#constructionswms

A SWMS is essential for anyone involved in high‑risk construction work, from principal contractors to subcontractors. If your job involves potentially hazardous tasks, having a SWMS is a legal requirement.

Many people find writing a SWMS confusing and, of course, time-consuming. Knowing what to include, how to structure it, and ensuring it’s compliant can be quite tricky.

Work Health and Safety, also referred to as Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) , is a legislative framework designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of all individuals engaged in work activities. In Australia, WHS is governed by state and territory legislation , with the overarching objective of preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.

Delays in construction don’t always come from rain or supply issues, sometimes, it’s the paperwork that brings your site to a standstill.

In the building and construction game, risk assessments aren’t just a box to tick, they are an essential tool to help you keep everyone safe and your project running smoothly. Whether you’re a licensed builder or tradesperson, assessing risk can make a big difference to the safety and productivity of your jobsite.

You can think of a WHS Management Plan as your site safety game plan. It covers the major things that make your job site safe, legal, and well-organised.

It outlines:

Who’s responsible for what

What site rules are in place

How you’ll manage hazards and risks

What to do in an emergency

How you’ll communicate safety info with workers

How incidents will be reported and handled

How you’ll check that everything’s working

It’s a go-to safety document that everyone on-site can access and refer to, whether it’s a new apprentice, a subcontractor, or the site supervisor.

Who needs a site safety

If your project is valued at $250,000 or more, a WHS construction management plan template isn’t optional, it’s a legal requirement in Australia. That’s across the board, whether you’re working residential, commercial, or industrial.

The person responsible? That’s the principal contractor — usually the head builder or project lead. It’s their job to make sure the WHS Plan is not only created but followed on-site.

This rule comes from the Work Health and Safety Regulations, and it’s enforced across most states and territories in Australia. It doesn’t matter if the site’s a luxury high-rise or a medium-sized reno — if the contract’s over $250K, you’re in WHS plan territory.

An ITP is a quality assurance document that describes when inspections and tests are required throughout your construction project. Essentially, it’s a checklist that aligns with your Quality Management Plan template and ensures you’re doing all the right things, at the right time.

What specific inspections need to happen

How often they should occur

Who is responsible for conducting them

When they must be signed off before work continues

What approval or verification is needed at each stage

It should match your project stages, so inspections aren’t delayed or forgotten. Once something is built over, it’s too late to go back, you can’t inspect after the fact.

Why are ITPs so important on complex builds?

When you have a larger, multi-phase job, the risk of things slipping through the cracks increases. Overlapping trades, handovers and tight deadlines can lead to missed inspections, or assuming someone else has already completed them.

Here’s where a structured ITP protects you:

Accountability — It names the person responsible for each inspection. No more guesswork.

Evidence of compliance — It’s a paper trail that proves inspections happened, and when.

Risk mitigation — It minimises the chance of a missed inspection turning into a defect or legal drama.

Improved workflow — Teams know what needs sign-off before moving to the next task.

Client confidence — Clients feel reassured that their project is being handled professionally and by the book.

ITPs are especially critical in industries where non-compliance could lead to serious injury, structural failure, or costly rework — so basically, almost every trade.

Construction SWMS Template for Safe Work| Builder Assist

Our Construction SWMS templates are specifically designed for each building trade. These Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) documents provide support for the management of Work Health & Safety (WHS) in the workplace.

Visit our website now to purchase the editable templates for the safety of your workplace.

The nature of electrical work means risks can be high — especially because you’re dealing with live wires, tight spaces, working at heights, and constantly evolving site conditions. That’s why it’s not just good practice, but essential to have the right documentation in place before the work begins.

If you’re an electrician, a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is one of the most important safety tools you can have. And, at Builder Assist, we make it easy to get compliant, fast — with Electrical SWMS templates that are designed by industry experts and ready to use.

Let’s talk about electrical SWMS

A SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) outlines how to carry out high-risk construction work safely. For electricians, a SWMS is a structured plan that identifies hazards and explains how those risks will be controlled on-site. It covers the job from start to finish, step-by-step, including:

Identifying the high-risk tasks (like working with live power, heights, or confined spaces)

Listing potential hazards (shock, burns, arc flashes, etc.)

Setting out the control measures

Making sure everyone on-site understands and follows the plan

It’s also a legal requirement for high-risk construction work in Australia — so not having one can mean serious consequences for your business.