Concrete sawing and core drilling SWMS, drafted for your job
Concrete sawing and core drilling can strike hidden services or reinforcement, release silica dust and drop a heavy core into the room below. Tell us 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
Concrete sawing and core drilling
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Locate and mark the cuts | Hidden services and structural damage | High | Scan the area and confirm cut locations before drilling |
| 2 | Set barriers and equipment | People below and unsecured rigs | High | Protect the receiving area and fix the rig securely |
| 3 | Saw or core the concrete | Silica and blade binding | High | Use source dust control and support cut sections |
| 4 | Complete the breakthrough | Falling core and rotating barrel | High | Catch the core and isolate before removing it |
| 5 | Collect slurry and pack equipment | Wet leads and slippery access | Medium | Contain slurry and keep electrical connections dry |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your concrete sawing and core drilling 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
High-risk work on this job
This task is not usually high-risk construction work. If your job involves any category, tick it when you start and the SWMS covers it.
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 concrete sawing and core drilling 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
Saw blade or core barrel striking concealed electrical services
Extreme- Locate services and confirm isolation before fixing a rig or starting a cut
- Mark the cutting area and stop if the actual construction differs from the scan
- 2
Silica dust from concrete saw cuts and dry core drilling
High- Use wet cutting or on-tool extraction suited to the equipment and work area
- Keep others outside the dust zone and use respiratory protection selected for the exposure
- 3
Saw kickback when the concrete kerf closes on the blade
High- Support the cut section and choose a cutting sequence that avoids pinching the blade
- Keep guards fitted and stop if the blade binds or the saw changes behaviour
- 4
Core drill rig pulling loose as the barrel binds
High- Secure the rig using the maker’s fixing method and check the substrate
- Keep clear of the rotating barrel and isolate the drill before freeing a jam
- 5
Concrete core dropping onto people beneath the drilling point
High- Barrier the area below and provide a core catching or support arrangement
- Confirm the receiving area is clear before the final breakthrough
- 6
Slurry reaching electrical connections around the saw station
High- Contain slurry at the cut and keep electrical connections out of wet areas
- Use wet-work equipment and collect slurry before it reaches walkways or drains
How the job usually runs
- 1Locate and mark the cutsHidden services and structural damage → Scan the area and confirm cut locations before drilling
- 2Set barriers and equipmentPeople below and unsecured rigs → Protect the receiving area and fix the rig securely
- 3Saw or core the concreteSilica and blade binding → Use source dust control and support cut sections
- 4Complete the breakthroughFalling core and rotating barrel → Catch the core and isolate before removing it
- 5Collect slurry and pack equipmentWet leads and slippery access → Contain slurry and keep electrical connections dry
PPE for this job
- Respiratory protection for silica dust
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Safety boots
- Waterproof gloves for slurry handling
- Face shield for cutting work
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
Concrete sawing and core drilling 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 cover wall sawing and floor core drilling?
Yes. Describe the surface, equipment and what is behind or below it. The draft covers locating services, fixing rigs, dust control, cut support and protecting the breakthrough area.
What happens to the core when the drill breaks through?
The draft includes a support or catching arrangement and an exclusion area below. Tell us where the core will emerge so its removal can be planned before drilling starts.
How much does a concrete sawing and core drilling 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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