Cleared for Site

SWMS checklist: 22 things Queensland builders look for

Free to use, print and share. Last checked October 2026.

Use this before you send a SWMS to a builder, or, if you're a site manager, when you review one. Items marked Law come from the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) and Safe Work Australia's SWMS guidance. Items marked Builder are things builders commonly check in their review forms in HammerTech, BuildPass and similar systems.

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Who, where and when

  1. Your business detailsLawBusiness name, address and ABN of the business doing the work.
  2. Principal contractor and siteLawThe builder's name and contact, the work address, the date it was prepared and the date it was given to the builder.
  3. Your site contactBuilderThe supervisor or works manager responsible on site, with a phone number.
  4. High-risk work tickedLawWhich of the 18 high-risk construction work categories apply, clearly marked.
  5. Actually written for this siteBuilderNo names, addresses or dates left over from another job, and the scope matches what you're doing here.

The work and its controls

  1. Steps in the order you'll do themLawThe job broken into steps in a logical work sequence.
  2. Hazards for each stepLawThe hazards and risks listed against each step, not in one general list.
  3. Each hazard linked to its controlsBuilderA reviewer can see which control deals with which hazard.
  4. Controls in the right orderBuilderEliminate, substitute, engineer, then procedures, with PPE as the last line, not the only one.
  5. No vague wordingBuilderNot "use appropriate PPE" or "as required". Say exactly what, for which step, and who checks it.
  6. Required controls includedBuilderFor example fall prevention from 2 m (3 m on housing) and trench support beyond 1.5 m, in line with codes of practice and standards.
  7. Who puts controls in place and checks themLawHow each control is implemented, monitored and reviewed, and who is responsible.
  8. Plant and equipmentBuilderLadders, scaffold, EWPs, power tools and mobile plant used on this job.
  9. PPE listBuilderThe specific PPE for the job.
  10. The builder's own rulesBuilderReferences to the site rules, permits (hot work, excavation, working at height) and any builder standards or critical controls.
  11. Licences and ticketsBuilderHigh risk work licences, White Cards, EWP and other tickets the task needs, listed or attached.
  12. Other trades nearbyBuilderHow your work interacts with other trades and activities on site.
  13. Stop work and emergenciesBuilderWhat workers do if the work changes from the SWMS, plus site emergency details.

People and paperwork

  1. Who was consultedBuilderA record of the workers (and any health and safety rep) consulted in preparing it.
  2. Worker sign-onLawNames, signatures and dates showing each worker has read and understood it.
  3. Review date and reviewerLawWhen it's reviewed, who reviewed it, and what triggers a review (new hazard, incident, change of controls).
  4. Version and revision historyLawA version number, with old versions kept and the revised copy given to the builder.

Uploading to the builder's system

HammerTech asks for a PDF under 10MB, with an activity name that matches the document. BuildPass and SignOnSite reviewers use their own forms, and any "no" can send it back. Keep your PDF searchable (not a phone photo), name it for the job, and keep the activity name and description handy to paste in.

This checklist is general information based on the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld), Safe Work Australia's SWMS information sheet, WorkSafe Queensland guidance and the Federal Safety Commissioner's SWMS fact sheet. It isn't legal advice, and each builder sets its own review criteria.