This Landscaping and Turfing SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) is pre-filled for site clearing, excavation, planting, paving, irrigation and laying turf. It covers 21 activities, from site arrival and inspection to trenching for irrigation and emergency response, 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
Landscapers and landscape construction businesses
Turf suppliers and laying crews
Irrigation installers and contractors
Grounds and estate maintenance contractors
Landscaping subcontractors on residential and commercial builds
A SWMS isn't only for construction. Plenty of landscaping and grounds businesses use one as the written risk assessment for a job, the same way others use a JSA or Safe Work Procedure.
Use it to
Show clients, insurers and auditors how you manage the risks
Apply for tenders, contracts and supplier panels
Get through prequalification with Avetta, Cm3 and other contractor portals
Induct new workers and train them in the task
What this SWMS covers
Site arrival and inspection, including open trenches and moving plant
Site levels and clearing, with sharp debris and back strain
Noise from power tools and mobile plant, and electrical safety for portable tools
Moving material by truck, plant and hand
Weeding, fertilising and contact with chemicals
Excavating, cultivating, digging and planting, including auger injuries
Installing garden edging and pavers, with crush injuries, cement dust and fumes
Cutting, grinding or drilling concrete, masonry and tile, with respirable crystalline silica
Placing soil, mulching, turf laying and watering, with manual handling and dust
Working outdoors, including heat stress, sunburn, dehydration, snakes and spiders
Trenching for irrigation and trench collapse
Waste control, post-work checks and emergency response to plant strikes, heat illness or chemical exposure
What's included
Hazards and control measures for 21 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 list, including chainsaws, augers, wacker packers and a Dingo, plus fertiliser, pesticides and cement
Qualifications, including a White Card and licensed or ticketed operators, plus manual handling training
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 landscaping and turfing?
Only if the job is high risk construction work, for example trenching deeper than 1.5 metres or working where powered mobile plant like a Dingo is moving on a construction site. Routine garden and turf work outside those situations doesn't legally need one. 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.
Does it cover silica dust when cutting pavers?
Yes. It covers respirable crystalline silica from cutting, grinding, drilling or chasing concrete, brick, block, pavers, tile, mortar and fibre cement.
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.
