Temporary Site Power Installation SWMS

Suits electrical contractors and builders who set up temporary power on building and construction sites. It covers planning the system, connecting to the supply, installing boards and outlets, protecting leads, temporary lighting, testing and tagging, daily checks and removal.

Connecting temporary power to the supply is work on or near energised electrical installations or services, so item 10 is ticked. Installation is electrical work and must be done by a licensed electrical worker; any work on energised equipment also needs its own electrical SWMS under the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026. Tick the other items the job involves, such as a fall of more than 2 metres.

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

What Is Covered In Our Temporary Site Power Installation SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the temporary power system” to “Disconnect, dismantle and remove”. The hazards and controls include:

• Electric shock when connecting to the supply
• Contact with live parts at boards
• RCD failure in wet conditions
• Damaged leads and cable crush
• Trips over leads
• Falls hanging temporary lighting
• Fire from overloaded circuits
• Unauthorised access to boards
• Untested or untagged equipment
• Manual handling of heavy boards and cable

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:

• Is carried out on or near energised electrical installations or services

Licences, Training and Competency

• Licensed electrical worker (electrical work licence that authorises the work) to install, connect, alter, test and disconnect temporary site power, including connection to the supply and to the main switchboard (Electrical Safety Act 2002 s 55)
• General construction induction training card (white card) and site induction for everyone on the site
• Competent person to inspect and test leads, power boards and safety switches and to attach test tags with the content ES Reg 2026 s 140(3) and (4) requires
• Workers who place or move leads and lights are instructed in how to inspect them, keep them dry and report damage; they do not alter wiring
• Training in the emergency response for electric shock, including isolating the supply and CPR
• No high risk work licence class in Schedule 3 of the WHS Regulation covers temporary power installation; any access plant used (such as an elevating work platform) has its own licence and training requirements

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): licensing of electrical work (s 55)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): construction electrical equipment and temporary wiring (s 140), isolation and re-energising (ss 196 to 198), energised electrical work (ss 199 to 204)
• 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
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• AS/NZS 3012 (Electrical installations – Construction and demolition sites), as named in Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 s 140

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (12 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 (non-conductive soles for electrical tasks); safety glasses; hard hat
• Emergency arrangements for: electric shock, fire in a board or lead and damaged or exposed live cable
• 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.