Water feature installation SWMS, drafted for your job
Pond excavations, heavy feature stones and pump cables bring water, lifting and electrical hazards into the same small work area. Tell us the feature, excavator and 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
Water feature installation
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
- Work in or near water where someone could drown
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Set out pond and services | Buried services and excavator movements | High | Locate services and separate excavation from public access |
| 2 | Excavate and secure edges | Ground failure and open pond edges | High | Keep spoil clear and fence the excavation |
| 3 | Install liner and feature stones | Stone crush points and coating exposure | High | Mechanically place stones and control coating contact |
| 4 | Connect pumps and lighting | Water beside electrical connections | Extreme | Keep supplies isolated until electrical installation is tested |
| 5 | Fill and test the feature | Drowning exposure and wet access | High | Maintain barriers and test from a stable dry position |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your water feature 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
- Work in or near water where someone could drown
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 water feature 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
Excavator swing beside pond edges and landscape access paths
High- Separate excavator travel and swing from workers and visitors
- Check excavator safety features and use a spotter where visibility is restricted
- 2
Falls into pond excavations and partly filled water features
High- Fence the excavation and keep access gates closed
- Arrange a rescue method before filling where water presents a drowning risk
- 3
Crushing beneath feature stones during waterfall placement
High- Use lifting equipment and supports suited to the stone shape
- Keep hands out of bedding gaps and exclude people beneath stones
- 4
Electric shock from pond pumps and submerged lighting cables
Extreme- Isolate pump and lighting supplies before reaching into the feature
- Have an electrician connect and test electrical equipment before filling
- 5
Vapours and skin contact applying pond sealers and coatings
High- Choose lower hazard products suited to the liner and feature
- Provide ventilation and use gloves selected from the product instructions
- 6
Slips on wet rockwork during fountain flow adjustments
Medium- Provide a stable access platform rather than standing on feature stones
- Stop the pump and drain the work area before adjustments
How the job usually runs
- 1Set out pond and servicesBuried services and excavator movements → Locate services and separate excavation from public access
- 2Excavate and secure edgesGround failure and open pond edges → Keep spoil clear and fence the excavation
- 3Install liner and feature stonesStone crush points and coating exposure → Mechanically place stones and control coating contact
- 4Connect pumps and lightingWater beside electrical connections → Keep supplies isolated until electrical installation is tested
- 5Fill and test the featureDrowning exposure and wet access → Maintain barriers and test from a stable dry position
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Work gloves
- Safety glasses
- Chemical-resistant gloves for coatings
- Safety helmet
- Sun 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
Water feature 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 ponds with pumps and underwater lights?
Yes. Describe the pump, lighting and water supply arrangements. The draft covers isolation, electrical work coordination and controlled filling before the feature is tested and handed over.
Can the draft include placing rocks with an excavator?
Yes. Tell us the rock sizes, lifting attachment and access conditions. The draft covers plant separation, supported placement and keeping workers outside the stone’s drop and crush zones.
How much does a water feature 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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