Contrary to popular belief, you only need one SWMS to cover all the high risk work you are completing. The legislation sets this out very clearly, including what tasks are considered ‘high risk construction work’.
Here is an excerpt from Safe Work Australia website…
"One SWMS can be used for work that involves multiple high risk construction work activities, for example a work activity that requires using powered mobile plant, working at heights of more than 2 metres and working adjacent to a road used by traffic other than pedestrians. A SWMS is classed as an administrative control and is used to support higher order controls to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety, for example engineering controls. A SWMS is generally different from other documents that focus on specific tasks or processes, such as a Job Safety Analysis or a Safe Operating Procedure. A SWMS is not intended to be a procedure—rather it is a tool to help supervisors and workers confirm and monitor the control measures required at the workplace."
In other words, you don’t need a different SWMS for each power tool or each piece of equipment you use, or for every task you complete.
Some other safety companies try to make it extra confusing (and costly for you) by saying you need multiple SWMS, but our goal has always been to make things as easy and budget friendly as possible for our customers.
