Irrigation installation SWMS, drafted for your job
Irrigation work digs and drills along gardens where power, water and data lines run shallow, then pressurises the new pipework beside open trenches. Describe the job and the site: your SWMS is drafted around them, and you check it 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
Irrigation installation
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Locate and mark services | Buried power and water lines | Extreme | Get plans, mark services and pothole first |
| 2 | Trench and bore the runs | Collapsing faces and machine pinch | High | Support deep faces and keep clear of the trencher |
| 3 | Lay and join the pipework | Solvent fumes in the trench | Medium | Join in the open and ventilate the work area |
| 4 | Wire valves and the controller | Electrical connections near water | Medium | Isolate supply and keep connections above flood level |
| 5 | Test, flush and backfill | Burst joints and open holes | High | Pressure up slowly and backfill before leaving |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your irrigation 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 where powered mobile plant is moving
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 irrigation 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
Trenching or boring into buried power, water or data services
Extreme- Locate and mark services and dig carefully near known lines
- Pothole by hand where positions are uncertain before machine digging
- 2
Trench sides collapsing while pipe is laid or joined
High- Keep trenches shallow or support deeper sections before anyone enters
- Keep spoil and loads back from the edge and provide ladder access in deep trenches
- 3
Irrigation pipe or fittings bursting under test pressure
High- Pressurise gradually and keep people clear of the line during testing
- Release pressure before tightening or remaking a joint
- 4
Primer and solvent cement fumes in trenches and valve pits
Medium- Join pipe in the open where possible and keep the area ventilated
- Close containers and keep solvents away from ignition sources
- 5
People stepping into open trenches and valve holes
Medium- Barrier or cover open excavations and keep spoil tidy
- Backfill or plate trenches before leaving the site
- 6
Trencher chain or boring head catching clothing or hands
High- Keep guards on the trencher and people clear of the digging line
- Isolate the machine before clearing the chain or digging head
How the job usually runs
- 1Locate and mark servicesBuried power and water lines → Get plans, mark services and pothole first
- 2Trench and bore the runsCollapsing faces and machine pinch → Support deep faces and keep clear of the trencher
- 3Lay and join the pipeworkSolvent fumes in the trench → Join in the open and ventilate the work area
- 4Wire valves and the controllerElectrical connections near water → Isolate supply and keep connections above flood level
- 5Test, flush and backfillBurst joints and open holes → Pressure up slowly and backfill before leaving
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Handling gloves
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection at the trencher
- Sun protection
- Respirator for solvent work in pits
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
Irrigation 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
How are buried services handled in the draft?
From the plans and marks you describe — the draft covers locating, marking, potholing by hand near services and keeping machine digging out of marked zones.
Does this cover drip and sprinkler systems?
Yes, name the system and the pipe sizes. The hazards stay the same; the draft covers trenching, joining, testing and controller wiring for whichever system you install.
What goes in for pressure testing?
The supply and the test method — include gradual pressurisation, keeping people clear of the line and depressurising before remaking a joint.
How much does a irrigation 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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