Soil Sampling and Testing SWMS

Suits geotechnical, environmental and civil crews taking soil samples and running field tests. It covers planning and services information, proving services, plant and work area set-up, hand sampling and testing, excavator test pits, light sampling rigs, contaminated or suspect soil, sample handling and backfill. Geotechnical drilling rigs and asbestos contaminated soil are separate SWMS.

Work connected with an excavation (a trench, tunnel or shaft as defined in Schedule 19) is construction work (WHS Regulation s 289(2)(f)), and a SWMS is required before high risk construction work starts (s 299). The powered mobile plant item is pre-ticked because the method uses an excavator or a rig; untick it for hand sampling only. Tick the trench or shaft deeper than 1.5 metres item for deep test pits, the contaminated atmosphere item where gas or vapour may be present, and the energised electrical item near live services.

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

What Is Covered In Our Soil Sampling and Testing SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the sampling and get the site and services information” to “Backfill test pits and make good”. The hazards and controls include:

• Striking underground services
• Overhead power lines and rig masts
• Excavator and rig overturning
• Test pit wall collapse
• Falls into open pits
• Entanglement in augers and rods
• Contaminated soil, dust and vapour
• Suspected asbestos in fill
• Hand and finger crush from hammers
• Manual handling of samples and gear
• Heat, sun and dehydration
• Open pits left unbackfilled

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

• General construction induction training card (white card) for construction work, and site induction
• Excavator operator trained and assessed as competent on the machine
• Sampling rig operator trained and assessed as competent on the rig
• Competent person for services locating, and for identifying asbestos where it is suspected
• Training in the gas detector and in the respirator and PPE selected for the substances expected
• First aid certificate for the person appointed as the crew’s first aider

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Excavation Work Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): overhead power line exclusion zones
• Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (14 A4 landscape pages). Type your business, client and job details once and they fill in on every page, with a space for your logo
• 9 job steps for this work, each with its hazards, controls, initial and residual risk scores and the person responsible
• PPE listed for this job: high-visibility clothing; hard hat; safety boots; gloves suited to the soil and the tools
• Emergency arrangements for: person trapped or buried in a pit and suspected asbestos or a strong chemical smell
• 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.