regulations list the types of work. Common examples on Victorian sites include:
Work where a person could fall more than 2 metres
Work on or near energised electrical installations or services
Work in or near trenches, shafts or tunnels
Demolition of load-bearing structures
Work near pressurised gas mains or chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines
Work in or near confined spaces
Work on or next to roads or rail corridors in use by traffic
Work where powered mobile plant is moving
Work involving tilt-up or precast concrete, or structural alterations needing temporary support
Who has to prepare it?
The employer or self-employed person doing the high risk construction work prepares the SWMS, in consultation with the workers doing the job. It must be kept, made available, and reviewed when the work or the risks change.
The Victorian principal contractor threshold is $350,000
On a Victorian construction project costing $350,000 or more, the principal contractor must also prepare a health and safety coordination plan and make sure SWMS are in place for high risk construction work. Interstate guidance often quotes a different figure under the model WHS laws. In Victoria, the figure is $350,000.
Common reasons SWMS get rejected
Generic template that does not describe the actual task or site
Hazards listed without matching controls
Controls that rely only on PPE
No licence or competency requirements listed
Not signed by the workers doing the job
A custom site-specific SWMS from CWT costs $390 + GST, and a review of an existing SWMS is $190.
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.
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