Follow The Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) – Better To Be Safe Than Sorry!

In 2022, a Melbourne carpentry business hired Built Tech Hoardings to modify entrance gates at a work site. However, at the construction site, a Traffic Control Worker was injured when a 250kg steel gate fell on her two days after the works were completed. The worker was attempting to pull the gate closed when the gate dislodged from its track, fell on the worker and trapped her by the ankle. Her injuries included a dislocated and broken ankle, bruising and other minor injuries.

During a WorkSafe investigation it was found that a steel stopper at the top of the gate, designed to stop the gate extending past the steel support hurdles, had been removed during modification works and not replaced. There had been no checklist to assist with the inspection of the gate nor was it inspected by a qualified engineer prior to returning to operational use, as outlined in the company's Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS).

Built Tech Hoardings pleaded guilty and was penalised with a substantial fine of $40,000. This could have been avoided if the business had followed the SWMS when undertaking High Risk Construction Work (HRCW), which includes:

• Ensure HRCW is not performed unless a SWMS is prepared.
  Ensure that once a SWMS has been developed, all HRCW work is undertaken in accordance with that SWMS.

• Stop work immediately, or as soon as it is safe to do so, once they become aware a SWMS is not being followed.

• Review the SWMS whenever there is a change in the work being undertaken or if there is an indication that control measures are not adequate.

• A copy of the SWMS must be retained for the duration of any HRCW.

If your business doesn’t have a Safety Management System in place please make contact with HRAnywhere to ensure your business is compliant.