Concrete pile removal SWMS, drafted for your job
Removing a buried concrete pile can change the support beneath nearby structures while breaking tools release silica dust, fragments and reinforcement that can spring as it is cut. Tell us the job and the site: your SWMS is drafted around them, and you check it with the crew 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
Concrete pile removal
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Demolition of load-bearing or structural parts
- Work in or near a deep trench, shaft or tunnel
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
- Structural alterations that need temporary support
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Confirm pile and structural sequence | Foundation load on the pile | Extreme | Arrange load transfer and verify the pile can be removed |
| 2 | Expose and support the pile head | Collapse around the pile cavity | Extreme | Install excavation support before approaching below ground |
| 3 | Break concrete in planned sections | Silica and projected fragments | High | Use dust controls and shields inside a cleared plant zone |
| 4 | Support and lift pile segments | Dropped sections and springing steel | Extreme | Support segments before cutting reinforcement and keep clear of lifts |
| 5 | Protect voids and inspect surrounds | Open extraction holes and settlement | High | Backfill or cover openings and check adjacent ground and structures |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your concrete pile removal 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.
- Demolition of load-bearing or structural parts
- Work in or near a deep trench, shaft or tunnel
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
- Structural alterations that need temporary support
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 concrete pile removal 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
Structural movement when a concrete pile still carries foundation load
Extreme- Confirm the pile is redundant and arrange designed load transfer before removal
- Follow the removal sequence and stop if adjacent structures move or crack
- 2
Collapse around the excavation exposing a buried concrete pile
Extreme- Install excavation support before workers approach the exposed pile below ground
- Keep breaking plant and spoil away from unsupported cavity edges
- 3
Silica dust breaking reinforced concrete around the pile head
High- Use suitable dust suppression or extraction at the breaking attachment
- Keep people outside the dust area and wear a fitted particulate respirator
- 4
Concrete fragments thrown from the pile during hydraulic breaking
High- Set shields and a plant exclusion zone around pile breaking
- Keep workers outside the breaker path and stop before they approach
- 5
Concrete pile segments falling as reinforcement is cut free
Extreme- Support each segment with the planned lifting arrangement before severing steel
- Keep people outside the landing area and cut from a stable position
- 6
Workers or plant falling into the void left by pile extraction
High- Barrier the extraction void as each segment is removed
- Backfill or securely cover the opening before reopening the work area
How the job usually runs
- 1Confirm pile and structural sequenceFoundation load on the pile → Arrange load transfer and verify the pile can be removed
- 2Expose and support the pile headCollapse around the pile cavity → Install excavation support before approaching below ground
- 3Break concrete in planned sectionsSilica and projected fragments → Use dust controls and shields inside a cleared plant zone
- 4Support and lift pile segmentsDropped sections and springing steel → Support segments before cutting reinforcement and keep clear of lifts
- 5Protect voids and inspect surroundsOpen extraction holes and settlement → Backfill or cover openings and check adjacent ground and structures
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- High visibility clothing
- Head protection
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Fitted particulate respirator
- Cut resistant gloves
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
Concrete pile removal 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 pile removal include trimming a pile head?
Yes, when trimming is the stated scope. The draft can follow the pile head breaking and reinforcement cutting sequence, with support and lifting controls matched to the portion being removed.
What if the pile still supports part of the building?
Do not start removal until its load has been assessed and transferred through a designed arrangement. The draft includes confirming the removal sequence, temporary support and movement checks before breaking begins.
How much does a concrete pile removal 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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