This Pipe Laying and Trench Shoring SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) is pre-filled for excavating trenches, installing trench support, and laying, jointing and testing sewer, water and stormwater pipe. It covers 38 activities, from service location and potholing to backfilling, reinstatement 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
Civil and drainage contractors
Water, sewer and stormwater pipelaying crews
Plumbers and drainers doing trench work
Excavation and earthmoving contractors
Council and utility maintenance contractors
 
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
Planning, permits, designed trench support and asset owner approvals
Underground service location and potholing, plus overhead powerline clearance for plant
Exclusion zones, barricading and traffic management in the road reserve
Deliveries, unloading, plant pre-starts and changing excavator attachments
Saw cutting pavement with silica dust controls, and excavating next to footings and walls
Trench collapse, edge surcharge, shoring installation and safe access and egress
Dewatering, trench atmosphere testing and materials falling into the trench
Lowering pipe, pits and manholes, and cutting pipe to length
Rubber ring, solvent cement, butt fusion and electrofusion jointing
Pressure testing, CCTV inspection and confined space entry when connecting to existing mains
Asbestos cement pipe and contaminated ground, backfilling, shoring removal and reinstatement
Refuelling, night work, heat, wildlife, sewage exposure and emergency response to trench collapse
 
What's included
Hazards and control measures for 38 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, materials, maintenance checks and the training each worker needs
Relevant Australian Standards, including AS/NZS 2566.2 for buried flexible pipelines and AS 1742.3 for traffic control
Competency notes for excavator operators, trench support installers, traffic controllers and dogging
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 pipe laying and trench shoring?
A SWMS is legally required when the job is high risk construction work, and pipe laying usually is: for example work in or near a trench deeper than 1.5 m, next to a road in use, or where powered mobile plant is moving. For shallow work 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. Clients, head contractors and prequalification portals often ask for one either way.
Does it cover asbestos cement pipe?
Yes. It covers what to do when asbestos cement pipe, or contaminated soil, fill or groundwater, is uncovered during the work, to control exposure to asbestos fibres and contaminants.
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.