Wire and electric fencing installation SWMS, drafted for your job
Fencing wire stores energy when it is strained, and a cut or slipped strand whips back at whoever is holding it. Electric fencing adds an energiser and live wires to the same fence line. Describe the job and site so the draft reflects your work, then check the SWMS with the crew 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
Wire and electric fencing installation
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work on or near energised electrical installations
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Set out the line and services | Buried cables and pipes | High | Locate services before posts go in |
| 2 | Install and brace the posts | Post driver and unstable posts | High | Brace strainer posts; helpers clear of the driver |
| 3 | Run out and strain the wires | Wire recoil and cuts | High | Strain with tools; stay out of the recoil line |
| 4 | Fit insulators and energiser | Live fence during connection | High | Isolate the energiser; test before touching |
| 5 | Test, sign and hand over | Unmarked live fence | High | Test the output; sign the fence electric |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your wire and electric fencing 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
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 wire and electric fencing 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
Strained wire snapping back on the crew
High- Tension with a proper wire strainer or puller, not hands
- Keep everyone out of the recoil line while the wire takes load
- 2
Wire releasing as it is cut or joined
High- Take the strain with a suitable tensioning tool and release stored tension before cutting
- Keep people clear of the recoil path and secure loose ends before joining
- 3
Electric fence energised while the crew works on it
High- Isolate and tag the energiser before touching the fence
- Test the fence is dead and sign it as electric before reconnecting
- 4
Post driver or auger striking buried services
High- Locate services along the fence line before driving or digging
- Hand-dig holes near marked crossings
- 5
Strainer slipping off the post under load
High- Use grips matched to the wire and seat them fully before pulling
- Anchor and brace end and corner posts before straining
- 6
Barbs and cut wire ends in hands and faces
Medium- Handle wire with cut-resistant gloves and eye protection
- Cap or fold cut ends and collect offcuts as you go
- 7
Old fence wire left across paths and paddocks
Medium- Roll up removed wire and take it off site
- Check the line for loose strands before leaving each section
How the job usually runs
- 1Set out the line and servicesBuried cables and pipes → Locate services before posts go in
- 2Install and brace the postsPost driver and unstable posts → Brace strainer posts; helpers clear of the driver
- 3Run out and strain the wiresWire recoil and cuts → Strain with tools; stay out of the recoil line
- 4Fit insulators and energiserLive fence during connection → Isolate the energiser; test before touching
- 5Test, sign and hand overUnmarked live fence → Test the output; sign the fence electric
PPE for this job
- Cut-resistant gloves
- Safety glasses
- Safety boots
- High-visibility clothing
- Hearing protection for post driving
- 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
Wire and electric fencing 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 barbed and plain wire straining?
Yes. Describe the wire types and strainer. The draft covers tensioning with tools, keeping people out of the recoil line, releasing stored tension before cuts and bracing the posts that take the load.
Does it cover connecting the energiser?
Yes. The draft covers isolating and tagging the energiser while the crew works, testing the fence is dead before connection, and signing it as electric before it is turned back on.
Can the crew work on a fence that is live?
No. The draft keeps the section being worked on de-energised, with the energiser isolated and the fence tested before handling. Describe adjacent live sections so separation can be included and checked on site.
How much does a wire and electric fencing 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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