This Hot Water System Installation SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) is pre-filled and covers removing old units and installing electric, gas, heat pump and solar water heaters. It covers 32 activities, from the daily pre-start and site assessment to commissioning, handover and restoring services, with the hazards, control measures and risk ratings before and after controls for each. It's written by WHS specialists, aligned to Australian WHS legislation, and fully editable in Microsoft Word.
Who it's for
Plumbers and plumbing businesses
Hot water replacement and service companies
Gasfitters installing gas water heaters
Solar and heat pump hot water installers
Builders managing plumbing subcontractors
Use it to
Hand clients and principal contractors the SWMS they ask for
Apply for tenders and new jobs with your safety paperwork ready
Get through prequalification with Avetta, Cm3 and other contractor portals
Induct new workers and run toolbox talks on the task
What this SWMS covers
Site assessment, shutdown approval, driving between jobs and working alone
Dogs, snakes and protecting occupants at residential premises
Unloading and moving heavy units, tanks and collectors
Electrical isolation and cutting metallic pipework made live by a fault
Gas isolation, LPG pooling and refrigerant work on heat pumps
Draining down stored water at 60 degrees or above, and Legionella exposure
Asbestos on old flues, flue rope and wall sheeting
Roof access, fragile roofs, overhead powerlines and lifting units to roof level
Ceiling spaces, subfloors and plant rooms
Pipe cutting, brazing, flux and solvent cement
Gas leak testing, flue location, delivery temperature and relief valves
Commissioning, restoring services and emergency response to a scald, gas leak, shock or fall
What's included
Hazards and control measures for 32 work activities
Risk ratings before and after controls, with a 5x5 risk matrix and the hierarchy of controls
PPE requirements checklist and high risk construction work checklist
Plant and equipment list, including the manometer, CO analyser and gas detector, with calibration checks
Relevant Australian Standards, including AS/NZS 3500.4 for heated water services and AS/NZS 5601.1 for gas installations
Licence requirements for plumbing, gasfitting, refrigerant handling and electrical connection
Site specific hazards section for anything unique to your job
Worker sign-off sheet and worker consultation record
Why use this template
Saves hours compared with writing a SWMS from a blank page
Covers the most common hazards and control measures for this work, ready to use out of the box
Fully editable, so you can add, remove or change anything to suit your site and how your team works
Helps your business stay compliant, with risk ratings, worker sign-off and consultation records already set up
How it works
Buy online and download straight away. You'll also get an email with your link.
Add your logo, ABN, project and site details.
Check it suits your site and task, edit anything you need to, and consult your workers before you finalise it.
Brief your team and collect signatures.
Common questions
Do I need a SWMS for hot water system installation?
A SWMS is legally required when the job is high risk construction work, for example installing solar collectors where someone could fall more than 2 metres, disconnecting a gas water heater from pressurised gas piping, or working near energised electrical installations. Outside those situations a SWMS isn't mandatory, but you still have to manage the risks, and a SWMS is a sound way to record how. Builders, clients and prequalification portals often ask for one either way.
Does it cover heat pump refrigerant work?
Yes. It covers the fire, freeze burn and asphyxiation risk from flammable refrigerant when decommissioning or connecting a heat pump. It notes that work on fluorocarbon refrigerants such as R32 or R134a needs an ARCtick Refrigerant Handling Licence, while R290 and R744 heat pumps need the separate competency or licence your state or territory requires.
Can I change it?
Yes. It's a Microsoft Word file, so you can add, remove or change any hazard, control or rating, and add your own logo and details.
Does it suit my state?
Yes. It's written to the model WHS laws and suits all states and territories, including Victoria under the OHS Act and Regulations.
What if it doesn't suit my work?
You're covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee if it isn't fit for purpose.
