How to Write a Safe Work Method Statement 

If you're looking to write your own Concrete Placement Safe Work Method Statement, the first step is to create the document as a Safe Work Method Statement Template. This way, you can use the same SWMS Template and then adjust the document for each different glazing project as needed, making sure that your Concrete Placement SWMS Template addresses any site specific risks.

The fastest and most cost effective solution would be to purchase a Bluesafe Concrete Placement SWMS Template. However, if you decide to take the route of writing your own concrete placement SWMS.

There are some fundamental requirements and information which you may want to consider adding to your Concrete Placement SWMS such as: 

• Details of the person(s) responsible for making sure implementation, monitoring and compliance of the Concrete Placement SWMS as well as any reviews and modifications.
• Any information detailing safety meetings or toolbox talks in relation to concrete placement work, scheduled in accordance with legislative requirements to first identify any site hazards where the concrete placement work is being conducted, secondly, communicate the risks and hazards and then take steps to eliminate or control each hazard in relation to the concrete placement work being done.
• Any changes added to the Concrete Placement SWMS after an incident or a near miss.

Note: The Concrete Placement SWMS must be kept and be available for inspection at least until the concrete placement work is completed. Where the Concrete Placement SWMS is revised, all versions of the SWMS Template should be kept. If a notifiable incident occurs in relation to the Concrete Placement Safe Work Method Statement, the Concrete Placement SWMS must be kept for a minimum of two years from the date of the incident.

Your Concrete Placement Safe Work Method Statement Template should list any high risk construction work, such as:

• Does the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS involve a risk of a person falling more than 2 meters?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out on or near pressurised gas mains or piping?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out on a telecommunication tower?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines?
• Does the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS involve demolition of an element of a structure that is load-bearing?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out on or near energised electrical installations or services?
• Does the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS involve demolition of an element related to the physical integrity of a structure?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere?
• Does the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS involve, or is likely to involve, disturbing asbestos?
• Does the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS involve tilt-up or precast concrete?
• Does the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS involve structural alteration or repair that requires temporary support to prevent collapse?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out on, in or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out in or near a confined space?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out in an area of a workplace where there is any movement of powered mobile plant?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out in/near a shaft or trench deeper than 1.5m or tunnel involving use of explosives?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out in areas with artificial extremes of temperature?
• Is the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS carried out in or near water or other liquid that involves a risk of drowning?
• Does the concrete placement work outlined in the Concrete Placement SWMS involve diving work?

Your Concrete Placement Safe Work Method Statement should also identify any high-risk machinery or equipment in operation near the worksite, such as:

• Forklift
• Crane
• Hoist
• Working In Public Areas
• Backhoe
• Loader
• Boom Lift
• Elevated Work Platform (EWP)
• Genie Lift
• Trencher
• Drilling Rig
• Trucks
• Formwork
• Bobcat
• Flammable Gas
• Fuel
• Dozer
• High Voltage
• Mulcher
• Tilt-up Panels
• Roller
• Scissor Lift
• Tractor

Your Concrete Placement SWMS should also list any Personal Protective Equipment such as:

• Foot Protection - Boots or closed in shoes
• Hand Protection - Gloves
• Head Protection - Hard hat or helmet
• Hearing Protection - Ear plugs or ear muffs
• Eye Protection - Safety glasses, goggles or face shields
• Respiratory Protection - Face masks etc
• Face Protection - Face shield, welding mask etc
• High Visual Clothing
• Protective Clothing - Overalls etc
• Fall Protection - Safety harness, edge protection etc
• Sun Protection - Sunscreen, hat etc
• Hair and Jewellery Secured - Hair Net, etc

The Concrete Placement SWMS must be reviewed continually to ensure it remains effective and relevant. The Concrete Placement SWMS must be reviewed (and revised if necessary) if relevant control measures in relation to concrete placement work are revised. The review process should be carried out in consultation with workers (including contractors and subcontractors) who maybe affected by the Concrete Placement and their health and safety representatives who represented that work group at the workplace.

When the Concrete Placement SWMS has been revised, the person conducting a business or undertaking must ensure:

1. All persons involved in the concrete placement work are advised that a revision has been made and how they can access the revised Concrete Placement SWMS;
2. Persons who will need to change a work procedure or system as a result of the review are advised of the changes in a way that will enable them to implement their duties consistently with the revised Concrete Placement SWMS; and,
3. Workers that will be involved in the concrete placement work are provided with the relevant information and instruction that will assist them to understand and implement the revised Concrete Placement SWMS.

When preparing your Concrete Placement SWMS, here are some topics you might want to also include to ensure you have covered as many risks and hazards as possible.

Planning and Preparation When Working With and Around Concrete Placement.

When writing your Concrete Placement SWMS, establish any policies, procedures and systems for working with Concrete Placements in consultation with the Principal Contractor and workers while being sure to establish: 

• Health and Safety guidelines for concrete placement work
• Emergency plans and evacuation procedures for the Concrete Placement SWMS
• Worker inductions for Concrete Placement
• Toolbox talks (safety meetings) added to the Concrete Placement SWMS
• Outline details of supervision of the site and workers on the Concrete Placement SWMS
• Check all workers qualifications, permits and competencies for Concrete Placement operations
• Ensure the Concrete Placement and any related equipment is functioning correctly
• Hazard reporting procedures in place and added to the Concrete Placement SWMS
• Incident reporting procedures in place and added to the Concrete Placement SWMS
• Exclusion zones when conducting concrete placement work
• Risk Assessment for TASK completed and noted on the Concrete Placement SWMS
• Electrical NO GO ZONES identified, discussed and documented. 

Assessment of Site Conditions

Thoroughly assess the work site/area conditions when doing concrete placement and ensure that:

1. A risk assessment of the concrete placement work is conducted
2. Suitable access and adequate space to conduct concrete placement work safely
3. Consult with all stakeholders on potential hazards and risks when conducting concrete placement work
4. Consultation with all relevant workers and personnel for Concrete Placement SWMS details
5. If conducting Concrete Placement at night, ensure there is adequate lighting
6. Check that the work environment is suitable for concrete placement work

Concrete Placement Training and Worker Qualifications

Ensure all workers have the appropriate licenses in conducting Concrete Placement as well as any qualifications that may be required for various concrete placement projects before starting work. If White Cards are required, retain copies of all cards, licenses and qualifications of personnel.

All personnel must:

1. Be trained and/or have received instructions on the Concrete Placement SWMS including all safety and emergency procedures.
2. Be qualified, knowledgeable and competent in Concrete Placement operations and concrete placement work as well as all delegated tasks/responsibilities
3. Be fully aware and understand the scope of work in relation to the Concrete Placement SWMS

Below are some examples of some Control Measures to be implemented when creating your own ConcretePlacement Safe Work Method Statement Template:

• As required by codes of practice and regulations, persons working on construction sites must wear proper protective clothing and equipment.
• Make sure all persons working outdoors are protected from solar UV radiation.
• Wearing head protection is essential.
• Wearing foot protection is essential.
• Wearing appropriate clothing and sunscreen is essential.
• Unless the codes of practice or regulations specifically allow, work platforms must be at least 450 mm wide and should be able to carry any load that the type of work may require.
• Fit mid rails or guardrails to prevent the fall of a person from the outside edges of work platforms.
• If materials or other loose objects are to be present on the platform, the work platform must have edge protection.
• A single plank of 225 mm width may be used for light work only, provided the Authority permits.
• Only a competent person must be allowed to erect an edge protection.
• Area under work platforms is risky. Restrict entry to such areas.
• To prevent a person falling, erect an edge protection around the perimeter of the work. The edge protection must comprise a guardrail and amid rail, designed to withstand any reasonable force expected to fall against it.
• Edge protection must conform to the requirements stipulated by the Authority.
• Use catch platforms or hoardings with perimeter screening, where objects may fall onto people in the adjacent areas such as streets, residence, etc.
• Erect a guardrail at least 900 mm high with a toe board and a mid-rail.
• Only a competent person must erect an edge protection and this must be used in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer.
• While concrete placing and finishing, make sure floors and supports are not overloaded due to placement of kibbles, skips, compressors or generators.
• Do not allow entry into an area underneath the concrete pour.
• Restrict the area around the place where concrete is being poured and placed, by securing the area.
• The pump operator must be informed immediately about a leaking hose. Until pumping is stopped, keep clear.
• Hose hand and pump operator must be able to communicate with each other always.
• Be careful not to kink the delivery hose during a pour.
• Safe access must be provided for persons using vibrators on vertical panels and beam sections on floors.
• If using pipes, hoses and equipment above other workers, make sure to restrain them suitably. The area below them may be barricaded if practicable.
• When working with machinery and plants that emit or produce harmful levels of noise during operation provide and wear hearing protection.
• Heavy loads must be placed on areas that have been designated as suitable for such loads.
• Do not allow ANYONE into the area.
• Wearing eye protection is necessary when pouring and placing concrete.
• Keep at least 10 m away from a leaking hose, shut down the pump and correct the hose leak before continuing to pour.
• Edge protection must be provided and tops of vertical forms, etc.
• Restrain the items mechanically to prevent them from falling.
• Wearing hearing protection is necessary.
• Do not use screed to move heavy loads of concrete. Use shovels to top-up holes or to remove excess concrete.
• Be careful when handling mechanical trowels, vibrators, barrows, concrete hoses and kibbles. Provide adequate persons to carry out the work safely.
• To avoid back strain, adopt ergonomically sound working positions.
• For finishing concrete, preferably use a long handled float or a mechanical float.
• When using the mechanical float for finishing, keep away from the moving blades.
• While edging and placing construction joints, it is preferable to squat instead of bending.
• Protect exposed skin areas, and avoid skin contact with wet concrete.
• Proper lifting and handling procedures must be followed. Avoid straining the back by adopting ergonomically sound positions.
• Mechanical aids must be used when available, or adequate persons must be allocated for carrying out the task safely.
• While handling concrete, essentially wear boots, gloves and barrier creams.
• Make sure a device is attached to the discharge end of the pipeline for catching the cleaning device while the concrete is still flowing.
• During purging, prevent any uncontrolled movement by securing all parts of the pipeline and removing the rubber hose at the end of the pipeline.
• Before disconnecting a pipeline connection or leaving the system unattended, make sure the pipeline is free of internal pressures.
• Before placing into store or rack, remove all nails from timber forms and oil them.
• Do not allow scrap to accumulate, immediately place in bins provided.
• Before concrete can set on or in them, make sure that all barrows, floats, tools, etc., have been cleaned.
• Before it can set, wash concrete off gloves, boots, etc.
• Only a fully competent person must be allowed to do line cleaning.
• For cleaning, use water rather than air.
• Wearing gloves is necessary for handling wet concrete, sharp or rough materials.
• Use barrier cream to protect cream.

National: View the Model Codes of Practice for Excavation Work on Safe Work Australia's website here.
Victoria: Victoria's Code of Practice for Excavation Work may be viewed on Work Safe Victoria's website here.