What is a SWMS?
A safe work method statement (SWMS) is a written document that sets out the high risk work to be done, the hazards that arise from it, the risks, and the control measures that will be put in place. Safe Work Australia describes it in its information sheet on safe work method statements (Safe Work Australia). The model WHS Regulations (regs 299 to 301) make a SWMS a legal requirement for high risk construction work.
High risk construction work is a defined list, not a general idea. Safe Work Australia publishes it and the list includes categories such as work at height, excavation, demolition, work in confined spaces, work near energised electrical installations and work involving powered mobile plant (high risk construction work requiring a SWMS). Read that page for the exact wording and any thresholds, since we do not repeat them here. You can print a blank one from our free SWMS template, which also lists all 18 categories.
What is a JSA or JHA?
JSA (job safety analysis) and JHA (job hazard analysis) are names used in industry for a task-level risk assessment: break a job into steps, identify the hazards at each step, and set controls. We did not find a statutory definition of either term in the sources below. They are a company or site practice. What a JSA must contain is whatever the buyer’s system says it must.
WorkSafe Victoria notes that a SWMS is similar to a JSA, and that existing JSA formats can be used where they include all the information a SWMS requires (WorkSafe Victoria). Print a blank one from our free JSA template.
The difference
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| SWMS | JSA or JHA | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Required by WHS regulations for high risk construction work | Industry term; no statutory definition found |
| Scope | High risk work on the official list | Any task a site or company chooses to cover |
| Content rules | Set by the regulations and official guidance | Set by the site or company system |
| Who asks for it | Regulator, and the principal contractor or site | Mostly the site or the buyer’s safety system |
In practice a mine may ask for one document that satisfies both. If you are unsure, ask the site safety team which format it wants before you write anything.
When mining sites require them
Two separate things drive the requirement: the law that applies to the work, and the mine’s own rules. Mines commonly set requirements above the legal minimum, so a site may ask for a SWMS or JSA for work that the regulations would not strictly require one for. Check three things for each job:
- Whether the work is on the official high risk list in the state that applies.
- What the mine’s contractor management or safety system asks for.
- Whether your prequalification platform already holds a version the site will accept.
One limit matters on a mine site. The Construction Work Code of Practice says construction work does not include mining or the exploration for or extraction of minerals, and gives examples such as removing overburden at an open-cut mine and tunnelling or shafts in an underground mine to extract minerals (Code of Practice). Those activities fall under state mining legislation. Construction work on a mine site, such as building a structure, can still be construction work.
Construction work at a mine site is also covered by specific guidance. WorkSafe WA has a page on construction work on a mine site, which is the place to start for WA (WorkSafe WA).
What a SWMS must contain
According to Safe Work Australia’s information sheet, a SWMS must:
- identify the work that is high risk construction work;
- specify the hazards relating to that work and the risks to health and safety;
- describe the control measures that will be applied;
- describe how the control measures will be put in place, monitored and reviewed.
The same sheet says it must be developed in consultation with the workers carrying out the work and their representatives, be kept available while the work is carried out, and be reviewed and revised if the control measures do not adequately control the risk (Safe Work Australia). The Construction Work Code of Practice covers the same ground in more detail (model code of practice). Use these as the checklist, not a generic template.
State differences
Do not assume one rule applies everywhere. We checked the following, and you should confirm for your own state and work.
- Western Australia. Mining sites are covered by the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022 (WA Legislation). Regulation 299 in the version we checked deals with safe work method statements. WorkSafe WA also publishes guidance for construction work on a mine site (WorkSafe WA).
- Queensland. Mining is regulated under its own legislation, the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 and the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999. These work through the mine’s safety and health management system and, for contractors, a plan reviewed by the site senior executive. We could not confirm a requirement by the name “SWMS” in that legislation, so ask the site what it requires. WorkSafe Queensland also publishes a general SWMS guide (WorkSafe Queensland).
- Victoria. WorkSafe Victoria publishes its own SWMS guidance (WorkSafe Victoria).
Practical tips for suppliers
- Write each SWMS or JSA for the actual job and site. Reviewers spot generic copy quickly.
- Involve the people doing the work in writing it, and keep a record that you did.
- Keep a library of reviewed documents for your repeat tasks so a new bid starts from something tested.
- Isolation and lockout are covered by their own procedures. Reference them in the document where relevant. See the Supplier Ready hub for the wider safety documentation list.
- Prequalification platforms will often ask to see these documents. See Avetta vs ISNetworld.
Frequently asked questions
What is a SWMS?
A SWMS (safe work method statement) is a written document that sets out high risk construction work, the hazards and risks, the control measures, and how those controls will be implemented, monitored and reviewed. Under the model WHS Regulations it is required for 18 listed types of high risk construction work and must be prepared before that work starts.
What is a JSA?
A JSA (job safety analysis) is a task-level risk assessment: the job broken into steps, the hazards at each step, and the controls. JSA and JHA (job hazard analysis) are industry terms with no statutory definition that we could find, so a JSA is usually a site or company requirement rather than a legal one.
Is a JSA the same as a SWMS?
Not by definition. A SWMS is a document with legal status under work health and safety laws for high risk work. JSA (job safety analysis) and JHA (job hazard analysis) are industry terms with no statutory definition that we could find. WorkSafe Victoria says a SWMS is similar to a JSA and that an existing JSA format can be used if it contains all the information a SWMS requires. Ask the site which document it wants.
Do I need a SWMS for every job on a mine site?
Not necessarily. Under the model WHS Regulations a SWMS is required for high risk construction work, and Safe Work Australia lists what counts. Many mines also ask for a task-level risk document such as a JSA for a wider range of work as a site rule. That is the mine's requirement, not necessarily a legal one, so ask what the site expects.
Can I use a template?
A template is a starting point only. A SWMS has to reflect the actual work, site, hazards and controls, and be developed in consultation with the workers doing the work. Copying a generic document without adapting it does not meet that.
Who has to follow the SWMS?
Safe Work Australia's information sheet says the SWMS must be followed. Workers need to be able to see it and be told about it before the work starts. If the work changes or the controls are not working, the SWMS has to be reviewed and revised.
Is this legal advice?
No. This is general information summarising official sources. Requirements differ by state, by the work being done and by the mine. For your own situation, check the sources below, ask the site, and get advice from a qualified WHS professional or lawyer.
Sources
Last checked 8 October 2026. Every legal or regulatory statement in this guide comes from one of these pages. Rules and platform terms change, so confirm against the source before you rely on them.
- Safe Work Australia: Information sheet, Safe work method statements
- Safe Work Australia: High risk construction work requiring a SWMS
- Safe Work Australia: Model Code of Practice, Construction work (November 2024)
- Commonwealth legislation register: Work Health and Safety (Construction Work) Code of Practice 2015 (text checked for the construction work exclusions)
- Safe Work Australia: Model Code of Practice, Managing the risks of plant in the workplace (November 2024)
- WA Legislation: Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations 2022
- WorkSafe WA: Construction work on a mine site
- WorkSafe Victoria: Safe work method statements (SWMS)
- WorkSafe Queensland: Safe work method statements guide
- Queensland Legislation: Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999
- Queensland Legislation: Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999