Nuclear Densometer (Soil Moisture Density Gauge) SWMS

Suits civil contractors and testing businesses that use a portable nuclear moisture density gauge for compaction testing. It covers licence and plan checks, loading and transport, marking out the test area around plant, preparing the test surface, placing the gauge and taking the reading, a damaged or lost gauge, and return to a locked store with records.

Compaction testing in connection with the construction of a structure, including roads and other transport infrastructure, is construction work (WHS Regulation s 289(2)(a)), and a SWMS is required before high risk construction work starts (WHS Regulation s 299). The powered mobile plant item is pre-ticked because gauge testing is done where rollers and trucks move. Tick the road item where the testing is on or beside a road in use by traffic (s 291(n)), and the energised electrical item near live services.

New to SWMS? Read What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?

What Is Covered In Our Nuclear Densometer (Soil Moisture Density Gauge) SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Check licences, plan and gauge records before the job” to “Pack up, return the gauge to the store and record the work”. The hazards and controls include:

• Radiation dose from the gauge source
• Source rod left out of its shield
• Lost or stolen gauge
• Damaged gauge and stuck source rod
• Transport of the gauge by road
• Unlicensed use, possession or transport
• Plant moving near the test point
• Hand injury from the guide pin and hammer
• Manual handling of the gauge and case
• Heat and sun on open ground
• Insecure storage of the gauge
• Missing licence, plan and monitoring records

High Risk Construction Work

These high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are already ticked because they are part of this work. Tick any others that apply to your job:

• Is carried out in an area at a workplace in which there is any movement of powered mobile plant

Licences, Training and Competency

• Operator holds a use licence for density gauging or moisture gauging for geotechnical purposes using a sealed source apparatus (Radiation Safety Act 1999 s 13)
• The business holds a possession licence for the gauge and its approved radiation safety and protection plan (s 12)
• Radiation safety officer appointed for the practice, holding a radiation safety officer certificate (or the possession licensee, where the licensee holds the qualification prescribed under the Radiation Safety Regulation 2021) (ss 35-36)
• Every person carrying out the practice has done the training program in the plan (s 34)
• Helper who is not a use licensee works in the presence of, and under the personal supervision of, a use licensee
• Person in charge of the vehicle holds a transport licence unless the use licensee transports the gauge in line with the transport code (s 14; Radiation Safety Regulation 2021 s 86)
• General construction induction training card (white card) for construction work, and site induction

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Radiation Safety Act 1999 (Qld)
• Radiation Safety Regulation 2021 (Qld)
• Radiation Safety (Radiation Safety Standards) Notice 2021 (Qld)
• Code of Practice for Portable Density/Moisture Gauges Containing Radioactive Sources (2004), published by ARPANSA (licence condition under Radiation Safety Regulation 2021 s 70)
• Code for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (2019), published by ARPANSA (the transport code of practice in the Regulation)
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (13 A4 landscape pages). Type your business, client and job details once and they fill in on every page, with a space for your logo
• 8 job steps for this work, each with its hazards, controls, initial and residual risk scores and the person responsible
• PPE listed for this job: personal monitoring device where the plan requires one; high-visibility clothing; hard hat; safety boots
• Emergency arrangements for: gauge lost, stolen, damaged or source rod stuck and vehicle crash or fire with a gauge on board
• Plus the parts every Work Safety QLD SWMS shares, from the s 291 checklist to the worker sign-on sheet (see the layout in our free SWMS template)

Adjust it for your site, plant and crew, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.

Checked against the Queensland laws and codes of practice listed above. Last reviewed November 2026.