The document discusses construction work hazards and risk control methods. It defines key terms like hazards, risks, SWMS and JSA. It outlines the legislative requirements for SWMS for high risk construction work. It describes how to prepare a SWMS, including identifying hazards, assessing risks, and determining controls using the hierarchy of control. Common construction hazards are discussed along with safety data sheets, construction methods/materials, and terminology.

1. Identify
Construction
Work Hazards
and Select Risk
Control
Part 4
How to Prepare a Job Safety
Analysis (JSA) and a Safe Work
Method Statement (SWMS)

2. Work Health and Safety Legislation
Australian Standards
• Developed to provide minimum levels of performance or quality
• Cover hazards, work processes and products
• AS/NZ ISO 3100:2009 Risk Management
• Australian Standard 1684: Residential Timber Framed Construction

3. Common Construction Hazards
Infectious diseases (continued)
You must ensure that you protect yourself and others
(use PPE, cover wounds, cuts and abrasions with dressings, use proper cleaning
materials such as bleach, etc)
If exposure happens, you need to act immediately:
• wash exposed body part with soap and water or 70% alcohol rub
• eyes - rinse with tap water or saline
• mouth – spit out and rinse continually with water
• notify your supervisor and health and safety representative as soon as possible

4. Compliance Requirements
Complying with Workplace Health and Safety laws and regulations involves taking
steps to ensure that everybody who works or enters your workplace is as safe as
they possibly can be:
• Provide a safe working environment
• Minimise or eliminate risks when discovered
• Perform a continual assessment to discover new or evolved risks
• Provide information and training to employees on their obligations and how to
comply with them
• Verify safeguards and risk elimination or reduction methods when dealing with
dangerous substances, materials or machinery and tools
• Create and implement safety procedures such as Safe Work Method Statements
(SWMS), Job Safety Analysis (JSA)and Safe Operating Procedures (SOP) and
ensure they are followed
• Provide up-to-date insurance and compensation policies for accidents and
injuries

5. Construction Tools and Equipment
Podge hammer:
Used for erecting scaffold, has tapered steel end for levering
scaffold and steel components into place, keep firm grip on
tool when using to avoid dropping, wear protective eye wear
Chisel: Used for paring and cutting of timber, ensure fingers are
kept behind cutting edge, hold firmly and avoid striking the tool
hard

6. Cordless drill: wear protective eyewear, keep a firm grip on the tool with both
hands if necessary, keep your body balanced
Circular saw: Ensure the tool is Tested and Tagged, spring loaded guard is
functioning, lead is not nicked or cut, wear protective eye wear and hearing
protection, fix down material to be cut eg nail of clamp, hold tool with 2 hands,
keep body balanced on 2 feet
Construction Tools and Equipment

7. Safety Fencing: Used to isolate construction sites, hazardous areas, walkways
Hand Trolley: Used to transport sacks, drums, boxes. Slide blade under load
and slowly tilt back handles until balance point is determined, do not
overload, keep back straight
Construction Tools and Equipment

8. Legislative requirements for work Safe Method
Statements (SWMS)
1. Involves a risk of a person falling more than 2m;
2 .Is carried out on a telecommunication tower;
3. Involves demolition of an element of a structure that is load-bearing or otherwise related to
the physical integrity of the structure;
4. Involves, or is likely to involve, the disturbance of asbestos;
5. Involves structural alterations or repairs that require temporary support to prevent collapse;
6. Is carried out in or near a confined space;
High Risk activities as prescribed by WHS Regulations and Worksafe ACT

9. Legislative requirements for Safe Work Method
Statements (SWMS)
7. Is carried out in or near— a shaft or trench with an excavated depth greater than 1.5m; or a
tunnel;
8. Involves the use of explosives;
9. Is carried out on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping;
10. Is carried out on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines;
11. Is carried out on or near energised electrical installations or services;
12. Is carried out in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere;
High Risk activities as prescribed by WHS Regulations and Worksafe ACT

10. Legislative requirements for Safe Work Method
Statements (SWMS)
13. Involves tilt-up or precast concrete;
14. Is carried out on, in or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor
that is in use by traffic other than pedestrians;
15. Is carried out in an area at a workplace in which there is any movement of powered
mobile plant;
15. Is carried out in an area in which there are artificial extremes of temperature;
17. Is carried out in or near water or other liquid that involves a risk of drowning;
18. Involves diving work.
High Risk activities as prescribed by WHS Regulations and Worksafe ACT

11. Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS)
A SWMS is a document that sets out the high risk construction work activities to be carried out at a
workplace, the hazards arising from these activities and the measures to be put in place to control
the risks.
When preparing for a Safe work method Statement information should be obtained from
• Legislation, Regulations, NCC, Codes of Practice and relevant Australian Standards
• Consultation with PCBU’s, Managers, Supervisors, Builders, Contractor and Workers
• Review the job task and work area /site
• Inspection of work area / site to determine and record high risk work site and task hazards

12. Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS)
Preparing for a SWMS
Identify the High Risk activity
• Seek information from the Regulator about legislated High Risk activities, review Codes of Practice and
Australian standards consult with Managers, Supervisors, Contractors and workers to gain knowledge
of hazards relevant to the task
List the work tasks in logical order
• Using a SWMS template or equivalent document, and in conjunction with the workers doing the high
risk activity
Document the hazards associated with each step
• All hazards including physical and environmental

13. Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS)
5 basic principles of risk management
• Identify hazards (find or see)
• Assess the risks involved (think about and check)
• Consult and report ensuring the involvement of relevant people (talk and tell)
• Control the hazard (stop or prevent it)
• Review to identify change or improvement
(check and reflect)

14. Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS)
Preparing for a SWMS
Determine the risk level for each hazards
The “likelihood” that it will do harm (probability)
The “severity” of the harm it could do (consequence)
The “number” of times people could be affected by it (frequency)
Determine appropriate controls using the Hierarchy of Controls
1. Elimination
2. Substitution
3. Isolation
4. Engineering
5. Administrative
6. PPE
Review controls
Prior to and during the activity in case of any changes to work process if changes occur stop work immediately and
review controls

15. The Hierarchy of Controls
The hierarchy of control is a system for controlling risks in the workplace
The hierarchy of control is a step-by-step approach to eliminating or reducing risks and it ranks
risk controls from the highest level of protection and reliability through to the lowest and least
reliable protection.
Eliminating the hazard and risk is the highest level of control in the hierarchy
followed by reducing the risk through all of the controls which are Elimination, Substitution,
Isolation, Engineering, Administrative, PPE.
Reducing the risk through the use of protective personal equipment (PPE) is the lowest level of
control.

16. Hierarchy Of Control

17. The Hierarchy of Controls
Elimination
Eliminating the hazard and risk is the highest level of control in the hierarchy (eg fill in hole, work on
ground)
Substituting
Replacing the hazard causing the risk with something that causes less risk (eg using safer equipment,
using a different chemical, water based paint instead of oil based paint)
Isolation
Isolating the hazard from any person exposed to it or isolating the hazard from people (eg erecting a
physical barrier, cover over hole)

18. The Hierarchy of Controls
Engineering:
Creating a safer environment by making improvements to
equipment or processes ( eg scaffolding, guards on power tools)
Administrative
Measures used to limit risk (eg providing training, warning signs, SWMS, JSA etc)
PPE Personal Protective Equipment
Used to minimise remaining risk so far as is reasonably practicable by providing extra protection
Lowest level of controls,
Only reduces the severity of an incident, does not effect the likelihood or frequency

19. Safety Data Sheets
An SDS is a document that provides detailed information about a hazardous chemical, including:
The identity of the chemical product and its ingredients
The hazards of the chemical including health hazards, physical hazards and environmental hazards
Physical properties of the chemical, like boiling point
Flash point and incompatibilities with other chemicals
Workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants
Safe handling and storage procedures for the chemical
What to do in the event of an emergency or spill
First aid information
Transport information
Personal Protective Equipment required

20. Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
• The SDS must be supplied, read and understood before the use of hazardous chemical or goods
• The PCBU must obtain and supply the SDS (and any amended version) for any hazardous chemical or
goods used on site or at a workplace as stated in Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous
chemicals in the workplace
• Manufacturers and importers of hazardous chemicals must review and update the information in
an SDS every 5 years
• Used as part of the hazard identification and risk control process
• Its purpose is to allow you to safely handle chemicals and hazardous goods

21. Construction methods and materials
 The Commercial and Residential sectors of construction use methods and materials in both general
hazards and high-risk construction work that inherently have risk factors in their use and application
 Excavation involves - risk of being struck by machine, risk of open trenches, falls and trips, other work
going on near the work area
 Pouring concrete footing or formwork - risk from cement of manual handling, chemical burns, respiratory
illness
 Erecting the walls and roof of the structure - risk such as falls from height, collapse, manual handling,
exposure to silica chemicals dust, slips and falls on steel scaffold
 Fitting out and finishing the structure- risk such as falls from height, collapse, manual handling, slip, trips
and falls, exposure to silica chemicals dust

22. Table 1 below lists some common types of workplace hazards. Some hazards are part of the work process,
such as mechanical hazards, noise or toxic properties of substances. Other hazards result from equipment or machine failures
and misuse, chemical spills and structural failures, or where work demands exceed a worker’s ability to cope.
A piece of plant, substance or a work process may have many different hazards
Hazard Example Potential harm
Manual tasks Tasks involving sustained or awkward postures,
high or sudden force, repetitive movements or
vibration
Musculoskeletal disorders such as damage to joints, ligaments
and muscles
Working at
height
Falling objects, falls, slips and trips of people Fractures, bruises, lacerations, dislocations, concussion,
permanent injuries or death
Psychosocial Excessive time pressure, bullying, violence and
work-related fatigue
Psychological or physical injury or illness
Electricity Exposure to live electrical wires Shock, burns, damage to organs and nerves leading to
permanent injuries or death
Machinery and
equipment
Being hit by moving vehicles, or being caught in
moving parts of machinery
Fractures, bruises, lacerations, dislocations, permanent injuries
or death
Hazardous
chemicals
Acids, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, asbestos and
silica
Respiratory illnesses, cancers or dermatitis
Extreme
temperatures
Heat and cold Heat can cause burns and heat stroke or injuries due to fatigue
Cold can cause hypothermia or frost bite
Noise Exposure to loud noise Permanent hearing damage
Radiation Ultra violet, welding arc flashes, micro waves and
lasers
Burns, cancer or blindness
Biological Micro-organisms Hepatitis, legionnaires’ disease, Q fever, HIV/AIDS or allergies

23. Terminology
Term Description
Control measure An action taken to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks so far as is reasonably practicable. A
hierarchy of control measures is set out in the WHS Regulations to assist duty holders to select the
highest control measures reasonably practicable.Note: The WHS Regulations also refer to a control
measure as a risk control measure or a risk control.
Duty holder Any person who owes a work health and safety duty under the WHS Act including a person
conducting a business or undertaking, a designer, manufacturer, importer, supplier, installer of
products or plant used at work (upstream duty holder), officer or a worker.
Hazard A situation or thing that has the potential to harm a person. Hazards at work may include: noisy
machinery, a moving forklift, chemicals, electricity, working at heights, a repetitive job, bullying and
violence at the workplace.
Health Health includes both physical and psychological health.
Health and safety committee A consultative body established under the WHS Act. The committee's functions include facilitating
cooperation between workers and the person conducting a business or undertaking to ensure
workers’ health and safety at work, and assisting to develop work health and safety standards, rules
and procedures for the workplace.
SWMS Safe Work Method
Statement
A SWMS is a document that sets out the high risk construction work activities to be carried out at a
workplace, the hazards arising from these activities and the measures to be put in place to control
the risks.
Managing risk This is a process set out in the WHS Regulations to eliminate health and safety risks so far as is
reasonably practicable, or if this is not reasonably practicable, minimise the risks so far as is

24. Terminology
Manual Handling Activities that require you to use force to lift, lower,
push, pull, carry or move a load
Person conducting a business or undertaking
(PCBU)
A PCBU is an umbrella concept which intends to capture all types of working arrangements or relationships.
A PCBU includes a:
 company
 unincorporated body or association
 sole trader or self-employed person.
Individuals who are in a partnership that is conducting a business will individually and collectively be a PCBU.
A volunteer association (defined under the WHS Act, see below) or elected members of a local authority will not be
a PCBU.
Risk The possibility of harm (death, injury or illness) might occur when exposed to a hazard.
Manual Handling Activities that require you to use force to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or move a load
Hierarchy of Control The hierarchy of control is a step-by-step approach to eliminating or reducing risks and it ranks risk controls from
the highest level of protection and reliability through to the lowest and least reliable protection..
Work group A group of workers established to facilitate the representation of workers by one or more health and safety
representatives. A work group may be all workers at a workplace but it may also be appropriate to split a
workplace into multiple work groups where workers share similar work conditions or are exposed to similar risks
and hazards. For example all workers on night shift.
Worker Any person who carries out work for a person conducting a business or undertaking, including work as an
employee, contractor or subcontractor (or their employee), self-employed person, outworker, apprentice or