Safe Work Method Statement – A Crucial Document

Site safety is crucial in any industry. A Safe Work Method Statement is just part of the puzzle when it comes to site safety. Use a Safe Work Method Statement Template and create your SWS quickly and easily.

Safe Work Method Statement Template + Free Incident Report Template + Free Incident Form Template

Safe Work Method Statement Template
Safe Work Method Statement


What is a Safe Work Method Statement?

A Safe Work Method Statement is a document that outlines the safety requirements of a particular task or action. It is an important aspect of any business when it comes to protecting people’s safety.

In particular, it is used a lot in construction where people need particular steps to follow to ensure a task is completed accurately and safely.

A work method statement, sometimes referred to as a safe work method statement or SWMS or a safe work procedure, is a part of a workplace safety plan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_method_statement

Source


Safe Work Method Statements Online

A quick search online reveals a ton of examples when it comes to Safe Work Method Statements. In fact there may be too many to choose from.

The important part of creating a SWMS is to ensure you have all the relevant details in it, it is clear to read and it is actually used to prevent accidents.

Safe Work Method Statement Examples
Safe Work Method Statement Examples

What Parts of a SWMS are Important?

What important points should be considered when creating and using a Safe Work Method Statement?

Part 1

Firstly they need to be written clearly and specifically. There is no point having a document that is confusing and hard to read. Don’t forget a lot of people that are reading a Safe Work Method Statement may have been educated to school level only or even less. Therefore, the document needs to take into consideration the educational background of its users.

Part 2

Secondly it needs to take into consideration the most important aspects – that is the danger or potential risk. This needs to be identified clearly and the hazards need to be pointed out to the user.

Part 3

Thirdly it needs to be accessible. That means it needs to be put in a place where it is actually going to get used.

Is there any point in creating a document that is filed away in a drawer where no one will ever see it? Therefore, Safe Work Method Statements should be included in other safety documentation and provided to any person who is required to use them.

Part 4

Lastly, they should be updated. Once these types of documents get out of date, they become worthless pretty quickly.

Maintaining the documents is an important aspect of protecting the workforce and dedicated times to update the documents should be set aside so that the workforce is educated continually.


Significant Effort Required

Creating a Safe Work Method Statement can take a significant amount of time. It is much easier to use a template instead of creating one from scratch. Use a Safe Work Method Statement Template to create your document quickly and efficiently.

High Voltage Sign
Safe Work Method Statement – Important for all Site Aspects

Using a template will not only save time it will highlight items within the document that you may not have thought of from the beginning. Save significant time and get a better result from using a template.

Specific SWMS’s

Basically, any task may require a SWMS. (Use a SWMS Template) OK, do you really need one for sitting at your desk? Maybe you do.

But typically they are created for tasks within a workplace. For example, check out a small list below of tasks that may require a statement to ensure the tasks are completed safely.

Concrete truck on site
Safe Work Method Statement – Important for all Site Aspects

Typical tasks on a construction site maybe the following as a small snapshot. SWMS’s are required for each task.

Concrete Batching Machine
Concrete Demolition (Ultra High Water Pressure)
Concrete Floor Preparation
Concrete Formwork
Concrete Tilt-up (Lifting Panels)
Crane Operation (Overhead/Bridge/Gantry)
Drilling & Piling
Electric Powerlines (Working Near)
Excavation (Adjacent to Underground Services)
Hand Tools


Part of a Safety Plan

A Safe Work Method Statement is just one part of a Safety Plan which is a critical document for any workplace. Whether you are constructing a building or looking after young children, it is important that safety is considered at all times and your documentation is in place.

Use a Safety Plan Template to create your safety plan.

Safety helmets in storage
Safe Work Method Statement – Important for all Site Aspects

Consider what your options are when it comes to drafting your own documents from scratch or whether it might be easier to invest in templates.


Comments

Got any comments regarding safe work method statements? Add below and start the conversation.

Safe Work Method Statement Template + Free Incident Report Template + Free Incident Form Template

Safe Work Method Statement Template
Safe Work Method Statement

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scroll to Top