SWMS template: what goes in each section

By The SWMS Link team · Last updated 1 November 2026

Safe Work Australia publishes a free SWMS template at Appendix A of its SWMS information sheet. You can download it as a PDF or a Word file Safe Work Australia downloads. The template outlines the information that must be included in a SWMS. This guide walks through each part of it, and why your builder will still want it filled in for each site.

Where to get a free SWMS template

Start with the regulators' own templates.

Safe Work Australia: the SWMS information sheet, with the template at Appendix A. It is on the download page as a PDF and a Word file Safe Work Australia downloads.
SafeWork NSW: Template 5, a safe work method statement template, as a PDF.
WorkSafe WA: a high risk construction work SWMS template, as a Word file.
WorkSafe Victoria: SWMS guidance that includes a sample SWMS template. Victoria works under its own Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017.

If you are new to SWMS, read what a SWMS is first. This guide assumes you know the basics and want to fill one in.

What every SWMS template has to cover

Every template is built around the same four jobs. Safe Work Australia says a SWMS must:

identify the work that is high risk construction work
specify the hazards relating to 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 information sheet

SafeWork NSW adds that the SWMS must be understood by all persons using the document.

Keep it short. Safe Work Australia says a SWMS should be short and focus on the specific hazards of the high risk work and the controls for them. A lengthy, overly detailed SWMS can be hard to understand, apply at the workplace, monitor or review.

Write it for your crew. Safe Work Australia says a SWMS must be easily understood by workers, including workers from non-English speaking backgrounds. Pictures or diagrams may get the message across better than words.

The template, section by section

Here is Safe Work Australia's template in the order it appears. The SafeWork NSW template covers much the same parts.

The note at the top. The note says work must be performed in line with the SWMS. It must be kept and available for inspection until the high risk construction work it covers is finished. If the SWMS is revised, all versions should be kept Safe Work Australia information sheet.
Your business and the principal contractor. Your business name and contact details, then the principal contractor's name and contact details. Your business is the PCBU, short for "person conducting a business or undertaking" (Safe Work Australia information sheet; Safe Work Australia SWMS tool).
Works manager and contact phone. Who runs the work, and how to reach them Safe Work Australia information sheet.
Date SWMS provided to PC. The date the principal contractor got the SWMS Safe Work Australia information sheet.
Work activity and workplace location. A short job description and where the work is Safe Work Australia information sheet.
High risk construction work. A tick box for each type of high risk construction work. Tick the ones this job involves. The falls box notes that in some jurisdictions the height is 3 metres, not 2 Safe Work Australia information sheet.
Compliance. The person responsible for making sure the SWMS is followed, the date they received it, and what measures are in place to make sure it is followed Safe Work Australia information sheet.
Review. The person responsible for reviewing the control measures, the date they received it, how the controls will be reviewed, the review date and the reviewer's signature Safe Work Australia information sheet.
Tasks, hazards and controls. A three-column table. List the work tasks in a logical order. For each one, identify the hazards and risks that may cause harm to workers or the public. Then describe what will be done to control the risk. The NSW template adds a prompt: think about the workplace and each stage of the work, including preparation and clean-up (Safe Work Australia information sheet; SafeWork NSW Template 5).
Workers. Each worker's name and signature, and the date the workers received the SWMS Safe Work Australia information sheet.

The NSW template also asks, "Have workers been consulted about the SWMS?" SafeWork NSW Template 5.

To see how these parts look on a finished document, see a sample SWMS. It is a roofing SWMS for a re-roof in Parramatta, NSW. It shows the site address and nearest emergency department, and the NSW high risk construction work list with the job's work ticked. Each job step has its hazards, controls, the person responsible and how each control is checked. It includes a sign-on register and a box for the principal contractor. It is a sample only and not for use on site. It carries a draft label because it has not yet been reviewed by a WHS professional (SWMS Link sample SWMS).

Why a blank template is only the start

A template gives you the boxes. The site gives you the answers.

Safe Work Australia says it is important for a SWMS to reflect the workplace where the work is done, the work environment and the workers doing it. A generic SWMS used at different workplaces may not meet the WHS laws unless it is first reviewed for the hazards and risks at that workplace and changed as needed.

SafeWork NSW goes further: in NSW, a SWMS must be site-specific. It asks you to consider the site conditions, such as access in and out, nearby structures or powerlines, ground conditions, other trades working at the same time, and access to safety equipment.

Signing on the crew and getting it to the builder

The template records who received the SWMS and when: the principal contractor, and your workers Safe Work Australia information sheet.

Both matter on site. SafeWork NSW says the PCBU must make sure the hazards, risks and controls are communicated to workers. Safe Work Australia says a principal contractor must obtain the SWMS before high risk construction work on a construction project starts.

On a paper template, that means chasing signatures and emailing a PDF. Here is how SWMS Link handles it:

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).

SWMS Link is in early access now, and joining the list is free (SWMS Link). Join early access to hear when it launches.

Check your state's rules

Safe Work Australia also has an interactive SWMS tool, based on the model WHS laws. It does not guarantee compliance or cover laws that are specific to your state or territory.

This guide uses guidance from three states:

NSW: SafeWork NSW's guidance refers to the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulation 2025.
WA: WorkSafe WA refers to the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022.
Victoria: WorkSafe Victoria refers to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017.

For anywhere else, or for your own situation, contact the WHS regulator in your state or territory Safe Work Australia SWMS tool.

Find more SWMS guides, or read how we write our guides.