Bulk fuel tank maintenance with entry SWMS, drafted for your job
A bulk fuel tank can retain flammable or toxic vapours after draining, and an entrant may collapse beyond the reach of someone standing at the opening. Tell us the job and the site: your SWMS is drafted around them, and you check it with the crew 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
Bulk fuel tank maintenance with entry
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work in or near a confined space
- Work where the air may be contaminated or flammable
- Work on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Assess scope and isolate the tank | Incoming product and stored energy | Extreme | Prefer non-entry methods and verify positive isolation of every connection |
| 2 | Drain, ventilate and assess atmosphere | Flammable, toxic or oxygen-deficient air | Extreme | Use a tank specialist and establish continuous monitoring and ventilation |
| 3 | Set rescue and entry arrangements | Entrant collapse beyond reach | Extreme | Test the rescue method and station a dedicated attendant outside |
| 4 | Enter for inspection and cold cleaning | Sludge gas and entrapment | Extreme | Maintain monitoring, communication and a clear exit route |
| 5 | Withdraw, account for crew and close | Entrants remaining during restoration | Extreme | Account for everyone before closing the tank or restoring services |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your bulk fuel tank maintenance with entry 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 in or near a confined space
- Work where the air may be contaminated or flammable
- Work on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines
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 bulk fuel tank maintenance with entry 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
Fuel or process liquid entering the bulk tank while workers are inside
Extreme- Positively isolate connected pipework and secure pumps and valves against operation
- Verify every connection and stored energy source before entry begins
- 2
Oxygen-deficient air inside a drained bulk fuel tank
Extreme- Use non-entry methods where practicable and have the tank atmosphere assessed before entry
- Maintain ventilation and monitor oxygen and relevant gases during occupation
- Keep entrants out or withdraw them if monitoring, ventilation or assessed entry conditions fail
- 3
Residual fuel vapours igniting inside the occupied maintenance tank
Extreme- Remove ignition sources and use equipment suited to the assessed tank atmosphere
- Monitor flammable vapours and stop work if conditions change
- 4
Toxic gas released when fuel tank sludge is disturbed
Extreme- Remove residual liquids and sludge from outside the tank where practicable
- Use the assessed cleaning method and continuous gas monitoring throughout disturbance
- 5
Entrants trapped in residual sludge beneath bulk tank baffles
Extreme- Drain and assess remaining deposits before selecting the internal access route
- Keep workers out of unassessed deposits and maintain a clear path to the opening
- 6
Incapacitated tank entrant beyond the reach of the standby worker
Extreme- Prepare and test a tank-specific rescue arrangement before anyone enters
- Keep a dedicated attendant outside with communication and rescue support ready
- Do not send an unprotected coworker inside to attempt rescue
- 7
Heat strain during internal fuel tank cleaning in protective clothing
High- Plan entry work for cooler conditions and provide recovery outside the tank
- Use agreed work and rest periods and withdraw anyone showing heat illness symptoms
How the job usually runs
- 1Assess scope and isolate the tankIncoming product and stored energy → Prefer non-entry methods and verify positive isolation of every connection
- 2Drain, ventilate and assess atmosphereFlammable, toxic or oxygen-deficient air → Use a tank specialist and establish continuous monitoring and ventilation
- 3Set rescue and entry arrangementsEntrant collapse beyond reach → Test the rescue method and station a dedicated attendant outside
- 4Enter for inspection and cold cleaningSludge gas and entrapment → Maintain monitoring, communication and a clear exit route
- 5Withdraw, account for crew and closeEntrants remaining during restoration → Account for everyone before closing the tank or restoring services
PPE for this job
- Chemical protective clothing
- Product-matched chemical gloves
- Chemical resistant boots
- Safety goggles
- Assessed respiratory protection equipment
- Entry and retrieval harness
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
Bulk fuel tank maintenance with entry 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
Can tank entry start once the fuel has been drained?
No. The draft includes positive isolation, atmosphere assessment, ventilation, continuous monitoring and tested rescue arrangements before entry. Draining alone does not establish that the tank is ready for a worker.
Does this fuel tank entry draft include welding inside?
No. This scope covers inspection and cold cleaning. Hot work changes the ignition hazards and needs a separate assessment and method before it is considered inside a tank.
What if the attendant loses contact with someone inside?
Activate the planned rescue response and stop further entry. The draft includes a dedicated attendant, working communications and a tank-specific retrieval method, with no improvised entry by an unprotected coworker.
How much does a bulk fuel tank maintenance with entry 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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