Gross pollutant trap cleaning SWMS, drafted for your job
Opening a gross pollutant trap exposes deep water, trapped air contaminants and heavy wet rubbish, while stormwater can arrive from outside the crew’s view. 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
Gross pollutant trap cleaning
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work in or near a confined space
- Work in or near water where someone could drown
- Work next to a road, railway or other traffic corridor in use
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Review trap, weather and access | Runoff and live traffic | High | Confirm flow control and establish a protected work area |
| 2 | Barrier opening and lift covers | Open chamber and heavy lids | Extreme | Set barriers first and use mechanical cover lifters |
| 3 | Assess air and remove waste externally | Contaminated air and suction contact | Extreme | Test from outside and keep workers clear of active hose openings |
| 4 | Inspect baskets and internal components | Sharps and unplanned entry | High | Use external tools and stop if internal access needs separate planning |
| 5 | Refit covers and decontaminate equipment | Waste spills and unsecured access | High | Secure lids and contain residues before removing barriers |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your gross pollutant trap cleaning 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 in or near water where someone could drown
- Work next to a road, railway or other traffic corridor in use
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 gross pollutant trap cleaning 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
Stormwater surging into the gross pollutant trap during cleaning
Extreme- Plan cleaning outside runoff events and isolate incoming flows where practicable
- Monitor weather and upstream conditions and withdraw when flow control is lost
- 2
Toxic or oxygen-deficient air beneath gross pollutant trap covers
Extreme- Clean from the surface and keep workers outside the trap where practicable
- Test from outside and arrange separate entry, monitoring and rescue before any internal access
- 3
Workers or pedestrians falling into an open pollutant trap chamber
Extreme- Barrier the chamber before removing covers and provide a stable surface work position
- Keep the opening protected until covers are refitted and secured
- 4
Hands or clothing drawn into the pollutant trap vacuum hose
High- Use hose handles and keep the suction opening away from people
- Stop and isolate suction before clearing blockages or adjusting the hose mouth
- 5
Sharps and contaminated water splashing from pollutant trap debris
High- Use tools or mechanical collection rather than handling concealed waste
- Contain waste and wear splash protection with suitable gloves
- 6
Crushed fingers lifting heavy gross pollutant trap grates and baskets
High- Use the designated lifting points and mechanical cover handling equipment
- Keep hands out of cover seats and support baskets before unhooking
- 7
Service crew struck beside road-mounted pollutant trap access covers
Extreme- Separate the service vehicle and chamber work zone from live traffic
- Keep hoses inside the protected area and provide another pedestrian route
How the job usually runs
- 1Review trap, weather and accessRunoff and live traffic → Confirm flow control and establish a protected work area
- 2Barrier opening and lift coversOpen chamber and heavy lids → Set barriers first and use mechanical cover lifters
- 3Assess air and remove waste externallyContaminated air and suction contact → Test from outside and keep workers clear of active hose openings
- 4Inspect baskets and internal componentsSharps and unplanned entry → Use external tools and stop if internal access needs separate planning
- 5Refit covers and decontaminate equipmentWaste spills and unsecured access → Secure lids and contain residues before removing barriers
PPE for this job
- Waterproof safety boots
- Chemical resistant gloves
- Splash goggles
- Face shield
- Waterproof protective clothing
- High visibility 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
Gross pollutant trap cleaning 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 the draft assume someone climbs into the pollutant trap?
No. It starts with surface cleaning and external inspection. Describe any proposed entry separately so atmosphere assessment, isolation, an attendant and rescue arrangements are planned before anyone enters.
What if rain starts while the trap is being cleaned?
Stop and reassess incoming flow and upstream conditions. The draft includes withdrawal when flow control is lost, with workers kept outside the chamber and access protected until cleaning can resume.
How much does a gross pollutant trap cleaning 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.
Related
Related SWMS
