Stone pitching SWMS, drafted for your job
Pitching stone means heavy rock handled on a steep batter, an excavator working the crest above, and often water at the toe. Tell us 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
Stone pitching
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work in or near water where someone could drown
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Prepare and trim the batter | Plant at the crest; slips | High | Tracks back from edge; spotter on |
| 2 | Lay the filter layer | Wind on fabric; trips | Medium | Pin as you unroll; two people |
| 3 | Set toe and foundation stones | Water edge; hand crush | High | Life jackets near water; bars not hands |
| 4 | Pitch up the slope in courses | Rolling stone; slips on face | High | Work from the toe up; nobody downhill |
| 5 | Grout or pack the voids | Cement burns; awkward posture | Medium | Gloves and glasses; knee pads down |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your stone pitching 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 water where someone could drown
- 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 stone pitching 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
Stones rolling down the batter onto workers below
High- Start pitching at the toe and work up so stones lock in
- Nobody stands downhill of a stone being placed
- 2
Excavator placing stone too close to the crest edge
High- Keep tracks back from the crest and slew stone over slowly
- Spotter watching the batter while the excavator works
- 3
Slips and tumbles down the steep batter face
Medium- Rope or stepped access on the batter, no free climbing
- Boots with ankle support and grip soles on the face
- 4
Hands crushed while setting stones into place
Medium- Nudge stones with bars and slings, not bare hands
- Keep fingers clear of the pinch as each stone beds
- 5
Workers within reach of water at the toe of the bank
High- Life jackets on anyone working near the water
- Rope off the water edge and keep a throw line handy
- 6
Manual handling of stone carried and set by hand
Medium- Machine-place the big stones; hand-set only the small ones
- Team lift and keep loads close to the body
- 7
Sun and heat on exposed slopes with no shade
Medium- Rotate the crew and keep water at the work face
- Shade breaks, wide-brim hats and sunscreen for everyone on the slope
How the job usually runs
- 1Prepare and trim the batterPlant at the crest; slips → Tracks back from edge; spotter on
- 2Lay the filter layerWind on fabric; trips → Pin as you unroll; two people
- 3Set toe and foundation stonesWater edge; hand crush → Life jackets near water; bars not hands
- 4Pitch up the slope in coursesRolling stone; slips on face → Work from the toe up; nobody downhill
- 5Grout or pack the voidsCement burns; awkward posture → Gloves and glasses; knee pads down
- 6Check lock-up and clean offLoose stone left on the face → Bar-test each stone before leaving
PPE for this job
- Safety boots with ankle support
- Hard hat
- Heavy-duty gloves
- High-vis clothing
- Life jacket near water
- Safety glasses
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
Stone pitching 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 SWMS cover machine-placed and hand-set stone?
Yes. Say how the stone goes in when you start, whether excavator-placed, hand-set or both, and the steps cover spotting, placement and bedding for each.
What if the batter is too steep to stand on?
The draft includes rope or stepped access on steep batters. If the slope cannot be worked on foot, the stone goes in by machine with the crew clear of the face.
Does it cover pitching next to water?
Yes, when you say the job is on a riverbank or channel. The steps add life jackets, a roped-off water edge and a throw line kept handy.
How much does a stone pitching 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.
Related
Related SWMS
