Agriculture & Farming
WHS Documents
Safety paperwork for your farm, sorted.

The WHS laws require you to manage risks, consult your workers, train and supervise them, and keep certain records. They don't require one particular document set for every business. A documented system is the practical way to show you're doing that, to your workers, an inspector or your insurer. A WHS management system puts all of that in one place.

Under the WHS Regulations, a SWMS is legally required for high risk construction work. Most farming work isn't construction work, so a SWMS isn't legally required for it. You still need to identify hazards and control the risks, and a SWMS is a practical way to record that for a task, in the same way as a JSA or risk assessment. Many farming businesses use them because clients and prequalification platforms ask for a SWMS by name. The SWMS penalties in the WHS Regulations only apply to high risk construction work.

Either works. A SWMS and a JSA record the same thing for a task: the steps, the hazards and the controls. The WHS Management System includes SWMS. If you, your clients or auditors prefer the JSA format, the Ultimate Agriculture & Farming Risk Assessment/JSA Bundle has your tasks in that format. It's sold separately.

They involve the same thinking: break the task into steps, identify the hazards and set the controls. The difference is legal status. A SWMS is legally required for high risk construction work. Outside that, many businesses use the SWMS format anyway because clients and prequalification platforms ask for it by name.

Our customers use them for prequalification on Avetta, Cm3 and similar platforms. If a client or platform asks for changes within 12 months of purchase, we'll revise your WHS manual or SWMS free until they're accepted.

Yes. The manual comes in a WHS edition for all other states and territories and an OHS edition written for the Victorian OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017. Each SWMS also comes with a list of the Acts, regulations and codes of practice for every state and territory, including Victoria, so you can insert the references that apply where you work.

No. The documents suit everyone from a sole trader to a large team with apprentices and contractors. Delete the procedures and SWMS that don't apply to your work and keep the rest.

Yes. Every document is a Microsoft Word file. Review each one and edit it to match how your business works, then consult your workers before you put it in place.

No. These are the documents that make up your WHS management system: the policies, procedures, forms and records you use day to day and show to clients, auditors, portals and inspectors. Certification, such as ISO 45001 certification, is a separate audit by an accredited body. The system follows the ISO 45001 structure, so it's a good starting point if you plan to go down that path.

The WHS laws name some documents in specific situations. These include a SWMS for high risk construction work, an emergency plan, first aid arrangements, a hazardous chemicals register, incident records and a WHS management plan for larger construction projects where you're the principal contractor. The rest, such as WHS policies, risk registers, induction and toolbox talk records, is how you show you're meeting your duties, and it's what clients, auditors and prequalification platforms ask to see.