Soft demolition SWMS, drafted for your job
Stripping internal linings, cabinets and ceilings can expose live services and hidden asbestos, with fixtures falling as their last fixings are removed. Describe the job and site so your SWMS is drafted around them, then check the controls 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
Soft demolition
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work that may disturb asbestos
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Confirm strip-out scope | Hidden asbestos and structural elements | High | Check materials and mark the parts that must remain |
| 2 | Isolate affected services | Live cables behind linings | Extreme | Verify isolation and protect services staying in use |
| 3 | Set containment and access | Dust reaching occupied areas | High | Separate the work zone and organise contained waste routes |
| 4 | Remove fixtures and linings | Falling sections and exposed nails | High | Support fixtures and strip manageable sections into bins |
| 5 | Inspect and clear the area | Hidden damage and sharp debris | Medium | Check retained structure and services before reopening access |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your soft demolition 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 that may disturb asbestos
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 soft demolition 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
Asbestos disturbed behind linings during internal strip-out
High- Check building material information and inspect before disturbing concealed layers
- Stop on suspect material, isolate the area and use an asbestos removalist
- 2
Live cables and water lines exposed when partitions are stripped
Extreme- Have affected services isolated and verified before removing linings
- Identify services that remain live and protect them from tools and falling debris
- 3
Ceiling grids and cabinets falling as final fixings are removed
High- Support each fixture before releasing its fixings
- Remove manageable sections and exclude people beneath the stripping area
- 4
Load-bearing studs removed during a planned non-structural strip-out
Extreme- Confirm the demolition scope and mark structural elements to remain
- Stop if construction differs from the marked scope and seek structural advice
- 5
Dust spreading from broken plaster and insulation into occupied rooms
High- Separate the strip-out from occupied areas with contained work zones
- Use extraction or suitable damp methods and collect debris without dry sweeping
- 6
Hands and feet punctured by strip-out nails and broken lining edges
Medium- Place waste directly into suitable bins and flatten or remove exposed nails
- Use puncture-resistant handling gloves and keep removal routes free of loose debris
How the job usually runs
- 1Confirm strip-out scopeHidden asbestos and structural elements → Check materials and mark the parts that must remain
- 2Isolate affected servicesLive cables behind linings → Verify isolation and protect services staying in use
- 3Set containment and accessDust reaching occupied areas → Separate the work zone and organise contained waste routes
- 4Remove fixtures and liningsFalling sections and exposed nails → Support fixtures and strip manageable sections into bins
- 5Inspect and clear the areaHidden damage and sharp debris → Check retained structure and services before reopening access
PPE for this job
- Safety boots with puncture protection
- Safety helmet
- Cut-resistant handling gloves
- Safety glasses
- Respiratory protection for strip-out dust
- Hearing protection for powered removal
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
Soft demolition 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 soft demolition include removing load-bearing walls?
This scope covers non-structural strip-out. If the proposed work affects load-bearing parts, stop and arrange a structural demolition and temporary support sequence before anyone removes those elements.
What if asbestos appears after a lining is opened?
Stop disturbing the material and keep people out of that part of the strip-out. Arrange assessment and an asbestos removalist, then review the work sequence before the crew returns to the affected area.
How much does a soft demolition 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
