Cable Hauling and Pulling SWMS

Suits electrical and communications contractors pulling cable through underground ducts and conduits between pits. It covers route planning, proving the equipment is de-energised, pits, drum stands, winches, tension control, manual handling, sealing the ends and pack-up. Trenching and laying, and aerial cable, are separate SWMS.

Installing electrical and communications cable is construction work where it is carried out in connection with a structure or an essential service (WHS Regulation s 289), and a SWMS is required before high risk construction work starts (s 299). No item is pre-ticked because de-energised cable pulling is not by itself any of the s 291 items. Tick the energised electrical item where the work is on or near energised installations, the confined space item for pits that are confined spaces, the trench or shaft deeper than 1.5 metres item for deep pits, and the road item beside a road in use.

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

What Is Covered In Our Cable Hauling and Pulling SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the pull and prove the cable route is de-energised” to “Pack up and review”. The hazards and controls include:

• Contact with energised cable or equipment
• Proving isolation and preventing re-energising
• Falls into pits and openings
• Gas or poor air in pits
• Drum toppling and handling
• Winch and rope failure and recoil
• Overtension of the cable
• Hands drawn into the duct mouth
• Manual handling of cable and gear
• Cable lubricant
• Noise from winch and generator
• Open ducts and pit lids

High Risk Construction Work

None of the high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are pre-ticked, because this job is not high risk construction work by itself. Tick any that apply on your site.

Licences, Training and Competency

• General construction induction training card (white card) for construction work
• Electrical work licence held by the person who performs or supervises the installing of power or control cable; assistants work under that person’s direct supervision (Electrical Safety Act 2002 ss 18(2)(g) and 55)
• Winch operator trained and assessed as competent on the winch used
• Confined space entry training for workers entering pits or chambers that are confined spaces
• Plant operators trained and assessed as competent on the machines they use
• Site induction

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld)
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• Excavation Work Code of Practice 2021
• Traffic Management for Construction or Maintenance Work Code of Practice 2008

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: safety boots; high-visibility clothing; gloves for handling cable and rope; safety glasses
• Emergency arrangements for: electric shock and person trapped by a drum or rope
• 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.