Civil shoulder grading SWMS, drafted for your job
A grader working along a road shoulder sits beside live traffic and ground that can give way towards drains or culverts. Describe your work area and method when you start. Your SWMS is drafted for those details, then checked against the site before work begins.
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
Civil shoulder grading
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work next to a road, railway or other traffic corridor in use
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Inspect the shoulder | Soft edges and hidden culverts | High | Mark weak ground and locate drainage assets |
| 2 | Establish traffic separation | Passing vehicle intrusion | High | Set barriers and controlled access before plant arrives |
| 3 | Trim shoulder material | Blade sweep and rollover | High | Keep people clear and grade from stable ground |
| 4 | Compact and form drainage | Plant crossing work zones | High | Coordinate compactor routes with the grader operator |
| 5 | Inspect and reopen shoulder | Loose material beside traffic | High | Clear loose windrows and check edge transitions before reopening |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your civil shoulder grading 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 next to a road, railway or other traffic corridor in use
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
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 civil shoulder grading 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
Grader rollover at soft shoulder edges and culverts
High- Inspect edge support and mark soft areas before the grader enters
- Keep the machine on the stable working strip set by the operator
- 2
Passing traffic entering the shoulder grading strip
High- Separate traffic from the work with the planned barriers and traffic controls
- Stop grading if vehicles enter the protected work area
- 3
Workers caught beside the grader blade during trimming
High- Keep ground workers outside the grader operating area
- Stop the grader and receive operator acknowledgement before approaching
- 4
Grader sliding across wet shoulder material
High- Postpone grading where wet ground cannot support controlled travel
- Recheck traction and edge condition after rain or material changes
- 5
Dust hiding traffic and survey marks during grading
Medium- Dampen shoulder material with a water cart before visibility deteriorates
- Pause operations if the operator loses sight of the work boundary
- 6
Blade strikes on drainage lids and shallow services
High- Locate assets and mark lids, culverts and shallow service crossings
- Set blade depth from checked levels and expose uncertain assets separately
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect the shoulderSoft edges and hidden culverts → Mark weak ground and locate drainage assets
- 2Establish traffic separationPassing vehicle intrusion → Set barriers and controlled access before plant arrives
- 3Trim shoulder materialBlade sweep and rollover → Keep people clear and grade from stable ground
- 4Compact and form drainagePlant crossing work zones → Coordinate compactor routes with the grader operator
- 5Inspect and reopen shoulderLoose material beside traffic → Clear loose windrows and check edge transitions before reopening
PPE for this job
- High-visibility clothing
- Safety boots
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Particulate respirator
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
Civil shoulder grading 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
Does it cover grading beside a live road?
Yes. Describe the road, traffic access and shoulder width. The draft covers traffic separation, plant entry, communication and stopping work when traffic crosses into the grading strip.
What happens if the shoulder turns soft?
Stop and reassess the working strip. The draft covers marking unstable ground, changing the plant route and checking the shoulder again before grading or compaction continues.
How much does a civil shoulder grading 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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