Working in, over or beside water SWMS, drafted for your job
Construction beside or over water exposes workers to slippery edges, changing currents and a fall that can become a drowning emergency before help arrives. Describe the work and the site: your SWMS is drafted around them, then you check the controls on site 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
Working in, over or beside water
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work in or near water where someone could drown
- Work where someone could fall from height
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Assess water and access | Current changes and submerged obstructions | High | Check conditions, escape routes and the need to enter water |
| 2 | Protect waterside work area | Falls from banks or platforms | High | Install barriers and secure slip resistant access |
| 3 | Prepare flotation and rescue | Delayed recovery from water | Extreme | Fit flotation and rehearse recovery with the rescue observer |
| 4 | Carry out waterside task | Changing tide and footing | High | Monitor conditions and stop before access deteriorates |
| 5 | Withdraw and pack equipment | Unprotected access during removal | High | Keep edge protection until workers and tools are clear |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your working in, over or beside water 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 water where someone could drown
- Work where someone could fall from height
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 working in, over or beside water 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
Worker falls from an unprotected bank into deep water
Extreme- Move work back from the edge or install barriers and guarded access platforms
- Wear flotation suited to the water conditions where a fall into water remains possible
- 2
Rising tide or current cuts off waterside work access
High- Check tides, weather, upstream releases and escape routes before setting the work position
- Monitor conditions during work and withdraw before access or rescue becomes difficult
- 3
Algae and spray make waterside platforms slippery underfoot
High- Use secured platforms with slip-resistant surfaces and clear guarded walkways
- Remove algae and loose material; stop using access that waves or spray make unsafe
- 4
Person in water cannot reach the planned recovery point
Extreme- Set up reachable recovery equipment and assign a rescue observer before work starts
- Rehearse the rescue approach without entering danger; keep communication with the rescue team
- 5
Cold water immersion incapacitates a worker after a fall
High- Select flotation and protective clothing for the expected immersion conditions
- Keep dry clothing and shelter ready; arrange medical help after immersion
- 6
Worker wading near the bank becomes caught on submerged debris
High- Use shore-based tools or a guarded platform instead of entering unknown water
- Assess footing, current and hidden obstructions before any planned entry; use a dedicated observer
How the job usually runs
- 1Assess water and accessCurrent changes and submerged obstructions → Check conditions, escape routes and the need to enter water
- 2Protect waterside work areaFalls from banks or platforms → Install barriers and secure slip resistant access
- 3Prepare flotation and rescueDelayed recovery from water → Fit flotation and rehearse recovery with the rescue observer
- 4Carry out waterside taskChanging tide and footing → Monitor conditions and stop before access deteriorates
- 5Withdraw and pack equipmentUnprotected access during removal → Keep edge protection until workers and tools are clear
PPE for this job
- Flotation suited to the conditions
- Slip-resistant safety footwear
- Weather-protective clothing
- Safety helmet with chin strap
- Handling gloves
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
Working in, over or beside water 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
What rescue details belong in the water work draft?
The recovery point, rescue equipment, observer, communications and how help will reach the site — check that a person in the water can actually be recovered using that arrangement before work starts.
Can this cover work from a waterside platform?
Yes — describe the platform, its access, edge protection and the water below. Include tide, current, vessel movement and weather where they affect the work, plus the recovery route if someone falls.
How much does a working in, over or beside water 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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