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SWMS for electricians: when you need one and what goes in it

By The SWMS Link team · Last updated 1 November 2026

Safe Work Australia says a business doing high risk construction work has a duty to prepare a SWMS, and its list of that work includes work on or near energised electrical installations or services. Its model Code says the SWMS must identify the electrical work, its hazards and risks, the control measures, and how those controls are put in place, monitored and reviewed.

Do electricians need a SWMS?

In WHS terms, the business doing the work is a PCBU, short for "person conducting a business or undertaking". Safe Work Australia says its extra duties include to prepare, keep, comply with and review a SWMS.

For electrical work, these items on Safe Work Australia's list can apply:

  • work carried out on or near energised electrical installations or services
  • work with a risk of a person falling more than two metres
  • work that involves disturbing asbestos Safe Work Australia SWMS tool

For solar, Safe Work Australia says construction work on or near energised PV systems is high risk construction work where there is a risk of falling more than two metres, and it requires a SWMS.

In NSW, SafeWork NSW says you don't need to include activities that are not high risk construction work in a SWMS.

New to SWMS? Read what a SWMS is first.

Live work and the SWMS

Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice on managing electrical risks says the WHS Regulations prohibit energised electrical work, subject to certain exceptions. The Code says electrical work must not be done on equipment while it is energised just because it is more convenient to leave it on.

When energised electrical work is done, the Code says it must be carried out:

  • by a competent person with suitable tools, testing equipment and PPE that have been properly tested and maintained
  • in accordance with a SWMS prepared for the work
  • with a competent safety observer present, subject to one exception the Code explains

The Code is a model. Safe Work Australia says to check with your regulator whether it has legal effect where you work.

What an electrical SWMS has to cover

The model Code sets out what the SWMS must do:

  • identify the electrical work
  • specify the hazards of that work and the risks to health and safety
  • describe the measures that will control the risks
  • describe how the control measures will be put in place, monitored and reviewed Safe Work Australia model Code

It may also include the risk assessment for the work Safe Work Australia model Code.

The Code also covers who the SWMS is written with and for. It says a SWMS must be developed in consultation with the workers, and with their health and safety representative if they have one. It must be written so the workers who use it can readily understand it. For energised work, the Code says the SWMS should describe how you will consult the person who manages or controls the workplace, including any authorisation procedures.

Safe Work Australia names the main ways electricity hurts people at work:

It says electrical risks go up when the work area is wet or dusty, or outdoors Safe Work Australia electrical safety.

Near electric lines, its steps include de-energising lines and equipment if possible, identifying the line voltage and insulation, consulting workers, electricity supply authorities and other businesses, and deciding safe approach distances and work zones Safe Work Australia electrical safety.

WorkSafe QLD says the SWMS should give clear direction on the control measures, and that a statement like "use appropriate PPE" does not detail the control measures.

For the parts of a SWMS form, box by box, see what goes in each section of a SWMS template. See a sample SWMS for the NSW high risk construction work list, word for word, with one job's work ticked. It is a roofing sample, and its "Not in this job" line includes energised electrical installations. It carries a draft label and is not for use on site (SWMS Link sample SWMS).

One SWMS for every job?

WorkSafe QLD says a generic SWMS may be prepared and used for work done on a regular basis. It also says that before each new activity, the SWMS must be reviewed and revised so it applies to the high risk work and the actual workplace.

In NSW, SafeWork NSW says a SWMS must be site-specific. It asks you to consider the site conditions, including how close the work is to other structures or powerlines and other trades working at the same time.

Getting it to the crew and the builder

  • WorkSafe QLD says a PCBU must not start high risk construction work unless the principal contractor has been given a copy of the SWMS.
  • WorkSafe QLD also says a PCBU must make sure workers get information and instruction so they understand the hazards, the risks and the controls in the SWMS. This can happen at induction or a toolbox talk.
  • When a SWMS is revised, WorkSafe QLD says everyone involved must be told about the revision and how to get the new version.
  • The model Code says a copy must be readily accessible to any worker who is to do the electrical work it covers.

WorkSafe QLD's electrical newsletter suggests a check before electrical work: have the hazards, risks and control measures been communicated to workers?

Here is how SWMS Link handles that step:

  • Your crew opens the SWMS on their own phones, reads the steps for their work and signs on with a tap, with no app to download.
  • White Card details are saved once and reused on every site.
  • Every signature is kept against the exact version the worker read, and a new version asks everyone to sign again.
  • The supervisor sees a live sign-on register.
  • You send the builder a link and the PDF from your phone, and see when it was opened and when they marked it received (SWMS Link).

The early-access form lists electrical and solar among its trades, and joining is free (SWMS Link). Join early access to hear when SWMS Link launches.

Check your state's rules

Safe Work Australia's interactive SWMS tool is based on the model WHS laws. It does not guarantee compliance or cover laws that are specific to your state or territory.

Besides Safe Work Australia, this guide uses guidance from two states:

It does not cover state electrical safety laws, including Victorian and WA rules. For anywhere else, or for your own situation, contact your local WHS regulator Safe Work Australia SWMS tool.

Read how we write our guides.

Sources

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SWMS Link makes a short, site-specific SWMS on your phone. Your crew sign on with their White Card details, and the builder gets the SWMS with a record that it arrived. It's in early access now.