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South East Mowing
10-04-2011, 08:35 AM
Hi all, I have some smws I would like modify as needed with suggestions but want to put them on the private area of the forum. anyone is then free to use them "as is" or when all the fine points are added to them.

Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden
04-10-2011, 06:45 PM
have you done them up mate and if so and there is a thread on them can you place where it is.

Blaktop
15-04-2012, 08:38 AM
Did anything come of this? I am in need of a well written SWMS and haven't really got a clue where to start.

Stripes
25-08-2012, 02:55 PM
Did anything come of this? I am in need of a well written SWMS and haven't really got a clue where to start.

x2.

I have to do my SWMS but not sure exactly how it should be written and what it includes, like do you have to have it for every single task you may do? Cutting poly pipe, gluing PVC, tightening fittings etc. I know I have to outline it for something dangerous like using a chain digger, but every single thing? Are the safety people on the sites going to read it or just site it and be happy enough with that?

Kathryn
25-08-2012, 03:18 PM
get a blank piece of paper, break the job into stages.
think about each stage. what hazards would you point out to a new empoloyee, a new 10 year old employee.
things to include maybe : sun, heat, insects, sharp edges,pinch points, chemical(that could include fuel),footing, trips slips falls,trenches, soil borne diseases, overhead hazards, underground hazards, moving machinery, passers by, co workers, members of the public, traffic, the more you put on there the happier the safety guy will be.

then there may be a raw risk score which is the risk rating with no controls in place such as a pto without guarding

then add you controls. for a pto that might be guarding(engineering), signage (PPE), training( administration), no loose clothing (PPE) etc. the words in brackets are where each control fits into the hierarchy of controls. you dont have to add that but if you do the safety guy might not talk down to you anymore.
then its normally the controlled risk score with is the score of the level of risk now that the hazards has controls.
dont be afraid to write "as per stage 1" or "as above for" controls on a hazard that keeps coming up such as heat exposure or traffic
i hope that makes sense. i used to teach how to write these buggers and never want to write one for changing a tyre again in my life, hence the pto scenario. if they have given you a template then there should score tables and defintions to help you on the back pages. if not there are templates on the internet
every company does them a bit differently

for irrigation work i would probably include the following as your main tasks
securing/ setting up work area including prestarts on machinery
digging the trench
installing the irrigation(including testing maybe)
refilling the trench
clearing up work area

and then get going with your hazards for each group. have fun

edbeek
25-08-2012, 04:06 PM
Far out Kathryn.
I'll make a deal with you. I'll come over and play with poly pipe in the mud for a day for you and you can write up my SWMS ;)

Kathryn
25-08-2012, 04:33 PM
done. i get the easy part in that deal

Cranbourne Lawnmowing
25-08-2012, 05:16 PM
get a blank piece of paper, break the job into stages.
think about each stage. what hazards would you point out to a new empoloyee, a new 10 year old employee.
things to include maybe : sun, heat, insects, sharp edges,pinch points, chemical(that could include fuel),footing, trips slips falls,trenches, soil borne diseases, overhead hazards, underground hazards, moving machinery, passers by, co workers, members of the public, traffic, the more you put on there the happier the safety guy will be.

then there may be a raw risk score which is the risk rating with no controls in place such as a pto without guarding

then add you controls. for a pto that might be guarding(engineering), signage (PPE), training( administration), no loose clothing (PPE) etc. the words in brackets are where each control fits into the hierarchy of controls. you dont have to add that but if you do the safety guy might not talk down to you anymore.
then its normally the controlled risk score with is the score of the level of risk now that the hazards has controls.
dont be afraid to write "as per stage 1" or "as above for" controls on a hazard that keeps coming up such as heat exposure or traffic
i hope that makes sense. i used to teach how to write these buggers and never want to write one for changing a tyre again in my life, hence the pto scenario. if they have given you a template then there should score tables and defintions to help you on the back pages. if not there are templates on the internet
every company does them a bit differently

for irrigation work i would probably include the following as your main tasks
securing/ setting up work area including prestarts on machinery
digging the trench
installing the irrigation(including testing maybe)
refilling the trench
clearing up work area

and then get going with your hazards for each group. have fun

Great post Kathryn.

It is a lot of work but for anyone looking at the daunting task of doing this for the first time gives them a pretty clear idea of what to do.

Blaktop
25-08-2012, 05:17 PM
Are the safety people on the sites going to read it or just site it and be happy enough with that?

I guess it depends on the site. I had to do one to be listed on the particular entity's "approved contractors" list. In my case it was mostly about protecting their butt....if anything went wrong they could go "well he has demonstrated to us he follows safe work practices......not our fault".

I have another job that I need a permit signed sealed and delivered plus a JSA filled out on the day and both lots of paperwork have to be with me whenever I'm on site. I have never seen anyone onsite (it's a decommissioned fuel depot) but if anyone turns up and anything at all is not in order, I'm out.....right down to having to wear reflective stripe HiVis gear.....in broad daylight when reflective stripes don't work anyway. It's all to do with complying with the parent company's OH&S requirements.....which are set up for an active fuel depot.

Kathryn
25-08-2012, 05:57 PM
if anyone is struggling with this kind of stuff inbox me and i'll help . once you've done one its easier to get the gist of it.

Kathryn
25-08-2012, 05:58 PM
I guess it depends on the site. I had to do one to be listed on the particular entity's "approved contractors" list. In my case it was mostly about protecting their butt....if anything went wrong they could go "well he has demonstrated to us he follows safe work practices......not our fault".

I have another job that I need a permit signed sealed and delivered plus a JSA filled out on the day and both lots of paperwork have to be with me whenever I'm on site. I have never seen anyone onsite (it's a decommissioned fuel depot) but if anyone turns up and anything at all is not in order, I'm out.....right down to having to wear reflective stripe HiVis gear.....in broad daylight when reflective stripes don't work anyway. It's all to do with complying with the parent company's OH&S requirements.....which are set up for an active fuel depot.

i had to do a heap of paperwork to get approval to work for a housing construction mob and get extra insurance. and then they never gave me any work!!!!!!!!

Blaktop
25-08-2012, 11:47 PM
Yup....I just got a letter from these guys......the body corporate mob saying the owners association had employed another contractor and my services were no longer required. No explanation but I have heard I was undercut.......well at least I now have a sample SWMS.

Bluey
27-08-2012, 05:43 PM
JSA's or SWMS's are a pain in the bum but for large companies a required one. They do protect you too nad make you think about safety. One thing you do need to remember though if these comapnies require all this and have a requirement for you and your staff to complete their courses on safety to get onsite it should equal more in your quote. Don't let them put all this on you and still quote the same price because it all take time for which they should pay. All too often these large companies demand it but wont pay extra for those that have it.

Stripes
27-08-2012, 06:56 PM
Thanks again for your help Kathryn. Nice chatting to you today too.

You're spot on Bluey. The price has to go up to allow for the inductions and all the other stuff involved. A job I did a few years ago cost me 4 hours per worker to be inducted, and it was only a 5 day job. The particular sites I need it for at the moment are for Hospitals. I also had to up my public liability to 20 Mil with Dean.

I hope I get the work now... Induction for me is tomorrow.

South East Mowing
06-02-2013, 10:26 PM
Anyone willing to share a SWMS for a ride on mower, preferably a ZTR?

AJD Mowing
07-02-2013, 05:59 AM
Hi all, I have some smws I would like modify as needed with suggestions but want to put them on the private area of the forum. anyone is then free to use them "as is" or when all the fine points are added to them.

Hi Wheelers,
Is this still going ahead?

PaulG
07-02-2013, 11:03 AM
I think it would be great if we could all chip in and design/modify SWMS using our collective knowledge.

Kathryn
07-02-2013, 02:16 PM
ok thats easy. if everyone wants to help put one together i can run you through the mumbo jumbo so that you can all do them in the future.
how about we use the blank swms on this link http://www.co-wynbuilding.com.au/Blank_Safe_Work_Method_Statement.pdf
and we can run through the stages together.
look forward to hearing from you

AJD Mowing
07-02-2013, 03:09 PM
Sounds Good Kathryn :D
Can you take the lead and for dumb ass people like myself I will follow and just hope I can keep up :frightene

Kathryn
07-02-2013, 05:43 PM
ok. cool. . im guessing for most of you guys you just want a fairly generic method statement with no unusual hazards like gas pipelines or anything .
how about we do the first page
id put my company name in as contractor and as the task id put mowing of lawn areas with a ride on mower( and whipper snipper?)
the site specific oh&s and environmental boxes are there to help you think about what hazards there could be. tick all that are relevant but remember that they must all then be mentioned and controlled in the 2nd page ( can we do that tomorrow).

if working around buildings then access and egress should be ticked, remember its hazards to you, your machinery, the public and any buildings etc.
i'd probably tick access/ egress, possibly electricity if there are mains coming up out the ground, fatigue, fire ( in dry conditions), manual handling, machine guarding,moving plant/ traffic ( the public or co workers), plant/ equipment operation, noise, public, services (possibility of water mains), subsidence if there is trenches, cliff edges, dropoffs or loose soiled slopes, uv light, young/unskilled labour( your offsider?),
for environmental i might tick air quality( dust/ fumes), hazardous substance ( fuel), habitat ( snakes, wasps, poisonous/prickly plants,

the lsat box is just getting youto think about what you are wearing or providing as safety devices. theform has left room for you to add more ie chainsaw chaps.

get your head around that and we'll do page 2 tomorrow.
these things are pretty easy once youve done a few and are designed to done in a group so that the entire work crew has contributed and is educated. enjoy!

AJD Mowing
07-02-2013, 06:00 PM
Good on you Kathryn.. This is good timing for me I got invited last week to join a site that strata use for contractors but I must have a SWMS to join.
I have other work to do tonight but I will keep coming in here and try keep up to speed..
Thanks your a champ!!

South East Mowing
07-02-2013, 08:30 PM
Sounds Good Kathryn :D
Can you take the lead and for dumb ass people like myself I will follow and just hope I can keep up :frightene

Took the words right outta my mouth:rolleyes:

Kathryn
08-02-2013, 02:50 PM
ok. 2nd page. this is the longest part
break your job into steps. for the average ride on job i'm suggesting.
turn up at site/ prepare to start job
whippersnip
mow
blow/ clean up site

take each step andthink about any hazards that could be associated with this step. i'm not going to write the entire swms for you but i'll do the first step
1) arrive at site/ prepare to start task
possible hazards:
traffic
members of public
sun exposure
heat/cold exposure
fauna/flora
loose uneven ground
trips slips falls
that covers us driving up and checking out the job site before we even start taking tools off the trailer. ill let you think up the hazards for the other steps.can be repetitive sun or uv exposure for example should be mentioned in every stage.

so onto the risk score for our first step
page 5 helps us to determine this. with sun or uv exposure as a hazard,without any controls such as sun screen, hat or long sleeves what is the consequence of uv exposure. id say either moderate or significant as skin cancer can kill. you decide.
then look at likelihood. im thinking either likely or possible. now you have your consequence and probabilty. using the colourful table on page 5 you should be ableto get your risk score. it'll be a high or moderate depending on how you scored the hazard.

safety guys dont like anything higher than a low risk rating so we need to list our contrls of this hazard. id suggest putting sunscrren, wide brimed hat and long sleeved clothing in the safety contols box. now work out your probability and consequences again with our controls in place. i get a low score. stick that in the last risk box.
some swms use the terms raw risk and controlled risk for these boxes. some will have another column asking who is responsible for these controls. you might put business owner, leading hand or all.
so thats the first hazard done. easy huh?. if your going to use the electronic copy i linked dont be afraid to expand the boxes. they never make them big enough

if you have any dramas pm me and ill explain it a different way. feedback about whether or not i'm explaining this clearly is welcome.

enjoy

(p.s this first swms will take you a while but they get quicker as you get used to them. if you save them on your computer you can cut and paste in the future to speed things up)

Kathryn
08-02-2013, 02:52 PM
i forgot to add when hazards are mentioned in multiple steps, fr example, members of public/ co workers, when it comes to the controls i tend to just write as above, but again, copy and paste is your friend.

AJD Mowing
10-02-2013, 04:54 PM
hey Kathryn your inbox is full cant pm you

Kathryn
10-02-2013, 06:25 PM
ive emptied it

BSD
04-07-2013, 07:52 AM
Ok, i'm used to doing SWMS, JSA's from my previous multi-national employer, and yes they're a pita, however after you complete a dozen it becomes only a 2-3 minute job, unless some circumstances are obviously high risk work, (confined space, hot work, welding grinding etc).

So what i'm looking for is a standard JSA that is compatable for our kind of work, btw, weed spraying, ant control etc, use of chemicles should be on the form from what my investigations have found. I suppose i could get something together but i'm pretty sure some of the kind folk here have some kind of standard form that is in use, and i assume acceptable to the insurer. (chemicle use records must be kept for 3 years for EACH JOB!!..Far out!!)

BSD
04-07-2013, 01:19 PM
Bumping...............

djkgrounds
04-07-2013, 06:54 PM
Template not working?

BSD
04-07-2013, 09:52 PM
Sorry, dunno what you mean here, but i'm after a jsa or info on what you guys do?...pm me if you wish, i'll catch up with many on the Sydney get together.QUOTE=djkgrounds;122649]Template not working?[/QUOTE]

PhilG
04-07-2013, 10:16 PM
Buy the oh&s package from Indy....problem solved.

Redeye
04-07-2013, 10:18 PM
+1
.....................

PhilG
04-07-2013, 10:30 PM
We bought it yesterday. They customise it to your business. It is a bargain at $290. If you got an oh&s company to do it for you it would be at least a couple of grand.

BSD
05-07-2013, 07:13 AM
Buy the oh&s package from Indy....problem solved.

Excellent, i thought we had to do it ourselves or something, i'll get this and the 5 mill p/l insurance. (bloody great site!!)

Still prepping for the start up, researching everything.

bb1
05-07-2013, 08:41 AM
ok thats easy. if everyone wants to help put one together i can run you through the mumbo jumbo so that you can all do them in the future.
how about we use the blank swms on this link http://www.co-wynbuilding.com.au/Blank_Safe_Work_Method_Statement.pdf
and we can run through the stages together.
look forward to hearing from you

The template doesnt work, does anyone have a copy to put up

South East Mowing
05-07-2013, 12:29 PM
Buy the oh&s package from Indy....problem solved.

Yep you cant go wrong! Just remember though it is always a "work in progress"

djkgrounds
05-07-2013, 04:06 PM
The template doesnt work, does anyone have a copy to put up

Yep didn't work for me either

djkgrounds
05-07-2013, 04:11 PM
Excellent, i thought we had to do it ourselves or something, i'll get this and the 5 mill p/l insurance. (bloody great site!!)

Still prepping for the start up, researching everything.

To be on the safe side, get the two person insurance. If you ever have an offsider and they break or damage property, atleast they are covered. Also saves your backside if they decide to sue you for it.

As for the insurance itself, If you decide to go down the realestate contractor route you will most likely need the 10mill cover. Just food for thought.

simo
05-07-2013, 08:30 PM
Did a recent quote for a management company they wouldn't accept less than 20 million for public liability insurance....
It seams to be on the rise as 5 million won't be enough for most commercial jobs..
I've got 10 mill at the moment but looking at 20 soon ..

SunM
05-07-2013, 09:33 PM
JSA's are pretty simple to make. Google a template for it and edit the items to suit what you are doing, as long as you cover everything off and include references to relevant SWMS you have (ie: using chemicals, using machinery, etc) then you should be all good.

DavidS
06-07-2013, 05:44 AM
Here is one https://www.occupational-safety.com.au/garden-maintenance/swms/swms-garden-maintenance.html it costs $72.50.
And this is what it would look like.https://www.occupational-safety.com.au/images/samples/Working-at-Height-Example-SWMS.pdf

Indy would be better as it will be totally specific to what we do.

BSD
06-07-2013, 08:51 AM
Much the same as the ones i did with my previous employer contractor to a major Syd'a'ney government dept, i'll be calling Dean and stick with our one, thanks all for the information and help.
Here is one https://www.occupational-safety.com.au/garden-maintenance/swms/swms-garden-maintenance.html it costs $72.50.
And this is what it would look like.https://www.occupational-safety.com.au/images/samples/Working-at-Height-Example-SWMS.pdf

Indy would be better as it will be totally specific to what we do.

starmow
14-07-2013, 04:19 PM
hi girls and guys, did we need write SWMS for every client for every job or only one time per day???
please help because if need for every clients it is a lot writing...:i dunno:

BSD
14-07-2013, 09:53 PM
What happens is you will become very proficient at filling these out and attaching them to your paperwork, it means you seen the job, had walk around (as we/you do)BUT noted anything that is a possible hazard..in writing....on the form...what a load of BS....but it should be done just in case.I am currently looking at the pest control stuff and its an effing nightmare.
hi girls and guys, did we need write SWMS for every client for every job or only one time per day???
please help because if need for every clients it is a lot writing...:i dunno:

SunM
14-07-2013, 11:16 PM
hi girls and guys, did we need write SWMS for every client for every job or only one time per day???
please help because if need for every clients it is a lot writing...:i dunno:

Technically, you should be filling out JSAs for every different site. Any SWMS you have should be noted on the JSA under their specific topic. SWMS are for the tasks you do and the potential dangers they pose, ie: topic being Brushcutting, dangers include stones and debris being thrown around, use of 2 stroke, etc. JSA is your site check and what you are going to be doing and stuff on site like utilities, fragile objects in the garden, etc. If you haven't done OHS it's a bit of a headache to figure it all out properly.