Ladders SWMS, drafted for your job
A fall from even a couple of rungs can put a worker off the job for months, and ladders get grabbed for tasks they were never meant for. Tell us the tasks 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
Ladders
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where someone could fall from height
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Pick the right ladder | Wrong type or reach | Medium | Match ladder to the task and the height |
| 2 | Inspect before use | Damaged stiles or feet | Medium | Check rails, rungs, feet, locks; tag out faults |
| 3 | Set footing and secure | Slip out; sideways slide | High | Firm level base; tie off or foot it |
| 4 | Climb and do the task | Overreach; hands full | High | Three points of contact; buckle inside the stiles |
| 5 | Come down and stow it | Falls descending; poor storage | Low | Face the ladder down; rack it clean and dry |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your ladders 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 ladders 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
Ladder feet slipping out on smooth, wet or dusty floors
High- Clean and level the footing and use non-slip feet or a mat
- Tie the ladder at the top or have a second person foot it
- Set the base out at a working lean and check it before climbing
- 2
Top of the ladder sliding sideways off its support
High- Tie it off at the top or fit a ladder stay
- Rest the top on solid bearing, never gutters, glazing or cables
- 3
Overreaching sideways so the ladder tips over
High- Keep your belt buckle inside the stiles; climb down and move the ladder
- Position the ladder so the task sits square in front of you
- 4
Standing on the top step or top cap to reach the work
High- Pick a ladder that puts the task between chest and knee height
- Never stand on the top cap, top step or rear side of a step ladder
- 5
Carrying tools up so hands come off the ladder
Medium- Three points of contact climbing; tools go up in a belt or on a rope
- Never carry a load that stops you holding the stiles
- 6
Damaged or worn ladder failing under the worker
Medium- Check stiles, rungs, feet and locks before each use
- Tag a damaged ladder out of the pool instead of working around it
- 7
Ladder kicked or walked into while someone is on it
Medium- Spread legs fully and lock the spreaders before climbing a step ladder
- Barricade or spot where doors, plant or foot traffic can hit it
How the job usually runs
- 1Pick the right ladderWrong type or reach → Match ladder to the task and the height
- 2Inspect before useDamaged stiles or feet → Check rails, rungs, feet, locks; tag out faults
- 3Set footing and secureSlip out; sideways slide → Firm level base; tie off or foot it
- 4Climb and do the taskOverreach; hands full → Three points of contact; buckle inside the stiles
- 5Come down and stow itFalls descending; poor storage → Face the ladder down; rack it clean and dry
PPE for this job
- Safety boots with grip soles
- Hard hat for outdoor ladder work
- High-vis shirt or vest
- Tool belt or pouch
- Work 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
Ladders 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 SWMS cover step ladders and extension ladders?
Yes. Say which ladders are on the job and the draft covers both — spreaders locked and never on the top step for step ladders, lean and tie-off for extensions, and three-point contact for all of them.
When is a ladder the wrong choice for the task?
When the task needs two hands, a long reach or a long stint, or the ladder cannot land firm and level. The draft starts with that check and points the crew at a scaffold or platform instead.
Can one SWMS cover ladders used at different spots on one site?
Yes. Describe the tasks and the setup steps apply each time — inspect, set the footing, secure the top, climb properly. It is still one job and one SWMS.
How much does a ladders 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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