Working in roof spaces SWMS, drafted for your job
Roof spaces hide cables beneath insulation and leave little room to move, with fragile ceiling sheets below and heat trapped around the work area. Give us the job details and site layout. The draft follows that setup, and your crew checks the steps 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
Working in roof spaces
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work on or near energised electrical installations
- Work where someone could fall from height
- Work that may disturb asbestos
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Assess roof void and materials | Heat and suspect insulation | High | Check conditions and materials before planning entry |
| 2 | Isolate supplies and prepare access | Hidden live cables and hatch falls | High | Confirm isolation and secure the access platform |
| 3 | Lay a supported crawl route | Fragile ceiling linings | High | Place crawl boards on structural members |
| 4 | Carry out roof space work | Dust and restricted movement | High | Control disturbance and maintain outside communication |
| 5 | Exit and restore the area | Tools left above ceilings | High | Account for people and tools before restoring supplies |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your working in roof spaces 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 someone could fall from height
- 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 working in roof spaces 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 hidden cables beneath roof insulation
High- Have electrical supplies isolated and checked before entering the roof space
- Locate solar and other supplies that remain energised and keep clear of them
- 2
Falls through ceiling sheets between roof framing
High- Provide secured crawl boards or working platforms supported by structural members
- Keep body weight off ceiling linings and check the access path before moving
- 3
Heat illness while crawling inside a hot roof void
High- Delay entry when roof conditions are too hot for the planned work
- Provide cooling breaks, drinking water and an outside person checking worker condition
- 4
Asbestos disturbed in old roof void linings or insulation
High- Check building material information before disturbing old linings or insulation
- Stop at suspect material and arrange assessment or an asbestos removalist
- 5
Insulation fibres and animal droppings disturbed above ceilings
Medium- Avoid disturbing insulation beyond the planned work area and use suitable dust capture
- Wear selected respiratory protection and bag contaminated debris at the source
- 6
Worker trapped or injured beyond the roof access hatch
High- Plan access and assisted recovery before entry and keep the hatch route clear
- Maintain communication with an outside person and stop if contact is lost
How the job usually runs
- 1Assess roof void and materialsHeat and suspect insulation → Check conditions and materials before planning entry
- 2Isolate supplies and prepare accessHidden live cables and hatch falls → Confirm isolation and secure the access platform
- 3Lay a supported crawl routeFragile ceiling linings → Place crawl boards on structural members
- 4Carry out roof space workDust and restricted movement → Control disturbance and maintain outside communication
- 5Exit and restore the areaTools left above ceilings → Account for people and tools before restoring supplies
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Head protection
- Safety glasses
- Work gloves
- Protective coveralls
- Fit-tested particulate respirator
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
Working in roof spaces 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 solar cables that stay live in daylight?
Yes. Describe solar and battery supplies when you start. The draft covers identifying circuits that remain live, arranging isolation and keeping the roof access route away from those cables.
What if the roof void is too hot to enter?
Postpone entry and reassess conditions. The draft covers planning work for cooler conditions, cooling breaks, communication with an outside person and stopping when workers show signs of heat illness.
How much does a working in roof spaces 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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