Prescribed burns SWMS, drafted for your job
A prescribed burn can change direction as wind, fuel and slope alter fire behaviour, cutting off the crew escape route. Describe the burn area, ignition method and crew setup: your draft follows the burn sequence, and the team checks conditions before lighting.
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
Prescribed burns
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
- Work where the air may be contaminated or flammable
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Prepare burn area and resources | Weak control lines and blocked escape | High | Check control lines, water, escape routes and refuge areas |
| 2 | Brief crew and check conditions | Changing wind and lost communications | High | Confirm roles, stop triggers and radio contact |
| 3 | Light test area and assess | Unexpected fire behaviour | High | Check test-fire behaviour before continuing the planned ignition |
| 4 | Hold perimeter and monitor smoke | Escaping fire and reduced visibility | High | Patrol control lines and stop lighting if conditions change |
| 5 | Mop up and hand over patrol | Hot spots and falling limbs | High | Check remaining heat and brief the incoming patrol |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your prescribed burns 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 where powered mobile plant is moving
- Work where the air may be contaminated or flammable
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 prescribed burns 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
Prescribed fire crossing control lines as wind changes
Extreme- Prepare control lines and confirm holding resources before ignition
- Stop lighting when conditions leave the burn plan and follow the withdrawal plan
- 2
Burn crew trapped between the ignition line and unburnt fuel
Extreme- Set escape routes and refuge areas before lighting each section
- Keep crew locations known and withdraw before escape routes become threatened
- 3
Smoke obscuring burn patrol routes and nearby road traffic
High- Plan ignition to reduce smoke across escape routes and traffic corridors
- Monitor smoke movement and stop ignition when access or visibility deteriorates
- 4
Burns and ignition while refilling drip torches
High- Refill ignition equipment in a cleared area away from active fire
- Let equipment cool and contain fuel spills before lighting resumes
- 5
Falling burnt limbs along prescribed burn control lines
High- Identify unstable trees and keep crews out of their fall area
- Reassess trees during patrol and use another route where limbs remain unsafe
- 6
Heat exhaustion during prescribed burn holding and mop-up
High- Stage relief crews, drinking water and recovery areas outside smoke
- Rotate strenuous tasks and withdraw anyone showing heat illness signs
- 7
Lost communications between ignition crews and burn control
High- Check radios and backup contact methods before crews spread out
- Stop ignition and account for crews when contact is lost
How the job usually runs
- 1Prepare burn area and resourcesWeak control lines and blocked escape → Check control lines, water, escape routes and refuge areas
- 2Brief crew and check conditionsChanging wind and lost communications → Confirm roles, stop triggers and radio contact
- 3Light test area and assessUnexpected fire behaviour → Check test-fire behaviour before continuing the planned ignition
- 4Hold perimeter and monitor smokeEscaping fire and reduced visibility → Patrol control lines and stop lighting if conditions change
- 5Mop up and hand over patrolHot spots and falling limbs → Check remaining heat and brief the incoming patrol
PPE for this job
- Fire-resistant work clothing
- Wildland firefighting helmet
- Fire-resistant gloves
- Sturdy firefighting boots
- Eye protection
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
Prescribed burns 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 stopping a burn when the wind changes?
Yes. The draft covers weather checks, test-fire observations, stop-lighting triggers and withdrawing crews along planned escape routes when conditions move outside the burn plan.
Can it include mop up and patrol after ignition finishes?
Yes. Describe the holding resources and patrol handover. The draft covers remaining hot spots, unstable burnt trees, crew fatigue and maintaining contact until the burn area is handed over.
How much does a prescribed burns 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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