Mobile scaffold SWMS, drafted for your job
A mobile scaffold can overturn on a slope, at a floor opening or during a move with someone aboard. Missing braces and unlocked castors weaken the setup. Describe the tower and work area so your draft covers assembly, use and movement, then check it 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
Mobile scaffold
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where someone could fall from height
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Check ground and overhead | Slopes, holes and lines | High | Firm level route; check clearance first |
| 2 | Assemble and brace the frame | Missing braces and loose parts | High | Build per the sequence; inspect each level |
| 3 | Fit deck, rails and access | Open edges and bad access | High | Internal ladder; full edge protection |
| 4 | Inspect and tag the tower | Unchecked frame in use | Medium | Inspect before first use; tag it |
| 5 | Work from the platform | Overload and unlocked castors | High | Lock castors; spread the load |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your mobile scaffold 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 mobile scaffold 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
Tower tipping when moved with a worker aboard
High- Clear people, tools and materials off the platform before moving
- Push the tower at base level along a checked, clear route
- 2
Tower toppling on soft, sloping or holed ground
High- Choose firm level ground able to support the tower and fit stabilisers as the maker specifies
- Use the maker's castor and levelling arrangement; choose another access method on unsuitable ground
- 3
Frame incomplete with missing braces or rails
High- Assemble in the maker's sequence and check every brace and clip
- Inspect the finished tower and tag it before first use
- 4
Castors unlocked while a worker is on the platform
High- Lock every castor before anyone climbs
- Recheck the locks each time the tower has been moved
- 5
Platform overloaded with people and materials
High- Keep the deck within its stated loading for workers, tools and stock
- Spread loads across the platform and keep bulk off the edge
- 6
Falls climbing the outside of the frame
High- Use the built-in access inside the tower, never the outside braces
- Fit edge protection at each level before it is used
- 7
Tower or worker contacting overhead lines
High- Check overhead clearance before assembly and before every move
- Keep the tower clear of the line exclusion or arrange isolation
- 8
Worker falling through the gap between tower and wall
High- Fit complete platform edge protection, including the work face unless the tower design provides another arrangement
- Do not bridge gaps with loose boards; use components and configurations specified for the tower
How the job usually runs
- 1Check ground and overheadSlopes, holes and lines → Firm level route; check clearance first
- 2Assemble and brace the frameMissing braces and loose parts → Build per the sequence; inspect each level
- 3Fit deck, rails and accessOpen edges and bad access → Internal ladder; full edge protection
- 4Inspect and tag the towerUnchecked frame in use → Inspect before first use; tag it
- 5Work from the platformOverload and unlocked castors → Lock castors; spread the load
- 6Clear, move and re-checkTip-over on the move → Platform empty; push at base; re-inspect
PPE for this job
- Safety helmet with chin strap
- Safety boots
- Work gloves
- High-visibility clothing
- Safety glasses
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
Mobile scaffold 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
Can the tower be moved with tools on the platform?
No. Clear everyone and everything off first, push it at base level along a checked route, then re-inspect before climbing. The draft covers this sequence for every move.
Does it cover working near overhead lines?
Yes. Describe the lines nearby. The draft covers checking clearance before assembly and before every move, and keeping the tower out of the line exclusion.
Who checks the tower before it is used?
The person assembling it inspects each level as it goes up, then the finished tower is checked and tagged before first use and after every change or move.
How much does a mobile scaffold 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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