Plumbing Maintenance and Call-Out SWMS

Suits plumbers who attend reactive repairs and call-outs, often alone and after hours. It covers taking the call, entering an occupied home, isolating water, gas and power, hot water systems, blocked fixtures and sewage, roof and subfloor entry, asbestos in older buildings, repairs and handover.

Plumbing repairs and maintenance of water and sewer services are construction work (WHS Regulation s 289(2)(e)) unless the test, repair or maintenance is of a minor nature (s 289(3)(d)), and a SWMS is required before high risk construction work starts (s 299). No item is pre-ticked because it depends on the call-out: tick the fall of more than 2 metres item for roof work, the asbestos item where older materials will be disturbed, the confined space item where a subfloor or space meets the confined space definition, and the energised electrical item where live wiring is close to the work.

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

What Is Covered In Our Plumbing Maintenance and Call-Out SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Take the call, assess the job and plan for working alone” to “Test, restore the supply, clean up and leave”. The hazards and controls include:

• Working alone and after hours
• Sewage and infectious organisms
• Drain cleaner splashes
• Scalds from hot water and relief valves
• Gas leaks and fittings
• Flooding near electrical equipment
• Falls from roofs and ladders
• Heat and wiring in roof spaces
• Snakes and low access in subfloors
• Confined space and sewage gas
• Asbestos in older buildings
• Hot work and solvent cement
• Heavy fixtures and hot water units

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
• Plumbing licence that covers the work (Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 s 56); a trainee works under the direct supervision of a licensed person (s 58)
• Gas work licence (or authorisation) that allows the work, for anyone who disconnects, repairs or reconnects a gas appliance or gas fitting (Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 ss 726 and 727)
• Licensed electrical worker for any work on electrical wiring or the electrical parts of a hot water system (Electrical Safety Act 2002 s 55)
• Workers trained in the identification and safe handling of, and suitable control measures for, asbestos and asbestos-containing material (WHS Regulation s 445)
• Workers trained in working alone: check-in procedure, personal alarm or tracking device, and call-out rules
• First aid certificate for lone workers and the apprentice or second person on the job

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 (Qld)
• Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 (Qld)
• How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Safely Remove Asbestos Code of Practice 2021
• Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (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
• 10 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, waterproof where the floor is wet; chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses for drain cleaners and sewage
• Emergency arrangements for: gas smell or leak, scald or burn and person unwell or collapsed in a roof space or subfloor
• 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.