This Setup Operation and Bumpout SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) is pre-filled and covers setting up, operating and bumping out audio visual and event equipment at a venue. It covers 12 activities, from arriving and unloading to rigging with EWPs, installing LED walls and cameras, and bumpout, 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
Audio visual and production companies
Event staging, lighting and sound crews
Conference and exhibition installers
Venue technical and production crews
Freelance AV and lighting technicians
A SWMS isn't only for construction. Plenty of event and AV businesses use one as the written risk assessment for a task, 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
Hazard information for workers new to the venue
Arriving and unloading near forklifts and trucks
Moving road cases into the venue, including pinch and crush injuries
Pre-start checks of equipment
Rigging with boom lifts and scissor lifts, including falls and falling objects
Control system setup and manual handling
Installing projectors, LED walls, screens and monitors on stable ground
Silica dust when drilling into concrete or masonry
Camera system installation and setup
Cabling off correctly to prevent electrical risks and trip hazards
Bumpout, including fatigue from long working hours
Response to injuries, incidents and damaged equipment
What's included
Hazards and control measures for 12 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, equipment and materials list, from EWPs, chain blocks and forklifts to cable ramps and ballast
Maintenance checks, inductions and work activity 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 event setup and bumpout?
It depends on the setup. Erecting temporary structures like stages, scaffolds or large marquees can be construction work, and if it's high risk construction work, for example with a fall risk of more than 2 metres or where powered mobile plant is moving, a SWMS is required. Other setup and bumpout in a venue usually isn't construction work, so a SWMS isn't mandatory, but you still have to manage the risks, like falls from EWPs and forklift movements at the loading dock, and a SWMS is a practical way to record how. Venues, event organisers and prequalification portals often ask for one.
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.


















