Safe Work Method Statements
The Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) tool (also known as the safe work procedure tool or Job Safety Environment Analysis [JSEA]) is developed for the use of supervisors, employees and subcontractors to assess and control the high and medium risks of their work activities that may impact the health and safety of employees, visitors, subcontractors and the public.
Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) – means a statement that:
- Describes the scope of works to be performed;
- describes how the work is carried out;
- identifies the work activities assessed as having safety or environmental risks;
- states what the safety and environmental risks are;
- describes the control measures that will be applied to the work activities;
- describes how measures will be implemented to do the work in a safe and environmentally sound manner;
- outlines the legislation, standards and codes to be complied with;
- be developed in consultation with employees;
- includes a description of the equipment and substances used in the work, the qualifications of the personnel doing the work, the training required to do the work in a safe and environmentally sound manner and approvals and licences required and obtained for the works from the relevant authority; and
- be signed off by subcontractor senior management and approved.
A SWMS is a qualitative analysis of a job procedure or practice to:
- Identify the hazards and potential accidents that may occur during the job
- Description of the possible consequences and risk ranking of the hazards and potential accidents
- Determine appropriate equipment and controls to reduce the risk
The SWMS is used to identify and evaluate hazards that:
- May have been overlooked in the design of the job procedures, machinery equipment etc.
- Are caused by changes in work procedures and personnel
- May have developed after the initial job was carried out
The main objective of the SWMS is to find a safe way of performing a required function (the job, or an alternative job).