Excavation SWMS Generator
Excavation work involves trench collapse risks, underground service strikes, and heavy mobile plant. We generate excavation-specific SWMS with shoring requirements, Dial Before You Dig references, and spotter procedures.
Why excavation workers need one.
Any trench or shaft deeper than 1.5 metres is high-risk construction work in every Australian state — and so is working near powered mobile plant or live underground services, which means nearly every excavation job legally needs a SWMS before the bucket hits the dirt. Trench walls collapse fast and without warning, and the soil involved is far heavier than most people expect. Your SWMS is the document that shows how you'll support the ground, avoid the services, and keep bodies clear of the machine.
Common excavation worker hazards covered.
High-risk work it flags.
EXCAVATION WORKER WORK TYPICALLY TRIGGERS THESE HRCW CATEGORIES — WHS REGULATION 291:
“Excavating footings for a new residential slab. Trenches 1.8 metres deep, using a 5-tonne excavator, Dial Before You Dig completed.”
WE TURN THAT INTO THE FULL DOCUMENT — STEPS, HAZARDS, CONTROLS, RISK RATINGS, PPE, EMERGENCY PLAN AND TOOLBOX TALK.
What lands in your excavation worker SWMS.
Fair questions.
Is every excavation job high-risk construction work?+
Not every single one, but most tick a box. Trenches and shafts deeper than 1.5 metres are automatically high-risk construction work. Shallower digs still qualify if you're working near powered mobile plant, pressurised gas mains or energised electrical services — which covers most digs in built-up areas. If in doubt, do the SWMS.
Does the SWMS cover Dial Before You Dig?+
It should reference it. Get current service plans through Before You Dig Australia (the service formerly known as Dial Before You Dig) before any excavation, and your SWMS should state how you'll locate and expose services — potholing by hand near marked assets rather than trusting the plans blindly.
What ground support does my SWMS need to show?+
Whichever method suits your ground and depth: benching, battering, shoring or a trench shield. The SWMS should name the method, who installs it, and the rule that nobody enters an unsupported trench. Ours includes these controls, and you can edit them to match your site conditions before paying.
Who prepares the SWMS — me or the builder?+
The business actually doing the high-risk work prepares it, in consultation with the workers on the job. If you're a subbie, that's you — the principal contractor collects a copy and keeps it while the work's underway. Ours generates yours in about 60 seconds, so you're not the one holding up the job.
How do I get the crew and the machine operator signed on?+
Everyone involved in the high-risk work signs before starting, operators included. With ours they scan a QR code and sign on their phones, and the toolbox talk mode works offline — handy on greenfield sites with no reception.
SWMS for every job.
Your excavation worker SWMS, sorted.
Describe the job like you'd tell your apprentice. Review every step. Pay when it reads right.
Generate Your Excavation SWMS — FREE →