Working near overhead electric lines SWMS, drafted for your job
Overhead power lines can energise plant, long materials and the ground around them; line sag, boom swing and a poor viewing angle can defeat an assumed gap. Describe the job and site so your SWMS is drafted around them, then check the controls 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
Working near overhead electric lines
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work on or near energised electrical installations
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Identify overhead electrical assets | Unknown lines and assumed insulation | Extreme | Confirm the asset and discuss isolation or relocation with its operator |
| 2 | Plan the work envelope | Line sag and long material reach | Extreme | Account for plant, loads and conductor movement when setting zones |
| 3 | Set barriers and observer positions | Blind approaches to the line zone | Extreme | Mark movement restrictions and test stop signals before plant enters |
| 4 | Work near the marked zone | Unplanned boom or load movement | Extreme | Keep the observer’s view clear and stop for uncertain separation |
| 5 | Respond to suspected contact | Energised plant and surrounding ground | Extreme | Keep clear and call emergency services and the network operator |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your working near overhead electric lines 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 on or near energised electrical installations
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
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 working near overhead electric lines 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
Raised booms and tipper bodies contacting overhead electric lines
Extreme- Relocate the work away from lines or arrange isolation with the network operator
- Set physical movement restrictions and mark the electrical exclusion zone before plant enters
- 2
Scaffold tubes and reinforcing bars bridging into overhead conductors
Extreme- Use a delivery and assembly area outside the electrical exclusion zone
- Plan carrying routes and keep long items controlled by the handling crew
- 3
Conductor sag and wind movement closing the gap above working plant
Extreme- Plan the work envelope for line and plant movement with the network operator
- Stop when weather or site changes make the established separation uncertain
- 4
Plant entering the line zone when the observer loses sight
Extreme- Position a dedicated observer with a clear view of the plant and lines
- Use agreed stop signals and halt movement if visibility or communication is lost
- 5
Workers treating covered overhead conductors as touch-safe cables
Extreme- Treat overhead conductors as energised unless isolation has been confirmed
- Keep tools and materials outside the established zone even where lines appear covered
- 6
Ground workers approaching plant energised by overhead line contact
Extreme- Keep everyone away from the plant and surrounding ground after suspected contact
- Call emergency services and the network operator and follow their isolation and evacuation directions
How the job usually runs
- 1Identify overhead electrical assetsUnknown lines and assumed insulation → Confirm the asset and discuss isolation or relocation with its operator
- 2Plan the work envelopeLine sag and long material reach → Account for plant, loads and conductor movement when setting zones
- 3Set barriers and observer positionsBlind approaches to the line zone → Mark movement restrictions and test stop signals before plant enters
- 4Work near the marked zoneUnplanned boom or load movement → Keep the observer’s view clear and stop for uncertain separation
- 5Respond to suspected contactEnergised plant and surrounding ground → Keep clear and call emergency services and the network operator
PPE for this job
- Safety helmet
- Safety boots
- High-visibility clothing
- Task eye protection
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
Working near overhead electric lines 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 covered overhead lines be treated as safe to touch?
Treat them as energised unless the network operator has confirmed isolation. Their appearance does not establish protection for the work, so keep plant, tools and carried materials outside the zone set for the job.
What if the observer loses sight of the boom or lines?
Stop the plant movement and restore a clear view before continuing. Agree the observer position, communication method and stop signal during planning so the operator has a clear response when visibility changes.
How much does a working near overhead electric lines 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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