Electrical renovations SWMS, drafted for your job
Renovation wiring may share supplies with occupied rooms, hide behind old linings or run through ceilings that no longer support access. Tell us the renovation and site: your SWMS is drafted around retained and replacement circuits, 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
Electrical renovations
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work on or near energised electrical installations
- Work that may disturb asbestos
- Work where someone could fall from height
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Inspect existing wiring and materials | Unknown circuits and suspect asbestos | Extreme | Trace supplies and assess materials before opening finishes |
| 2 | Separate rooms and isolate circuits | Occupants and retained live supplies | Extreme | Barrier work areas lock supplies and test dead |
| 3 | Remove old fittings and run cables | Fragile ceilings and concealed services | High | Use supported access and check new penetration routes |
| 4 | Terminate and test altered wiring | Wrong circuit connections and exposed terminals | High | Identify conductors and complete tests before restoring power |
| 5 | Reconnect and hand over areas | Arc exposure and unfinished outlets | High | Clear the work area and restore circuits in a controlled sequence |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your electrical renovations 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
- Work that may disturb asbestos
- Work where someone could fall from height
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 electrical renovations 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
Shock from shared or unlabelled circuits during renovation rewiring
Extreme- Trace retained and altered circuits and identify all supply sources before isolation
- Lock and tag each affected supply and prove dead at the work point
- 2
Asbestos disturbed removing old electrical boards and cable backing
High- Check suspect boards and lining materials before drilling or removal
- Stop disturbance and use an asbestos removalist where asbestos is suspected
- 3
Falls through deteriorated ceilings while replacing renovation cabling
Extreme- Inspect access and use supported walkways rather than ceiling linings
- Keep fragile areas isolated and provide suitable lighting
- 4
Occupants reaching exposed outlets while renovation circuits are altered
High- Close and barrier each work area and cover unattended connection points
- Tell occupants which areas and supplies are isolated before starting
- 5
Drilling through retained cables behind renovation wall finishes
Extreme- Locate concealed services before cutting new outlet and conduit openings
- Change the route or arrange further investigation where positions remain uncertain
- 6
Arc flash or shock reconnecting altered wiring to retained circuits
High- Complete circuit identification and electrical tests before restoring supply
- Keep others clear and reconnect in a controlled sequence with task-selected protection
- 7
Cuts from old cable clips and sharp switch fittings during strip-out
Medium- Use tools to remove clips and contain sharp waste as work progresses
- Keep hands outside broken fitting edges and wear handling gloves
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect existing wiring and materialsUnknown circuits and suspect asbestos → Trace supplies and assess materials before opening finishes
- 2Separate rooms and isolate circuitsOccupants and retained live supplies → Barrier work areas lock supplies and test dead
- 3Remove old fittings and run cablesFragile ceilings and concealed services → Use supported access and check new penetration routes
- 4Terminate and test altered wiringWrong circuit connections and exposed terminals → Identify conductors and complete tests before restoring power
- 5Reconnect and hand over areasArc exposure and unfinished outlets → Clear the work area and restore circuits in a controlled sequence
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Safety glasses
- Work gloves for isolated strip-out
- Task-selected electrical protective clothing
- Insulated gloves for electrical tasks
- Respiratory protection for assessed renovation dust
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
Electrical renovations 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
Can rooms stay occupied while other rooms are rewired?
Yes, where the work areas and retained supplies can be separated. Describe the occupancy and circuit arrangement so the draft covers barriers, isolation communication and protecting services that remain in use.
What if the old circuits are not labelled correctly?
Trace and verify the circuits before relying on labels. The draft includes identifying retained and replacement wiring, checking every supply and proving dead at each work point before conductors are disturbed.
How much does a electrical renovations 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
