Waterfed pole window cleaning SWMS, drafted for your job
A long waterfed pole can reach electrical lines or fall across a footpath, while the operator looks up and water spreads around hoses and passing pedestrians. 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
Waterfed pole window cleaning
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work on or near energised electrical installations
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Inspect facade and overhead clearances | Electrical lines in the pole path | Extreme | Choose a clear operating area before unloading or extending poles |
| 2 | Set water system and pedestrian barriers | Hoses and people below | High | Protect the full pole movement area and keep exits clear |
| 3 | Extend pole and clean windows | Wind loading and shoulder strain | High | Maintain control and lower the pole if conditions change |
| 4 | Move to the next facade bay | Pole strike during relocation | High | Lower and retract the pole before moving barriers and hoses |
| 5 | Drain, pack away and reopen access | Wet paving and trailing hoses | Medium | Collect equipment and check ground conditions before removing barriers |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your waterfed pole window cleaning 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 on or near energised electrical installations
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 waterfed pole window cleaning 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
Waterfed pole contacting overhead electrical lines beside the facade
Extreme- Inspect the full pole movement area and choose a method that keeps clear of electrical lines
- Do not raise the pole where the electrical approach area cannot be kept clear
- 2
Waterfed pole blown across a walkway during extended window cleaning
High- Use a pole length suited to the work and current conditions
- Lower the pole when wind or fatigue prevents controlled movement
- 3
Neck and shoulder strain holding the waterfed pole above the operator
Medium- Position the work to reduce reaching and use suitable pole support where available
- Alternate pole work with ground tasks and change standing position
- 4
Pedestrians struck while the waterfed pole is raised or lowered
High- Barrier the pole handling and possible fall area before extending it
- Lower and retract the pole before moving between work areas
- 5
Trips on waterfed pole hoses crossing building entrances
Medium- Route hoses outside access paths or use suitable protected crossings
- Keep entrances clear and move barriers as the cleaning position changes
- 6
Slips on purified water running from windows onto smooth paving
Medium- Manage runoff and separate pedestrians from the wet ground area
- Check drainage and keep access closed where water pools
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect facade and overhead clearancesElectrical lines in the pole path → Choose a clear operating area before unloading or extending poles
- 2Set water system and pedestrian barriersHoses and people below → Protect the full pole movement area and keep exits clear
- 3Extend pole and clean windowsWind loading and shoulder strain → Maintain control and lower the pole if conditions change
- 4Move to the next facade bayPole strike during relocation → Lower and retract the pole before moving barriers and hoses
- 5Drain, pack away and reopen accessWet paving and trailing hoses → Collect equipment and check ground conditions before removing barriers
PPE for this job
- Slip resistant safety footwear
- Safety glasses
- Handling gloves
- High visibility clothing
- Sun protective clothing
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
Waterfed pole window cleaning 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 a carbon fibre waterfed pole keep electricity away from the cleaner?
No. The draft treats the pole, water stream and electrical lines as an exposure that needs separation. It includes checking the whole movement area and choosing another cleaning method where clear access cannot be maintained.
Can the pole stay extended while moving along the building?
Lower and retract it before moving to another work area. The draft includes relocating hoses and barriers first, then checking overhead clearances and pedestrian access before the pole is raised again.
How much does a waterfed pole window cleaning 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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