Plumbing · Australia

SWMS for backflow testing

By SiteSortedBuilt from Safe Work Australia and state regulator guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated 9 November 2026

A SWMS is required by law if backflow testing includes any high risk construction work, such as working where someone could fall more than 2 metres. Many principal contractors ask for one either way.

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 road traffic, falling through a floor opening or void, public entering the work area and bites and stings.

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SWMS example: backflow testing

This is a complete SWMS for backflow testing, with 5 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)

Backflow prevention device testing · Plumbing · Example

Document SWMS-001 · Rev 1

High risk construction work covered

None for this task on its own. Tick any that apply on your site.

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Find the device and set up cones if it is near a driveway or road	Road traffic Public entering the work area	Extreme	Do the work at low-traffic times, or close the road or lane with approval. Eliminate Put solid barriers between the work and traffic where speeds are high, not just cones. Isolate Use a truck-mounted attenuator or buffer vehicle on high speed roads. Engineering Have a Traffic Management Plan. Signs and cones are set out by accredited traffic controllers to your state's rules. Administrative Get a road occupancy or street works permit from the road authority before you start. Administrative Park work vehicles to shield the work zone, with beacons on. Administrative Wear day and night hi-vis clothing (AS/NZS 4602.1). PPE 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	Medium
2	Open the pit or cage, checking for spiders, snakes and sharp edges	Bites and stings Cuts from sharp edges Falling through a floor opening or void	Extreme	Check work areas before starting, and get pest control to remove nests. Eliminate Look before you reach into dark spaces. Administrative Ask owners to keep pets away from the work area. Administrative Know who has allergies and keep their medication, such as an adrenaline auto-injector, close by. Administrative Know snake bite first aid: pressure immobilisation bandage, keep still and call 000. Administrative Wear gloves, long sleeves and boots. Use insect repellent outdoors. PPE Deburr or cover sharp edges, and fit edge protectors on exposed sheet metal. Engineering Use knives with retractable or self-retracting blades. Engineering Cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear. Administrative Put used blades in a blade bin or sharps container. Administrative Use two people to handle large sheets of metal or glass. Administrative Cover every hole and penetration with a fixed, secured cover marked "HOLE" or "DANGER". Isolate Put guardrails with toe boards around stairwells, lift shafts, voids and open edges. Isolate Install stairs early and fit temporary handrails as soon as they go in. Engineering Never remove a cover or guardrail without approval. Put it back straight away. Administrative Inspect covers and barriers daily and after other trades have been through. Administrative	Medium
3	Tell the site the water will be off, then isolate the device	Working in an occupied home or building Stored energy	Medium	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 Release or block all stored energy before work: release the pressure in pipes, tanks and hoses, bleed hydraulics, release springs, lower loads. Eliminate Lock out and tag all energy sources with personal locks. Isolate Put mechanical blocks or props under raised parts like buckets, tipper bodies and doors. Engineering Test that the system is dead and nothing can move before you start. Administrative Follow the maker's procedure, for example for garage door and roller door springs. Administrative Wear safety glasses and gloves. PPE	Low
4	Connect the test kit and run the test	Pressure testing High pressure water jetting	Medium	Test with water instead of air or gas where the system allows it. Never put water in refrigerant pipework, which is tested with dry nitrogen. Substitute Keep people out of the test area with signs and barriers. Isolate Use a calibrated gauge and a relief valve set to protect the system. Engineering Test to the pressure the system calls for and hold it for the set time. Never go over. Administrative Release the pressure fully before tightening anything or fixing leaks. Administrative Wear safety glasses or a face shield. PPE Set an exclusion zone around the jetting area. Isolate Use a dead man's trigger that stops the jet when released, and check hoses and fittings before use. Engineering Only trained operators use high pressure jetting gear. Administrative Never point the lance at anyone or put a hand in front of it. Administrative Treat any jetting injury as serious and go to hospital, even if it looks small. Administrative Wear a face shield, waterproof clothing, gloves, hearing protection and safety boots. PPE	Low
5	Restore supply, tag the device and lodge the report	Slips and trips Poor housekeeping and waste	Medium	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 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	Low

PPE

Steel cap bootsWork glovesSafety glassesHi-vis shirt or vestOverallsCut-resistant glovesP2 dust maskFace shieldHearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)

Plant and equipment

Electrical test equipmentHand tools

Permits and plans

Electrical isolation 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 backflow testing

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 backflow testing

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

SWMS read, explained and signed by everyone on the job
Openings, voids and penetrations covered and marked
Isolation, lockout and test for dead done before work starts
Exclusion zone and spotter set up for plant and traffic
Exclusion zone below the work and public kept out
First aider, first aid kit and emergency number (000) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: steel cap boots, work gloves, safety glasses, hi-vis shirt or vest

The safe sequence of work

Find the device and set up cones if it is near a driveway or road
Open the pit or cage, checking for spiders, snakes and sharp edges
Tell the site the water will be off, then isolate the device
Connect the test kit and run the test
Restore supply, tag the device and lodge the report

Hazards to watch on backflow testing

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

Step 2Bites and stingsSnakes, spiders, wasps and bees in roof spaces, under floors and in long grass bite or sting workers.

Step 4High pressure water jettingHigh pressure water cuts through skin and injects water and dirt into the body, or the hose whips.

Step 4Pressure testingA pipe, fitting or cap fails under test pressure and blows apart, hitting people nearby.

Step 1Road trafficPassing cars and trucks hit workers or plant working on or next to a road.

Step 3Stored energyEnergy left in springs, hydraulics, compressed gas, raised loads or capacitors releases suddenly and crushes or injures workers.

Step 3Working 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.

Highest risk on backflow testing: Extreme before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Australia 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible 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?

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 backflow testing?

A SWMS is required by law if backflow testing includes any high risk construction work, such as working where someone could fall more than 2 metres. Many principal contractors ask for one either way.

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 backflow testing?

Usually Steel cap boots, Work gloves, Safety glasses, Hi-vis shirt or vest, Overalls, Cut-resistant gloves, P2 dust mask, Face shield, Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs). The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

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Related jobs in other trades

ConcretingConcrete Cutting and Core DrillingAlso involves stored energy RoofingGutter ReplacementAlso involves public entering the work area LandscapingTree RemovalAlso involves public entering the work area RoofingRoof Tile ReplacementAlso involves public entering the work area ElectricalSwitchboard UpgradeAlso involves working in an occupied home or building ConcretingConcrete Slab PourAlso involves road traffic

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at Heights Toolbox talkWorking in Cold Weather Toolbox talkSlips, Trips and Falls Toolbox talkWorking Near Traffic

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