Horizontal directional boring SWMS, drafted for your job
Directional drilling puts a rotating drill string underground where service crossings, changing ground and drilling fluid pressure are hidden from the operator. 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
Horizontal directional boring
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
- Work on or near energised electrical installations
- Work on or near pressurised gas mains or piping
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Prove crossings and plan bore | Hidden services on drill path | Extreme | Expose crossings and agree a tracked bore route |
| 2 | Set rig and fluid system | Rig movement and hose failure | High | Prepare standing ground, anchors, guards and fluid containment |
| 3 | Drill and track the pilot | Unknown drill head position | Extreme | Track progress and stop when the head cannot be located |
| 4 | Ream and pull product | Tensioned pipe and rotating rods | High | Clear pullback zones and monitor pipe movement and fluid returns |
| 5 | Flush, isolate and pack up | Trapped fluid pressure | High | Depressurise hoses and contain drilling fluid before disconnecting |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your horizontal directional boring 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 powered mobile plant is moving
- Work on or near energised electrical installations
- Work on or near pressurised gas mains or piping
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 horizontal directional boring 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
Drill head striking a buried cable or gas main
Extreme- Prove service crossings and plan the bore path before drilling
- Track the drill head and stop when its position or clearance is uncertain
- 2
Entanglement at rotating drill rods and make-up jaws
Extreme- Keep rod rotation guarded and people outside the rod handling area
- Stop rotation and isolate the rig before clearing or handling a jam
- 3
Reamer or product pipe whipping during directional bore pullback
High- Clear workers from the pullback line and secure product pipe staging
- Monitor pullback loads and stop if the pipe binds or twists
- 4
Pressurised drilling fluid released from bore hoses or couplings
High- Check hose condition and secure compatible couplings before starting the pump
- Depressurise the fluid circuit before opening fittings or clearing a blockage
- 5
Drilling fluid breaking out through the ground above the bore
High- Plan fluid containment around entry, exit and sensitive ground
- Watch returns and surface movement; stop pumping if fluid escapes
- 6
Boring rig shifting as thrust loads change on soft ground
High- Set and anchor the rig on prepared ground for the planned bore
- Keep people clear of anchors and recheck rig movement during drilling
How the job usually runs
- 1Prove crossings and plan boreHidden services on drill path → Expose crossings and agree a tracked bore route
- 2Set rig and fluid systemRig movement and hose failure → Prepare standing ground, anchors, guards and fluid containment
- 3Drill and track the pilotUnknown drill head position → Track progress and stop when the head cannot be located
- 4Ream and pull productTensioned pipe and rotating rods → Clear pullback zones and monitor pipe movement and fluid returns
- 5Flush, isolate and pack upTrapped fluid pressure → Depressurise hoses and contain drilling fluid before disconnecting
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- High visibility clothing
- Safety glasses
- Handling gloves
- Hearing protection
- Splash goggles
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
Horizontal directional boring 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 the draft cover reaming and pipe pullback?
Yes. Describe the pilot bore, reamer and product pipe. The draft includes rod handling, pullback exclusion areas, pipe staging and stopping when loads or fluid returns change unexpectedly.
What if the drill tracker loses the head signal?
Stop drilling until the head position can be established. The draft covers checking the tracking method and service crossings before continuing, rather than advancing along an assumed bore line.
How much does a horizontal directional boring 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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