SWMS, JSA or Take 5: which one does the law ask for?
Only the SWMS. If your work is high risk construction work, the WHS regulations say a SWMS must be ready before it starts. A JSA (job safety analysis) and a Take 5 are not named in the model WHS laws or in Queensland's. Some builders and sites still ask for them under their own safety rules, so you may need them to get on site.
What each one is
| Document | What it covers | Named in the WHS laws? |
|---|---|---|
| SWMS (safe work method statement) | The high risk construction work on a job, its hazards and risks, the controls, and how the controls are put in place, checked and reviewed | Yes. Required before high risk construction work starts |
| JSA (job safety analysis) | One task broken into steps, with the hazards and controls for each step | No |
| Take 5 | A quick check one worker does before starting a task or when something changes, often on a pocket card. The steps vary from company to company | No |
One SWMS can cover several types of high risk work on the same job, for example using mobile plant, working more than 2 metres up and working next to a road in use.
Can a JSA or a Take 5 replace a SWMS?
Not on their own. Whatever you call the document, high risk construction work needs one that does everything a SWMS must do:
- identify the work that is high risk construction work
- state the hazards and the risks that come with them
- describe the measures that will control the risks
- describe how those measures will be put in place, monitored and reviewed.
Safe Work Australia says a SWMS is generally different from documents that focus on one task or process, such as a JSA or a safe operating procedure. A SWMS is not meant to be a procedure. It is a tool for supervisors and workers to confirm and monitor the controls needed on site.
Why do builders ask for a JSA or a Take 5?
Some principal contractors and bigger sites run their own safety systems and ask subbies for a JSA, a Take 5, or both, on top of the SWMS. That is their site rule, not something the WHS regulations ask for by name. If a builder asks, find out what format they want before you start.
What about work that is not high risk?
You do not need a SWMS for work that is not high risk construction work. You still have to manage the risks in your business: get rid of them where you reasonably can, and keep them as low as you reasonably can where you cannot. A JSA or a written procedure is a good way to show you do.
What we write
We write SWMS for your trade in Safe as Docs, from $79 Ready to Go or $195 Fully Custom. For step by step task procedures, see SOP Docs, from $59.
| 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.
Not sure if your work is high risk?
Read what is a SWMS, and do you need one? for the full list, or pick your trade.