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General building · Australia

SWMS for house extension

By SiteSortedBuilt from Safe Work Australia and state regulator guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated

Yes. House extension usually includes high risk construction work (risk of a person falling more than 2 metres), so a SWMS is required by law before work starts.

It must list the hazards, the controls and how they will be put in place, monitored and reviewed, and the workers must be consulted and sign before starting. The main hazards are falling from height, falling from a roof edge, silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles and disturbing asbestos.

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SWMS example: house extension

This is a complete SWMS for house extension, with 7 job steps. Open it in the builder to add your site, crew and signatures, change anything, and download a PDF. Or download the free Word template below and fill it in by hand.

Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)
House extension · General building · Example
Document SWMS-001 · Rev 1

High risk construction work covered

Risk of a person falling more than 2 metres

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Check the asbestos register for the existing house and protect the occupants
  • Disturbing asbestos
  • Working in an occupied home or building
Extreme
  • Before work, check the asbestos register (workplaces built before 2004). For homes, or if there is no register, have a competent person identify asbestos or assume it is present. Eliminate
  • Seal off the work area and keep everyone else out. Isolate
  • If asbestos must be disturbed, keep it wet, use hand tools not power tools, and clean up with an H-class vacuum. Engineering
  • Friable asbestos (Class A) and more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos (Class B) must be removed by a licensed removalist. Administrative
  • Stop work straight away if you find suspect asbestos. Do not touch it and tell your supervisor. Administrative
  • Wear a fitted P2 (or better) respirator and disposable coveralls. PPE
  • Plan noisy, dusty or risky work for when the building is empty. Eliminate
  • Close off the work area with barriers, plastic sheeting or locked doors, and put up signs. Isolate
  • Keep fire exits and paths clear at all times. Administrative
  • Tell occupants before you turn off power, water or gas, and before noisy or dusty work. Administrative
  • Lock away tools, chemicals and materials each day, out of reach of children. Administrative
  • Clean up dust and debris at the end of each day. Administrative
Medium
2Set up fencing and dust screens between the work and the house
  • Public entering the work area
  • General dust
High
  • Fence off the site with secure temporary fencing and lock the gates when you leave. Isolate
  • Give pedestrians a safe, marked path around the work, with ramps for prams and wheelchairs. Isolate
  • Use hoarding, covered walkways or catch fans where work is above public areas. Engineering
  • Put signs at each entry: site name, contact number and "No unauthorised entry". Administrative
  • Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower plant, remove ladders and lock tools away. Administrative
  • Use a spotter when moving plant or materials across public paths. Administrative
  • Use low-dust products, such as dust-reduced or pre-mixed compounds. Substitute
  • Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting in occupied buildings. Isolate
  • Use tools with dust extraction and a vacuum for clean up. Engineering
  • Lightly mist the area with water to keep dust down, away from anything electrical. Engineering
  • Never dry sweep or blow dust off with compressed air. Administrative
  • Wear a dust mask and safety glasses. PPE
Low
3Excavate and pour footings or slab
  • Hitting underground services
  • Trench or excavation collapse
  • Wet concrete and cement burns
Extreme
  • Keep machine buckets well clear of marked services and use a spotter. Isolate
  • Scan the area with a cable locator before digging and mark services on the ground. Engineering
  • Hand dig or vacuum excavate to expose services before using a machine near them. Engineering
  • Lodge a free BYDA (Before You Dig Australia) request and get the plans before any digging. Administrative
  • Keep plans or locate tickets on site and check them again if the work area grows. Administrative
  • Use methods that keep people out of the trench, such as directional boring or working from the surface. Eliminate
  • Barricade or cover the excavation so people and plant cannot fall in. Isolate
  • Shore, bench or batter the walls of any trench 1.5 metres deep or more before anyone goes in, unless a geotechnical engineer advises in writing that the sides are safe. Engineering
  • Keep spoil, materials and plant at least 1 metre back from the edge. Engineering
  • Provide a safe way in and out, such as a ladder near where people work. Engineering
  • Inspect the excavation at the start of each shift and after rain or anything that could weaken it. Record it. Administrative
  • Use long-handled tools and pumps to cut down contact. Engineering
  • Wash concrete off skin straight away with clean water. Administrative
  • Have clean water and eye wash at the pour. Administrative
  • Wear waterproof gloves, long sleeves and gumboots with trousers worn over the top. PPE
  • Wear safety glasses or goggles to stop splashes. PPE
Medium
4Frame, brick and roof, with scaffold and edge protection
  • Falling from height
  • Falling from a roof edge
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
Extreme
  • Do the work from the ground where you can, for example pre-assemble on the ground or use extension poles. Eliminate
  • Install guardrails or edge protection on all open edges before work starts. Isolate
  • Use a scaffold, mobile work platform or EWP instead of working off a ladder. Engineering
  • Where edge protection is not practical, use a fall restraint or fall arrest system on a rated anchor point. Engineering
  • Everyone working at height holds a White Card and has been briefed on this SWMS before going up. Administrative
  • Have a written emergency and rescue plan, tested before work starts, so a worker hanging in a harness can be brought down within minutes (WHS Regulations r.80). Administrative
  • Do what you can from the ground or from a scaffold at the gutter line, for example pre-assemble parts on the ground. Eliminate
  • Install edge protection or guardrails on all open roof edges before work starts. Isolate
  • Use a perimeter scaffold with handrails and toe boards along the eaves where practical. Engineering
  • Where guardrails cannot be fitted, use fall restraint on certified roof anchors so workers cannot reach the edge. Engineering
  • Only workers briefed on this SWMS go on the roof. Stop and review the SWMS if the roof, weather or method changes. Administrative
  • Use one safe, controlled access point and keep others off the roof. Administrative
  • Have a written emergency and rescue plan, tested before work starts, for any worker using a harness (WHS Regulations r.80). Administrative
  • Plan to avoid carrying: have materials delivered, and old items picked up, as close as possible to where they are used. Eliminate
  • Use lighter or smaller loads: order smaller bags and shorter lengths, and drain or break down old items before moving them. Substitute
  • Use trolleys, pallet jacks, hoists, vacuum lifters or plant instead of carrying by hand. Engineering
  • Use a two-person lift for anything heavy, long or awkward. Plan the route first and clear it. Administrative
  • Keep the load close, back straight and no twisting. Turn with your feet. Administrative
Medium
5Break into the existing house with propping as designed
  • Structural collapse during alterations
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
Extreme
  • Get an engineer to check before removing any wall, beam, post or bracing that may be load-bearing. Eliminate
  • Keep everyone clear of the area under and next to the work. Isolate
  • Install temporary props, needles or shoring as designed before removing any support. Engineering
  • Follow the engineer's sequence. Do not change it without approval. Administrative
  • Check props daily. Do not remove them until the permanent support is in and approved. Administrative
  • Install temporary support to the engineer's or temporary works design before any load bearing element is altered. Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat and safety boots. PPE
  • If the job involves engineered stone: do not supply, fabricate or install engineered stone benchtops, panels or slabs (banned since 1 July 2024). Removing, repairing or making minor changes to existing engineered stone is only allowed with water suppression or on-tool extraction, a fitted respirator, and written notice to the regulator before the work starts. Eliminate
  • Order materials cut to size, or use low-dust methods such as score and snap or a block splitter. Substitute
  • Cut outdoors or in a separate area, with other people well away and upwind. Isolate
  • Use water on the blade or on-tool dust extraction connected to an H-class vacuum. Engineering
  • Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Administrative
  • If the cutting, grinding or drilling is high risk, prepare a silica risk control plan (or include the r.529CA assessment in this SWMS), train workers in silica risks and give them the plan before work starts. Administrative
  • Wear a fit-tested P2 (or better) respirator. PPE
Medium
6Coordinate trades for services and fit out
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Slips and trips
Extreme
  • Isolate the power before any work. Do not do live work except in the limited cases the WHS Regulations allow (r.157; in Qld, the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013). Eliminate
  • Lock out and tag the isolation point with your own personal lock and danger tag. Isolate
  • Test before you touch: prove dead at the point of work with a voltage tester, proving the tester on a known live source before and after (AS/NZS 4836). Engineering
  • Only licensed electricians do electrical work. Administrative
  • Check for back feeds from solar, batteries and generators that can keep a circuit live after the main switch is off. Administrative
  • If live work cannot be avoided, use a permit, a safety observer and insulated tools. Administrative
  • Wear insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing and a face shield when testing or working near live parts. PPE
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Eliminate
  • Run leads and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Engineering
  • Fill or cover holes, and lay boards or mats on muddy access paths. Engineering
  • Clean up offcuts, packaging and spills as you go, not at the end of the day. Administrative
  • Keep work areas, stairs and access paths well lit. Administrative
  • Wear safety boots with good grip, laced up. PPE
Medium
7Clean up daily and keep exits clear for the occupants
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
  • Fire and emergencies
High
  • Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Eliminate
  • Put skip bins and waste chutes close to the work. Engineering
  • Clean as you go, and do a full clean up at the end of each day. Administrative
  • Keep exits, stairs and walkways clear at all times. Administrative
  • Stack materials neatly on level ground, away from edges. Administrative
  • Wear gloves when handling waste. PPE
  • Provide fire extinguishers suited to the site, checked and easy to reach. Engineering
  • Keep exits and escape routes clear and signed. Engineering
  • Have a site emergency plan: alarm, exits, assembly point and emergency contacts. Administrative
  • Keep a stocked first aid kit and at least one trained first aider on site. Administrative
  • Know the site address and how emergency services get in. Call 000. Administrative
  • Go through the emergency plan with every worker and visitor at induction. Administrative
  • Keep flammable materials and rubbish away from exits and escape routes. Administrative
Medium

PPE

Steel cap bootsHi-vis shirt or vestHard hatSafety glassesHearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)P2 dust maskSafety harness and lanyardHalf-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters)OverallsWork glovesChemical-resistant gloves (nitrile)Safety gogglesKnee padsSun protection (brim hat, long sleeves, SPF 50+)

Plant and equipment

Excavator: Verification of competency (VOC) for the machineFixed scaffold: Scaffolding HRWL (SB, SI or SA) to erect, alter or dismantle where a fall of more than 4 m is possibleCircular sawNail gunConcrete pump (boom or line): High Risk Work Licence PB for truck-mounted concrete placing booms (not needed for line pumps)

Permits and plans

Roof access permitWorking at heights permit

Emergency

Call 000. Add the nearest hospital, the assembly point and the first aider for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this SWMS.

Free SWMS template for house extension

Word (.docx) and PDF, A4 landscape, no email needed. Fill in your site details, then print or send it.

Word template (.docx)PDF template

Make yours in 2 minutes

Same document, filled in for your job. Answer a few yes or no questions, the crew signs on the phone, and you send the PDF.

Start this SWMS

Pre-start checklist for house extension

Tick these off before work starts. They come from the hazards, permits and equipment in this job.

The safe sequence of work

  1. Check the asbestos register for the existing house and protect the occupants
  2. Set up fencing and dust screens between the work and the house
  3. Excavate and pour footings or slab
  4. Frame, brick and roof, with scaffold and edge protection
  5. Break into the existing house with propping as designed
  6. Coordinate trades for services and fit out
  7. Clean up daily and keep exits clear for the occupants

Hazards to watch on house extension

The hazards most specific to this job, and the step where each one comes up.

Step 3Trench or excavation collapseThe trench walls cave in and bury or crush a worker. Trenches 1.5 metres deep or more must be shored, benched or battered unless a geotechnical engineer advises in writing that the sides are safe.
Step 7Fire and emergenciesA fire, injury or other emergency happens and workers cannot get out, raise the alarm or get first aid in time.
Step 3Wet concrete and cement burnsWet concrete, mortar and cement burn skin and eyes. Burns can be deep and are often not felt until later.
Step 4Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Step 1Working in an occupied home or buildingResidents, staff or children wander into the work area and get hurt, or the work blocks exits or cuts off power or water while people are inside.
Step 5Structural collapse during alterationsRemoving a wall, beam, post or bracing makes part of the building fall on workers.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: Insignificant to CatastrophicBA
Highest risk on house extension: Extreme before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Australia 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and catastrophic becomes unlikely and moderate).

What changes on your site

This example covers the job itself. Your site may add more. Add controls for any of these that apply (the builder asks you these as yes or no questions):

  • Will anyone work more than 2 metres off the ground?
  • Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
  • Will anyone work on a roof?
  • Is there a skylight, clear sheet, fibro or other fragile roofing?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?

Licences and legal requirements in Australia

This task can involve these high risk construction work categories under the WHS Regulations:

  • Risk of a person falling more than 2 metres

Equipment on this job that needs a licence, ticket or training:

  • Excavator: Verification of competency (VOC) for the machine
  • Fixed scaffold: Scaffolding HRWL (SB, SI or SA) to erect, alter or dismantle where a fall of more than 4 m is possible
  • Concrete pump (boom or line): High Risk Work Licence PB for truck-mounted concrete placing booms (not needed for line pumps)

A SWMS must be prepared before any high risk construction work starts. It must list the high risk work, the hazards and risks, the control measures, and how those controls will be put in place, monitored and reviewed. It must be easy for the workers to read and understand.

Rules that apply: WHS Regulations, Chapter 8 (Asbestos); WHS Regulations, Part 6.3 Division 3 (Excavation work, r.304 to 306); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.4 Falls; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.2 Hazardous manual tasks; WHS Regulations, Chapter 8A (Crystalline silica substances and engineered stone); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.7 General electrical safety; WHS Regulation 2011, regulation 43 (emergency plans).

Each state has its own regulator and some extra rules: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Australian Capital Territory.

Why SWMS get rejected

Principal contractors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

  • It is generic: another site address, tasks that are not on this job, or no sign it was reviewed for this site. WorkSafe WA says a generic SWMS may not meet the regulations unless it is reviewed and amended for the workplace.
  • The HRCW boxes are not ticked, or the ticks do not match the tasks (for example a roof job with no falls box ticked).
  • Falls are controlled only by "be careful", training or a harness, with no edge protection or scaffold and no reason why higher controls are not reasonably practicable.
  • Workers will clip on to a harness but there is no rescue plan for someone left hanging.
  • The "how controls are implemented, monitored and reviewed" part is missing, or it says the same thing on every row.
  • No worker sign-on, no person responsible for compliance, or a date given to the principal contractor that is before they actually received it.
  • Licence or White Card details are missing for workers operating plant or doing licensed high risk work.

Questions

Do I need a SWMS for house extension?

Yes. House extension usually includes high risk construction work (risk of a person falling more than 2 metres), so a SWMS is required by law before work starts.

Who signs the SWMS?

The person conducting the business (PCBU) or their supervisor prepares it with the workers, and every worker doing the high risk work signs to show they were consulted and understand it. Give a copy to the principal contractor before work starts.

How long do I keep it?

Keep this SWMS, and every revised version, until the high risk construction work is finished, where workers and inspectors can see it on site. If a notifiable incident happens during the work, keep it for at least 2 years after the incident.

What PPE is needed for house extension?

Usually Steel cap boots, Hi-vis shirt or vest, Hard hat, Safety glasses, Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), P2 dust mask, Safety harness and lanyard, Half-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters), Overalls, Work gloves, Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile), Safety goggles, Knee pads, Sun protection (brim hat, long sleeves, SPF 50+). The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More general building SWMS

SWMSSite Setup6 stepsSWMSBathroom Renovation10 stepsSWMSKitchen Renovation5 stepsSWMSNew Home Construction6 stepsSWMSShed Construction5 stepsSWMSGranny Flat Construction5 stepsSWMSMaintenance and Repairs6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionInternal Strip OutAlso involves disturbing asbestosConcretingConcrete Cutting and Core DrillingAlso involves electric shock from live wiringRoofingRoof Tile ReplacementAlso involves public entering the work areaElectricalSwitchboard UpgradeAlso involves working in an occupied home or buildingDemolitionNon Friable Asbestos RemovalAlso involves disturbing asbestosTilingWet Area WaterproofingAlso involves working in an occupied home or building

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightsToolbox talkSilica DustToolbox talkAsbestos AwarenessToolbox talkWorking in Cold Weather

Blank SWMS template: free SWMS templates. Also for other countries: United Kingdom (RAMS) · United States (JHA) · Canada (FLHA)

Sources