Height access equipment SWMS, drafted for your job
Height access equipment can become unstable when assembled on weak ground, loaded with materials or moved before workers have climbed down. 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
Height access equipment
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where someone could fall from height
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Choose the access method | Overreach and unsuitable equipment | High | Match platform reach and support needs to the task |
| 2 | Inspect components and ground | Damaged parts and weak support | High | Remove defective parts and check the supporting surface |
| 3 | Assemble and check the platform | Missing braces and unguarded edges | High | Fit braces, locks, guardrails and protected access |
| 4 | Use the working platform | Overloading and leaning outside rails | High | Keep loads controlled and work within the protected area |
| 5 | Descend and reposition equipment | Movement with workers aboard | High | Clear the platform and reset brakes before climbing again |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your height access equipment 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 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 height access equipment 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
Overreaching from a podium too short for the installation
High- Choose access equipment that positions the whole task inside the protected working area
- Move the equipment or change the method when the work cannot be reached from the platform
- 2
Access tower sinking on soft ground or fragile floor covers
High- Check the supporting surface and use the maker’s base and stabiliser arrangement
- Keep bases clear of voids and stop if the equipment settles or tilts
- 3
Platform collapse from missing tower braces or locking pins
High- Assemble matching components using the maker’s sequence and fit every brace and lock
- Inspect the assembled equipment before use and remove damaged components from service
- 4
Falls through an open access gate or missing platform guardrail
Extreme- Fit guardrails and a protected access opening before releasing the platform for use
- Keep the gate shut and use the intended internal access route
- 5
Platform failure from stockpiled materials and heavy tools
High- Keep bulk materials off the platform and use a separate material handling arrangement
- Check the equipment’s load marking and include people, tools and materials in the load
- 6
Workers falling when an access tower is moved while occupied
High- Have workers descend and remove loose materials before repositioning the tower
- Move on a clear suitable route and reset brakes and stabilisers before anyone climbs
How the job usually runs
- 1Choose the access methodOverreach and unsuitable equipment → Match platform reach and support needs to the task
- 2Inspect components and groundDamaged parts and weak support → Remove defective parts and check the supporting surface
- 3Assemble and check the platformMissing braces and unguarded edges → Fit braces, locks, guardrails and protected access
- 4Use the working platformOverloading and leaning outside rails → Keep loads controlled and work within the protected area
- 5Descend and reposition equipmentMovement with workers aboard → Clear the platform and reset brakes before climbing again
- 6Dismantle and store componentsFalling parts during removal → Follow the removal sequence and keep people clear below
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Grip gloves
- Safety glasses
- Hard hat suited to overhead exposure
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
Height access equipment 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 this cover podiums and mobile access towers?
Yes. Describe the equipment and work surface. The draft covers selection, matching components, assembly, guardrails, load control, access and repositioning after workers have descended.
Can the tower be moved with someone on the platform?
No. The draft covers climbing down, removing loose materials, checking the travel route and resetting brakes and stabilisers before anyone climbs back onto the platform.
How much does a height access equipment 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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