Roof Anchor Point Installation SWMS

Suits height safety installers, roofers and builders who fit roof anchor points for fall protection systems. It follows the work from the roof assessment and anchor layout through access, drilling and fixing, flashing and sealing, to inspection and handover, and is written around the Queensland falls rules for anchorage points. Anchor load testing is covered by a separate SWMS.

Work with a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres is high risk construction work (WHS Regulation s 291(a)), so that item is ticked; untick it only if every fixing point and the roof edge are below 2 metres. Tick the others the job involves, such as energised electrical installations or services near the roof, disturbance of asbestos in old roof sheeting, or the contaminated atmosphere item if drilling tiles or cement sheeting raises silica dust.

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 Roof Anchor Point Installation 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 the roof edge and eaves
• Falls through fragile roof sheets and skylights
• Anchor failing because it is fixed to the wrong structure
• Contact with overhead service lines
• Drilling into ceiling wiring and hidden services
• Dust from tiles, cement sheeting and timber
• Asbestos in old roof sheeting
• Swing falls from badly placed anchors
• Suspension trauma after a fall arrest
• Slips on wet or steep roofs
• Heat illness on roofs
• Leaks from unsealed roof penetrations

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:

• Involves a risk of a person falling more than 2m

Licences, Training and Competency

• General construction induction training card (white card) for construction work, and site induction
• Competent person to install and approve the anchor points and to inspect the system before first use (WHS Regulation ss 306G and 306I)
• Engineer to design the anchorage points, or to confirm the roof structure can carry them, where the manufacturer’s instructions do not cover the roof
• Training for each worker in the safe and correct use of the fall protection system they use (WHS Regulation ss 306G(2) and 306I(9))
• Boom-type elevating work platform of 11 m boom length or more: high risk work licence (Schedule 3 item 21)
• Training in the identification and safe handling of asbestos for workers the business reasonably believes may be involved in asbestos removal or asbestos-related work (WHS Regulation s 445)
• Trained person or team able to carry out the rescue plan

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
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Safe Design of Structures Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing respirable crystalline silica dust exposure in construction and manufacturing of construction elements Code of Practice 2022
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities 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
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): overhead electric lines, exclusion zones in schedule 2
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2020 – Working near overhead and underground electric lines

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (13 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.