Contractor OHS Management

3. Required task documentation

The contractor must submit a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) to the principal or their delegate prior to the commencement of works, for the following high-risk work:

• where there is a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres
• on or next to roadways or railways used by road or rail traffic
• in, over or next to water or liquids where there is a risk of drowning
• at workplaces where there is any movement of powered mobile plant
• where there are structural alterations that require temporary support to prevent collapse
• in an area where there are artificial extremes of temperature
• on or near energised electrical installations or services
• involving a trench or shaft more than 1.5 m deep
• on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping
• involving demolition
• involving a confined space
• on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines
• involving tilt-up or precast concrete
• on telecommunications towers
• involving diving
• involving removal or disturbance of asbestos
• in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere
• involving the use of explosives
• involving a tunnel.

A new SWMS is required for each high-risk task as scope of works change. For detailed SMWS requirements related to specific high-risk work, follow the relevant policies.

The SWMS must be reviewed and signed (as sighted) by the principal or their delegate before any work commences, and a copy kept for records (refer to Chapter 6: Record keeping). This includes where contractors are engaged directly through the school, smaller capital works projects and through PPP school facility management companies.

If contractors are engaged through the VSBA where a separate site has been established (refer to Chapter 1: Engaging Contractors and AIMS), then principals or their delegates are not required to review and sign the SWMS.

Principals and delegates are not expected to be experts in reviewing and understanding a SWMS but they are expected to understand the risks that are reasonably foreseeable during the work being undertaken. The Contractor hazard identification and control guide (DOCX) available on the Resources tab, can be used to aid in assessing the quality of a SWMS submitted prior to work commencing.

When the work is not categorised as high-risk, and the relevant policy does not specifically require a SWMS, a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) or equivalent may be used if it contains the same information. The OHS Advisory Service and the statewide OHS services team can support with the review of Safe Work Method Statements and equivalent templates.