Landscape planting SWMS, drafted for your job
Planting combines heavy rootballs and open holes with soil products that release dust when opened, often beside finished paths and buried irrigation. Tell us the job and site conditions so your SWMS reflects the work; check the draft 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
Landscape planting
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Inspect beds and plant stock | Buried services and hidden wildlife | High | Locate services and check pots before handling |
| 2 | Prepare planting holes | Rotating auger and open holes | High | Separate the digging area and barrier unattended holes |
| 3 | Place trees and shrubs | Heavy rootballs and thorns | High | Use lifting aids and keep people clear of landing points |
| 4 | Backfill and mulch | Soil product dust | High | Dampen mix and use controlled bag opening |
| 5 | Stake and water plants | Protruding stakes and wet paths | High | Cap stakes and clear access routes before handover |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your landscape planting 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
High-risk work on this job
This task is not usually high-risk construction work. If your job involves any category, tick it when you start and the SWMS covers it.
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 landscape planting 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
Back strain lowering heavy rootballs into planting holes
Medium- Use lifting equipment suited to the rootball and stage plants near the hole
- Keep hands away from the rootball landing area and coordinate team handling
- 2
Auger strikes on services beneath planting beds
High- Locate buried services and irrigation before setting out planting holes
- Expose uncertain crossings without mechanical digging before using an auger
- 3
Potting mix dust released from bags beside planting beds
Medium- Dampen bagged mix and open bags close to the planting surface
- Keep faces clear of the opening and wear selected respiratory protection
- 4
Snake and spider encounters in stacked nursery stock
High- Inspect pots and plant trays with tools before moving them
- Keep hands out of hidden spaces and isolate stock where wildlife is found
- 5
Eye injuries from stakes and thorny planting stock
Medium- Select handling routes that keep thorny branches away from faces
- Cap exposed stakes and wear eye protection when positioning branches
- 6
People stepping into unfilled landscape planting holes
Medium- Barrier open planting holes and keep access paths clear of pots and spoil
- Backfill completed plantings before opening the next section to pedestrians
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect beds and plant stockBuried services and hidden wildlife → Locate services and check pots before handling
- 2Prepare planting holesRotating auger and open holes → Separate the digging area and barrier unattended holes
- 3Place trees and shrubsHeavy rootballs and thorns → Use lifting aids and keep people clear of landing points
- 4Backfill and mulchSoil product dust → Dampen mix and use controlled bag opening
- 5Stake and water plantsProtruding stakes and wet paths → Cap stakes and clear access routes before handover
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Work gloves
- Safety glasses
- Particulate respirator
- 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
Landscape planting 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 large trees with heavy rootballs?
Yes. Describe the tree size, delivery route and lifting method. The draft covers mechanical handling, supported landing areas and keeping hands clear while each rootball is placed.
Can planting be done around existing irrigation lines?
Yes. Include known irrigation and other buried services. The draft covers locating lines before digging and using a suitable non-destructive method where the planting position crosses an uncertain service route.
How much does a landscape planting 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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