Retaining wall SWMS, drafted for your job
A retaining wall is only safe once it is drained, braced and backfilled; before that, open faces, heavy units and plant near edges can all bring the job down. Describe the job and the site: your SWMS is drafted around them, and you check it 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
Retaining wall
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work in or near a deep trench, shaft or tunnel
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Check design and services | Hidden services and weak ground | Extreme | Locate services and confirm the wall design first |
| 2 | Excavate the footing | Face collapse and plant near edges | Extreme | Support the face and keep loads back from edges |
| 3 | Build and brace the wall | Dropping units and an unbraced face | High | Land units mechanically and brace as you build |
| 4 | Drain and backfill the wall | Surcharge behind an unfinished wall | High | Place drainage and compact backfill in stages |
| 5 | Finish and clear the site | Open edges and loose material | Medium | Barrier remaining edges and remove spare units and spoil |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your retaining wall 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 in or near a deep trench, shaft or tunnel
- 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 retaining wall 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
Excavated face collapsing beside the retaining wall footing
Extreme- Batter, bench or support the face before anyone works at its base
- Keep spoil and plant loads back from the edge and recheck the face after rain
- 2
Part-built wall overturning before backfill and drainage are in
High- Build and brace to the wall design in the planned sequence
- Backfill and drain progressively instead of leaving a tall unsupported face
- 3
Sleepers, blocks or panels dropping while being placed
High- Use mechanical handling and keep hands clear as the unit lands
- Keep workers out of the fall line until the unit is seated and held
- 4
Excavator or loader working close to the open footing edge
High- Set an offset for plant from unsupported edges
- Check the ground carries the loaded machine before each move
- 5
Footing excavation hitting buried services along the wall line
Extreme- Locate and mark services and dig carefully near known lines
- Pothole by hand or vacuum where positions are uncertain
- 6
Water building up behind the wall during construction
Medium- Install drainage and drainage gravel behind the wall as it rises
- Divert surface water away from the excavation and fresh backfill
How the job usually runs
- 1Check design and servicesHidden services and weak ground → Locate services and confirm the wall design first
- 2Excavate the footingFace collapse and plant near edges → Support the face and keep loads back from edges
- 3Build and brace the wallDropping units and an unbraced face → Land units mechanically and brace as you build
- 4Drain and backfill the wallSurcharge behind an unfinished wall → Place drainage and compact backfill in stages
- 5Finish and clear the siteOpen edges and loose material → Barrier remaining edges and remove spare units and spoil
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Safety helmet
- Handling gloves
- Safety glasses
- High-visibility clothing
- Hearing protection near plant
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
Retaining wall 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
When does a retaining wall need extra support during construction?
Whenever the face or the part-built wall could fail — deep excavations, taller walls, wet ground or loads behind the wall. Describe the wall design and follow its temporary support and bracing sequence.
Can the excavator work right at the wall edge?
Not right against an unsupported edge — set the plant back and check the ground carries the loaded machine. Where it must work close, keep people out of the swing and fall area and plan it in the draft.
How is drainage behind the wall covered?
By the drainage type you name going behind the wall — include staged backfilling, diverting surface water off the excavation and protecting the wall from surcharge while it gains strength.
How much does a retaining wall 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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