SWMS template or custom SWMS: which do you need?
A ready-made SWMS is fine as a starting point, as long as you review it for the hazards at each site and change it where the job is different. Safe Work Australia says a generic SWMS may not meet the WHS laws until that is done. Go custom when your work, your plant or your sites are out of the ordinary, or when a principal contractor wants to see your own way of working.
What is the difference?
Every doc we sell comes two ways.
- Ready to Go: already written for your trade, ready to use. It covers the common jobs in your trade, the usual hazards and the usual controls.
- Fully Custom: written for your business, your jobs and your sites, from what you tell us about the work, the plant you use and the sites you work on.
When is a ready-made SWMS enough?
When the job is the standard version of the work in your trade, done with standard gear, on sites that are much like each other. You still have to:
- check it against the conditions at each workplace before the work starts
- change it where your job or site is different
- go through it with the workers who will do the work, since they must be consulted
- review it if a control measure is not working, or before a change on site that brings a new or different risk.
When should you go custom?
- Your work does not fit the usual pattern for your trade, or mixes several types of high risk construction work.
- You use unusual plant, or work in places like confined spaces, near live services or over water.
- A principal contractor or client has asked for your SWMS and you want it to show how your crew actually works.
- You would rather not spend the time adapting a template yourself.
What does each one cost?
| Doc | Ready to Go | Fully Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Single SWMS: One high risk task or job | $79 | $195 |
| Trade Pack: 5 SWMS covering the jobs you do most | $299 | $795 |
| WHS Starter Kit: Safety policy, risk register, incident forms, toolbox talk template | $299 | $895 |
Prices include GST. Every other doc comes both ways too: see all prices.
Is there a free SWMS template?
Yes. Safe Work Australia has a free SWMS template if you want to write your own from scratch. Ours are for people who would rather start with one already filled in for their trade, or have it written for them.
Not sure if you need a SWMS at all?
A SWMS is only required for high risk construction work. Start with what is a SWMS, and do you need one?, or pick your trade.