SAFE WORK METHOD

STATEMENT

Excavation SWMS
Work involving worksite setup, tools & equipment, completing excavation and trenching permits, allocating maintenance personnel, defining work area, checking for existing services,
assessing type of ground to be excavated, working in the vicinity of mobile plant, fall prevention, access & egress, confined spaces, and backfilling.

Company Name: Approval Date: Click or tap to enter a date.

Organisational

Company Address: Next Review Date: Click or tap to enter a date.

Details

Director / Manager Name: Contact Number:

Type of SWMS: Generic (multiple projects, jobs, or work requests) ☐ Site specific (complete section below) ☐

n/a n/a
Principle Contractor: Contact Number:
Site Specific

☐ ☐
Details

n/a n/a
Site Manager or Supervisor Name:
☐ ☐
Other PCBU’s:
n/a n/a
Site Address:
☐ ☐
What high risk work activities are
Work in or near a shaft or trench deeper than 1.5m or a tunnel
covered by this SWMS?
SWMS Details

What is the scope of the works? Scope of work includes the physical work of installing, maintaining, repairing, altering, removing, or adding to an electrical installation.

Who else was consulted/involved

Workers / employees ☐ Principle Contractor ☐ NECA ☐
in preparing this SWMS?

Additional compliance measures: Pre-start Hazard Risk Assessment ☐ Toolbox Talk ☐ Workplace Safety Inspection ☐

Person responsible for ensuring

compliance with SWMS:
Sign off

Contact Number: Responsible persons signature:

Date: Click or tap to enter a date.

Document Reference Number: PRIM-A-O-HR-108 The National Electrical and Communications Association, its employees, officers, and agents do not accept any liability for the results of any
Document Name: Excavation SWMS action taken or omission made in reliance upon, based on or in connection with this SWMS. To the extent legally possible, the National
NECA Version: 6 (2021) Electrical and Communications Association, its employees, officers, and agents refuse all liability arising by any breach of any duty in tort
Page: Page 1 of 3 (including negligent misstatement) or as a result of any errors or omissions contained in this document or use of this document.
 SAFE WORK METHOD
STATEMENT

General Planning
Identify each task Specify the hazards you What are the risks to
Describe your control measures, list as many as possible.
in order have identified. health and safety?

Setup of worksite &  Non-Compliance with  Injury and/or death Use this Safe Work Method Statement in conjunction with any other relevant Safe Work
using tools and site safety rules Method Statement.
equipment
Complete an Excavation  Failure to complete risk Complete an Excavation & Trenching Permit.
& Trenching permit assessment

Allocate maintenance  Personnel unfamiliar  Injury and/or death  A competent person must be designated as the Supervisor where the depth of any
personnel for the job. with environment and excavation exceeds 1.5 metre or where the excavation is deemed as a high risk. The
associated hazards. designated Supervisor must be capable of identifying conditions that may result in
cave-ins, hazardous atmospheres, confined spaces and other control failures and must
have the authority to act on such issues appropriately. The Supervisor must conduct
regular reviews and inspections of the excavation as deemed as necessary by the site
risk assessment/toolbox.
 No person is to ever work alone on an excavation job if the job is ranked as a medium
or high risk.
 Pre-start toolbox talk/risk assessment completed covering site evacuation, excavation
emergency response and any other site-specific hazards. Be aware of prevailing
weather conditions. Implement measures to prevent polluted water runoff entering
watercourses.
 B Type first aid kit present
 MSDS’s for all chemical present
Define the work area  Unauthorised personnel  Cuts & abrasions.  Define work area and secure area using mesh barricades and signs to ensure that
entering work area.  Injury and/or death of there is no means of access to the excavation area.
 Trips, falls, potential non-workers  Secure all tools and equipment at all times when not in use.
injury of non-workers.  Establish a method for persons to access and egress the excavation area.
 Ensure personnel protective equipment (PPE) is worn, hardhat and steel cap boots a
minimum. Orderly storage of equipment and waste at all times.

Document Reference Number: PRIM-A-O-HR-108 The National Electrical and Communications Association, its employees, officers, and agents do not accept any liability for the results of any
Document Name: Excavation SWMS action taken or omission made in reliance upon, based on or in connection with this SWMS. To the extent legally possible, the National
NECA Version: 6 (2021) Electrical and Communications Association, its employees, officers, and agents refuse all liability arising by any breach of any duty in tort
Page: Page 2 of 3 (including negligent misstatement) or as a result of any errors or omissions contained in this document or use of this document.
 SAFE WORK METHOD
STATEMENT

SWMS Employee Sign off

This SWMS has been developed in consultation and has been read, understood, and signed by all workers undertaking the scope of works:

Print Names: Signatures: Dates:

Document Reference Number: PRIM-A-O-HR-108 The National Electrical and Communications Association, its employees, officers, and agents do not accept any liability for the results of any
Document Name: Excavation SWMS action taken or omission made in reliance upon, based on or in connection with this SWMS. To the extent legally possible, the National
NECA Version: 6 (2021) Electrical and Communications Association, its employees, officers, and agents refuse all liability arising by any breach of any duty in tort
Page: Page 3 of 3 (including negligent misstatement) or as a result of any errors or omissions contained in this document or use of this document.