Brick and block laying SWMS, drafted for your job
Fresh brickwork can collapse before it is braced, while cutting blocks releases dust and laying courses puts hands in wet mortar. Describe the job and site so your SWMS is drafted around them, then check the controls on site before work starts.
A$39per job
However many high-risk activities it covers.
- However many high-risk activities it covers.
- 3 for A$99
- 10 for A$249
- Yearly A$129 for 120
- Monthly A$60 for 10
You review it on site before work starts.
Your Business
Safe Work Method Statement
Version 1
Draft
Brick and block laying
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where someone could fall from height
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Plan the wall sequence | Unsupported wall sections | High | Confirm bracing positions and keep access away from unfinished walls |
| 2 | Stage bricks and mortar | Heavy packs and wet mortar | Medium | Use mechanical delivery and place supplies beside the laying face |
| 3 | Cut masonry units | Blade contact and airborne dust | High | Use guarded wet cutting and contain slurry |
| 4 | Lay and brace courses | Falling brickwork and platform overload | High | Install restraints progressively and control platform stocking |
| 5 | Leave the work area | Loose units and mortar residue | Medium | Secure unfinished walls and remove offcuts and slurry |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your brick and block laying SWMS will contain
An A4 document your crew can read on site, a PDF for the builder and a sign-on register.
- Job and site detailsYour business, the site, the principal contractor, the dates.
- High-risk construction workThe categories your job involves, ticked.
- Step-by-step methodEach step with its hazards, risk rating and controls.
- How controls are checkedWho puts each control in place, monitors and reviews it.
- PPE, plant and permitsEquipment and training the job needs.
- Emergency planAssembly point, first aid, nearest hospital to confirm on site.
- Consultation and reviewWho was consulted, when it is reviewed.
- Sign-on registerYour crew signs by QR or on paper.
High-risk construction work
Categories this task often involves
You tick the ones your job involves. Each ticked category gets its own steps and controls, in your state's wording.
- Work where someone could fall from height
State notes
Rules depend on your state
Pick your state when you start. Your state's regulator publishes the rules and guidance for this work.
Hazards and controls
What goes wrong on a brick and block laying job, and how the SWMS controls it
These rows are written for this task. Your draft adds the ones your site and method need.
- 1
Fresh brick and block walls falling before lateral restraint
High- Brace unfinished walls to the erection sequence before leaving them exposed
- Keep people away from unsupported walls and stop laying when wind threatens stability
- 2
Silica dust from cutting bricks and concrete blocks
High- Order cut units where practical to reduce cutting on site
- Use a wet masonry saw with spray contained and keep others outside the cutting area
- Collect slurry before it dries and use suitable respiratory protection for residual dust
- 3
Wet mortar trapped inside gloves and boots
High- Use scoops and tools to keep hands out of fresh mortar
- Wear waterproof gloves and wash exposed skin whenever mortar gets inside gloves or boots
- 4
Back strain shifting block packs and laying low courses
Medium- Place packs near the laying face using mechanical handling
- Stage smaller supplies on stable stands and share awkward block lifts
- 5
Brick packs overloading the bricklayers working platform
High- Have the platform loading and material positions checked before stocking it
- Keep access clear and spread staged bricks only where the platform arrangement allows
- 6
Hands reaching the masonry saw blade during block trimming
High- Use the saw guard and a stable cutting table
- Isolate the saw before clearing lodged fragments or adjusting the blade
How the job usually runs
- 1Plan the wall sequenceUnsupported wall sections → Confirm bracing positions and keep access away from unfinished walls
- 2Stage bricks and mortarHeavy packs and wet mortar → Use mechanical delivery and place supplies beside the laying face
- 3Cut masonry unitsBlade contact and airborne dust → Use guarded wet cutting and contain slurry
- 4Lay and brace coursesFalling brickwork and platform overload → Install restraints progressively and control platform stocking
- 5Leave the work areaLoose units and mortar residue → Secure unfinished walls and remove offcuts and slurry
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Safety glasses
- Waterproof gloves for mortar
- Hearing protection at the saw
- Respiratory protection for masonry dust
Your draft lists the PPE your site and method need.
After you finalise
Brief your crew and send it to your builder
Crew signs by QR
Send to my builder
PDF and register
Builder sent it back?
Make their changes and re-issue the same job free. Workers re-sign the new version.
Questions
Brick and block laying SWMS questions
- Last reviewed
- 21 October 2026
- How
- Hazard rows checked against the task; no legal line is stated unless it is logged from primary text.
- Next review
- Every six months, or when the method or rules change
How does the SWMS address unfinished brick walls?
Describe wall lengths, openings, returns and the bracing arrangement. The draft should identify when restraints go in, who checks them and how people are kept away while the wall remains unsupported.
What changes when blocks need cutting on site?
Include the block material, cutting station and water supply. The crew can then check wet cutting, blade guarding, slurry collection and the separation of nearby workers before the saw is used.
How much does a brick and block laying SWMS cost?
One job uses 1 SWMS when you finalise: A$39 for one, however many high-risk activities it covers. AI drafting needs a SWMS pack or plan. Packs and Yearly cost less per SWMS.
Is this a template?
No. You describe the job and the site, and the SWMS is drafted for them. You edit anything, then finalise it.
Who checks the SWMS?
You do, with your crew, on site before work starts. The draft gives you a strong starting point; the person running the work makes sure it matches the site.
My builder sent it back. What now?
Open it, make the changes they asked for and re-issue it. Corrections to the same job are free.
How does my crew sign it?
Show the QR code on your phone or print the A4 sign-on sheet. Workers read and sign on their own phones without an account.
Does it work in my state?
Yes. You choose the state before drafting, and the document names the law that applies there. Victoria uses its OHS Regulations.
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