Power pole removal and installation SWMS, drafted for your job
Taking out a power pole means rigging a heavy preservative-treated pole beside conductors that may still be live, then landing the new pole into a hole on a shared verge. Describe the work and the site: your SWMS is drafted around those details, ready for your crew to check before starting.
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
Power pole removal and installation
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work on or near energised electrical installations
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
- Work next to a road, railway or other traffic corridor in use
- Work where someone could fall from height
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Arrange isolation and check the pole | Live conductors and a weak pole | High | Confirm isolation; check for rot first |
| 2 | Set up the lift and exclusion | Suspended pole and plant movement | High | Lift plan; barrier the load and fall area |
| 3 | Dig out and remove the old pole | Collapse and pole toppling | High | Support the pole; shore the hole |
| 4 | Set and backfill the new pole | Suspended load and pinch points | High | Tag lines; backfill in lifts |
| 5 | Transfer conductors and restore | Re-energising with workers close | High | Verify connections; controlled re-energisation |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your power pole removal and installation 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 where powered mobile plant is moving
- Work next to a road, railway or other traffic corridor in use
- 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 power pole removal and installation 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
Contact with energised conductors during pole work
Extreme- Arrange isolation and earthing with the supply operator before touching the pole
- Treat every conductor as live and keep the approach distances set for the work
- 2
Suspended pole swinging into the crew
High- Lift to a plan with rated gear and control the pole with tag lines
- Keep everyone out of the load path and the pole's fall arc
- 3
Rotten pole toppling while the butt is dug out
High- Check the pole for rot and support it before excavating around the butt
- Never climb or work beside a pole that has not been assessed
- 4
Crane or platform boom entering the conductor zone
High- Keep the boom outside the exclusion set for the lines
- Use a dedicated observer for all movements near conductors
- 5
Preservative dust and contact cutting old poles
High- Avoid cutting treated poles where possible; use extraction suited to the saw if cutting is needed
- Cover exposed skin and use fitted respiratory protection for remaining dust
- Contain treated sawdust and offcuts for disposal
- 6
Excavation collapsing around the new pole hole
High- Locate buried services before excavating and support the hole to suit the ground
- Keep workers out while the pole is lowered and maintain protection around the opening
- 7
Traffic striking the crew on the road verge
High- Barrier the work area and control traffic past the lift
- Use a spotter where the crew works with their back to traffic
How the job usually runs
- 1Arrange isolation and check the poleLive conductors and a weak pole → Confirm isolation; check for rot first
- 2Set up the lift and exclusionSuspended pole and plant movement → Lift plan; barrier the load and fall area
- 3Dig out and remove the old poleCollapse and pole toppling → Support the pole; shore the hole
- 4Set and backfill the new poleSuspended load and pinch points → Tag lines; backfill in lifts
- 5Transfer conductors and restoreRe-energising with workers close → Verify connections; controlled re-energisation
- 6Cut, dispose and reopenPreservative dust and traffic → Avoid cuts; capture dust; contain waste; clear the verge
PPE for this job
- Arc-rated clothing
- Safety helmet with chin strap
- Safety boots
- High-visibility clothing
- Work gloves
- Particulate respirator for pole cutting
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
Power pole removal and installation 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 it cover poles with live lines attached?
Yes, when you describe the conductors and supply. The draft covers arranging isolation and earthing with the supply operator, treating conductors as live and keeping the set approach distances.
Does it cover old treated timber poles?
Yes. Say the pole is treated timber. The draft covers preservative dust and skin contact while cutting, plus containing treated offcuts and sawdust for disposal.
Does it include digging and backfilling the hole?
Yes. The draft covers checking the ground, supporting the hole, keeping workers out while the pole lands and backfilling in lifts as the pole is plumbed.
How much does a power pole removal and installation 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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