Working on suspended powered scaffolds SWMS, drafted for your job
A suspended cradle can tilt or stop between levels while occupants handle facade tools and materials, leaving the crew dependent on sound suspension, independent fall protection and a workable rescue plan. Tell us the job and the site: your SWMS is drafted around them, and you check it with the crew 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 on suspended powered scaffolds
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where someone could fall from height
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Inspect handover and suspension | Damaged ropes or altered supports | Extreme | Check the handover and visible components before use |
| 2 | Connect fall protection and board | Unprotected transfer into the cradle | Extreme | Use the designated independent system before entering the platform |
| 3 | Load and test cradle controls | Uneven load and faulty hoists | High | Balance the load and test controls at the landing area |
| 4 | Travel and work along the facade | Snags, tilt and changing wind | High | Watch the travel path and stop when control is lost |
| 5 | Land, isolate and secure the cradle | Uncontrolled access after work | High | Land in the planned position and secure controls against use |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your working on suspended powered scaffolds 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 working on suspended powered scaffolds 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
Suspended cradle falling after rope or suspension support failure
Extreme- Check the scaffold handover and inspect visible ropes, supports and connections before boarding
- Take the cradle out of use if damage or changed suspension conditions are found
- 2
Workers sliding as the powered cradle tilts under uneven loads
Extreme- Distribute people and materials within the cradle’s planned load arrangement
- Check levelling and stop movement if the platform tilts unexpectedly
- 3
Falls from the suspended cradle with fall protection clipped to the wrong point
Extreme- Use the designated independent fall protection arrangement before entering the cradle
- Check harness fit and connections with another crew member
- 4
Occupants stranded when a suspended scaffold hoist stops between levels
High- Prepare and practise the planned lowering and rescue arrangements before use
- Keep rescue access and communication available and do not improvise rope descents
- 5
Cradle snagging on facade projections while travelling between work levels
High- Inspect the travel path and secure loose leads and hoses inside the platform
- Move with clear observation and stop before the cradle contacts projections
- 6
Suspended scaffold swinging away from the facade in changing wind
High- Plan work around forecast conditions and the equipment’s operating instructions
- Lower to the landing area when wind prevents controlled work or travel
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect handover and suspensionDamaged ropes or altered supports → Check the handover and visible components before use
- 2Connect fall protection and boardUnprotected transfer into the cradle → Use the designated independent system before entering the platform
- 3Load and test cradle controlsUneven load and faulty hoists → Balance the load and test controls at the landing area
- 4Travel and work along the facadeSnags, tilt and changing wind → Watch the travel path and stop when control is lost
- 5Land, isolate and secure the cradleUncontrolled access after work → Land in the planned position and secure controls against use
PPE for this job
- Full body harness
- Independent fall protection equipment
- Head protection with chin strap
- Safety boots
- Safety glasses
- Handling 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
Working on suspended powered scaffolds 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 erecting the suspended scaffold as well as using it?
No. The draft covers working from a handed-over system, including inspection, boarding, load balance and travel. Erection or changes to suspension need the separate suspended scaffold erection task.
What if one hoist stops while the cradle is between floors?
Stop work and use the planned lowering or rescue arrangement. The draft includes testing controls and confirming communications before boarding, with the cradle taken out of use until the fault has been assessed.
How much does a working on suspended powered scaffolds 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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