Event Temporary Power and Generator SWMS

Suits event companies, production crews, market and festival organisers and electrical contractors who supply temporary power for outdoor and indoor events. It covers power planning, generator siting and fuel, distribution boards, cable protection across public areas, safety switch testing, trader equipment, running the power and pack-up.

Event temporary power is not high risk construction work by itself, so no items are pre-ticked. A SWMS is required by law only for high risk construction work (WHS Regulation s 299); otherwise this works as a written safe work procedure. Tick the energised electrical installations or services item (item 10) if the job is construction work and involves working on or near energised installations.

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

What Is Covered In Our Event Temporary Power and Generator SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the event power supply and site layout” to “Shut down, disconnect and pack up”. The hazards and controls include:

• Electric shock from live connections and wet equipment
• Back-feed from generators into venue wiring
• Carbon monoxide from generator exhaust
• Fire during refuelling and from hot engines
• Trips and falls over cables in public areas
• Cables damaged by vehicles and foot traffic
• Overloaded boards and leads
• Faulty trader and crew equipment
• Overhead and underground electric lines
• Hearing loss from generator noise
• Fatigue on long or overnight events
• Storms and flooding around electrical equipment

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

• Licensed electrical worker (electrical work licence) for generator connections, distribution board terminations, hardwired connections and any repair or alteration of electrical equipment (Electrical Safety Act 2002 ss 18 and 55)
• Event crew trained and instructed in the generators, boards, leads and safety switches in use, including starting, stopping, load limits, refuelling and the emergency stop
• Competent person to inspect and test leads, power boards, plug-in equipment and safety switches
• No high risk work licence class in Schedule 3 of the WHS Regulation covers a generator or event power distribution
• First aid: access to first aid equipment and trained first aiders to match the event (WHS Regulation s 42), with CPR and electric shock response training
• General construction induction training card (white card) when the power work is done on a construction site
• Event site induction and a briefing on this SWMS for each crew member

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work 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
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): exclusion zones near overhead lines (ss 10 to 13 and schedule 2), underground lines (ss 14 and 15), amusement work (ss 126 to 130), service work (ss 137 to 139)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2021 – Managing electrical risks in the workplace
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2020 – Working near overhead and underground electric lines
• AS/NZS 3760 (In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment and RCDs), as named in Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 ss 129, 130 and 139

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: safety boots with a non-slip sole; gloves for handling cable, fuel and hot parts; safety glasses when refuelling and working near the engine
• Emergency arrangements for: electric shock, fuel fire and carbon monoxide
• 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.