Property Maintenance Handyman SWMS

Suits handyman businesses, property managers and maintenance crews who do general repairs on homes and commercial buildings. It follows the job in order, from planning and checking what needs a licensed trade to ladders, light globes, gutters, minor carpentry and fixing, painting and sealing, working alone and clean-up. Licensed electrical, plumbing and gas work is outside it, and the SWMS says plainly which work needs a licence.

Testing, maintenance or repair work of a minor nature is not construction work (WHS Regulation s 289(3)(d)), so no high risk construction work item is ticked and a SWMS is not legally required for it; if a job is more than minor and involves a fall of more than 2 metres or another item in section 291, tick that item and prepare a SWMS before it starts (s 299). Otherwise this works as a written safe work procedure or task risk assessment.

Learn More: What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?
Have you ever been asked to provide a SWMS on a project in Queensland? Read our guide to what a Safe Work Method Statement is and when you need one.

What Is Covered In Our Property Maintenance Handyman SWMS?

The job steps run in the order the work is done, from pre-start checks to finishing up. The hazards and controls include:

• Falls from ladders and step platforms
• Ladders and metal tools near overhead service lines
• Electric shock from lamp holders, fittings and leads
• Work that needs a licensed electrician, plumber or gasfitter
• Asbestos in older eaves, sheets and gutters
• Lead paint and dust from sanding and scraping
• Hitting hidden cables and pipes when drilling
• Cuts and kickback from saws, drills and nail guns
• Fumes and skin contact with paint, solvents and cleaners
• Stings, bites and droppings in gutters
• Working alone and aggressive occupants
• Heat illness and sun exposure
• Strains from lifting and carrying

High Risk Construction Work

No high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are pre-ticked, because this work is not high risk construction work by itself. Tick the items that apply to your job, such as a fall risk of more than 2 metres or work where powered mobile plant is moving.

Licences, Training and Competency

• General construction induction training card (white card) when the job is construction work that is more than minor repair or maintenance, and any site or building manager induction
• Workers trained and experienced in the tasks they do: minor carpentry, painting, fixing, ladder work and cleaning
• Training in safe ladder use, including how to inspect, set up and climb the ladders and step platforms used
• Electrical work needs an electrical work licence (Electrical Safety Act 2002 s 55): it includes connecting supply wiring and installing, replacing, repairing or testing electrical equipment (s 18(1)), but not plugging in by cord and plug, safely replacing a light bulb or fuse, or fixing equipment in place with no connection made (s 18(2))
• Gas work needs a gas work licence or authorisation (Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 ss 725 to 727); only connecting or disconnecting a gas cylinder to an existing fitting or device is exempt (s 726(4))
• Plumbing and drainage work needs a licence (Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 ss 12 and 56), except unregulated work in schedule 3 of the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019 such as replacing a shower head, tap washer or cistern washer; unblocking a drain, repairing a pipe, replacing a fitting and replacing a water heater still need a licence
• Asbestos: workers trained to recognise suspect material and stop; removal needs a class A licence for friable asbestos, and a class B or class A licence for more than 10 m2 of non-friable asbestos (WHS Regulation ss 485 and 487)
• QBCC contractor licence for building work over $3,300 including labour, materials and GST; at $3,300 or less none is needed unless it is electrical work or occupational licence work such as plumbing, gas or fire protection (QBCC Regulation 2018 sch 1 item 2)
• First aid equipment, facilities and trained first aiders (or access to them) as the work needs (WHS Regulation s 42), with a stocked first aid kit in the vehicle

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021 (power tools)
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021 (heat, UV and remote or isolated work)
• Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022 (working alone and with clients)
• How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021 (older buildings and gutter cleaning)
• Managing respirable crystalline silica dust exposure in construction and manufacturing of construction elements Code of Practice 2022 (drilling and cutting masonry and fibre cement)
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld): electrical work and licences (ss 18 and 55)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): overhead line exclusion zones in schedule 2, and electrical equipment and safety switches (ss 138 to 140)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2021 – Managing electrical risks in the workplace (leads and tools in wet conditions)
• Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 (Qld): gas work licences (ss 725 to 727)
• Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 (Qld) and Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019 (Qld): licensed and unregulated plumbing work
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Managing the risks of biological hazards at work (guidance)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (17 pages), laid out on A4 landscape pages
• Business, client, job and document details typed once and filled in on every page, plus a space for your logo
• The high risk construction work checklist, worded as WHS Regulation s 291, and the construction project question (s 292)
• A worker and health and safety representative consultation record
• Qualifications, plant, PPE, hazardous chemicals, safety equipment, permits, references and emergency arrangements filled in for this work
• A 5 x 5 risk matrix, and job steps with initial and residual risk scores and the people responsible
• Implementing, monitoring and review requirements, an additional controls log, revision history and a worker sign-on sheet

Review and adjust it for your site, your plant and the way your crew does the job, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. If you have any trouble downloading this SWMS, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.