Safe Work Method Statement: Wall and Roof Frame Erection (Single-Storey Display Home)
•PCBU / Company: Fernhill Carpentry Pty Ltd
•Contact Person: Marco Silva
•Principal Contractor / Builder: Ashwood Homes Pty Ltd
•Site Address: 17 Loxton Rise, Tarneit VIC 3029
•Project Name: Tarneit Display Home Frame Stage
•Work Activity Covered by this SWMS: Wall and roof frame erection for a single-storey display home, covering site set-out, materials delivery, floor-level assembly of wall frames, standing and bracing of wall frames, crane delivery and lifting of roof trusses, truss fixing and roof battens to a maximum working height of 5.5 metres at the top plate and truss line, and site cleanup
•Date Prepared: 18 August 2026
•Review Date: Review and revise this SWMS whenever the work method, the site conditions, the hazards, or the control measures change, and after any incident, in line with the employer's duty to review a safe work method statement under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic)
1. Work Activity & Scope
Fernhill Carpentry Pty Ltd, as the employer of the frame crew, will erect the wall and roof frames for the single-storey display home at 17 Loxton Rise, Tarneit VIC 3029 for principal contractor Ashwood Homes Pty Ltd. The scope runs from set-out and acceptance of delivered frame and truss packs through wall framing at floor level, standing and bracing the wall frames, crane lifting and fixing of prefabricated roof trusses, and installation of roof battens, finishing with cleanup and handover of the completed frame. The maximum working height is 5.5 metres at the top plate and truss apex.
The crew is 3 to 4 carpenters and the planned duration is 2 weeks. The truss lift is carried out by a contracted crane crew working to a lift plan agreed with Marco Silva before the crane arrives.
Because a person could fall more than 2 metres during this work, it is high risk construction work as defined by reg 322 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic), and this SWMS was prepared before the work started as required by reg 327. A copy goes to Ashwood Homes Pty Ltd before the crew begins, and the document stays available on site for the duration of the work, in line with the employer's duties under the OHS Regulations 2017 to keep a safe work method statement available and to ensure the work is carried out in accordance with it.
2. High Risk Construction Work Categories
The high risk construction work category under reg 322 of the OHS Regulations 2017 (Vic) that applies to this activity is:
•Risk of a person falling more than 2 metres: present from the moment the first wall frame stands until the last batten is fixed, because carpenters work at the top plate and along the truss line at up to 5.5 metres. The fall controls in the work method below are the core of this document.
Temporary bracing of standing wall frames and unsheeted trusses is essential to this job, and the work method treats an unbraced or partially braced frame as a structure that can collapse. That risk is managed through the bracing controls in the work method rather than claimed as a separate category, because this is new erection work, not structural alteration or repair.
3. Persons, Roles & Responsibilities
•Site supervisor (Marco Silva, Fernhill Carpentry Pty Ltd): plans the erection sequence, briefs this SWMS to the crew before the first shift, checks bracing before anyone works above a standing frame, agrees the lift plan with the crane crew, runs the daily pre-start, and stops the work if conditions change.
•Carpenters (2 to 3): erect, brace and fix the frames under the supervisor's sequence, inspect their own tools and ladders before use, and report damaged equipment or changed conditions immediately.
•Crane crew (contracted): the operator holds the high risk work licence class required for the crane, and a dogger holding a DG high risk work licence selects the slinging method and directs every lift. No Fernhill carpenter directs or slings a crane load.
•Ashwood Homes Pty Ltd (principal contractor): receives this SWMS before work starts, provides the site induction, keeps other trades clear of the frame area during erection and craneage, and confirms the slab is ready for set-out.
•All workers: hold a current construction induction (white card), sign on to this SWMS before starting, and have the right to stop work and raise any safety concern with Marco Silva without penalty.
4. Plant, Equipment & Materials
•Prefabricated wall frame and roof truss packs to the frame manufacturer's layout, checked against the delivery docket on arrival, with damaged members quarantined and reported to Ashwood Homes Pty Ltd
•Mobile crane (contracted) for the truss lift, with slings and tag lines supplied and inspected by the crane crew
•Temporary wall braces, ties and fixings to the frame manufacturer's bracing layout
•Temporary edge protection and guardrail components for work along the top plate and truss line
•Portable ladders selected, set up and used in accordance with AS/NZS 1892, for access and light short-duration tasks only
•Full-body harnesses and lanyards to AS/NZS 1891, held on site as the last-resort fall control, inspected before use
•Pneumatic nail guns with sequential actuation triggers, compressor and hoses
•Circular saws, drop saws and hand tools, all with guards in place
•First aid kit with the crew, and a charged phone at the workface at all times
Every item of plant and equipment is inspected before use. Defective equipment is tagged out and removed from site.
5. Step-by-Step Work Method: Hazards, Risk Ratings & Controls
Step 1: Site set-out and materials delivery
•Hazards: Delivery truck movement striking workers; frame and truss packs landed on unstable or sloping ground and toppling; manual handling injuries unloading; trip hazards across the slab
•Initial risk: High (L3 x C4)
•Controls: Agree the delivery sequence and laydown areas with Ashwood Homes Pty Ltd before the first truck arrives, keeping laydown on firm level ground clear of the crane's planned standing position. One carpenter acts as spotter for every truck movement and no one stands between the truck and the stack. Packs are landed on gluts, never leaned against each other or the slab edge. Frames are carried by two workers, and members over comfortable single-person weight are never lifted alone. The slab is cleared of offcuts and packaging before framing starts.
•Residual risk: Low (L2 x C2)
•Responsible: Site supervisor
Step 2: Wall framing at floor level
•Hazards: Cuts from saws; nail gun injuries during plating and nail-off; kneeling and bending strain; offcuts underfoot
•Initial risk: Medium (L3 x C3)
•Controls: All assembly work is done flat on the slab at floor level, which keeps this step off ladders entirely. Saws keep their guards, and cutting happens at a dedicated cutting station, not wherever the timber lies. Nail guns run sequential actuation, are never carried with a finger on the trigger, and are disconnected from air before clearing jams. Offcuts go to the waste pile as they are made, not at the end of the day.
•Residual risk: Low (L2 x C2)
•Responsible: Carpenters
Step 3: Standing and bracing wall frames
•Hazards: A frame falling onto the crew while being stood; unbraced frames blown over by wind; fingers crushed between plates; workers pushed off the slab edge
•Initial risk: High (L4 x C4)
•Controls: Frames are stood in the sequence set by Marco Silva, with enough workers on each frame that no one takes a falling load. Every frame is temporarily braced to the frame manufacturer's bracing layout before the crew lets go, and no frame stands overnight without its full temporary bracing. Standing stops when wind makes a raised frame hard to control, and the supervisor makes that call, not the crew mid-lift. Workers stand clear of the fall zone of any frame being raised, and no one works on the far side of a frame being pushed up.
•Residual risk: Medium (L2 x C3)
•Responsible: Site supervisor, carpenters
Step 4: Truss delivery and crane lift
•Hazards: Suspended trusses striking workers; load dropping from failed slinging; crane contacting the structure; trusses spearing in wind; crushing during landing on the top plate
•Initial risk: High (L3 x C5)
•Controls: The lift is planned with the crane crew before the crane is set up, covering standing position, load path and landing sequence. The dogger, holding a DG high risk work licence, selects the slinging method and directs every lift; the crane operator takes direction only from the dogger. No load travels over any person, and the slab is cleared of everyone except the carpenters landing the truss, who keep hands on tag lines and clear of pinch points until the truss sits on the plate. Lifting stops in wind the dogger judges unsafe. Trusses are landed directly into position or into a braced storage rack, never leaned loose against the frame.
•Residual risk: Medium (L2 x C3)
•Responsible: Crane crew, site supervisor
Step 5: Truss fixing and roof battens at the leading edge
•Hazards: Falls of more than 2 metres from the top plate, truss line and leading edge, up to 5.5 metres; unbraced trusses rolling or domino-collapsing; dropped tools onto workers below
•Initial risk: High (L4 x C5)
•Controls: Fall controls follow the order in the compliance code, Prevention of falls in housing construction. First, every task that can be done from the ground or from within the completed braced structure is done there: battens are cut and loaded at ground level, and fixing is done from below wherever the connection can be reached. Second, where work must happen at the top plate or leading edge, temporary edge protection or guardrails are installed ahead of the work face. Third, only where neither is practicable for a short task does a carpenter use a harness system to AS/NZS 1891, anchored to a point approved by Marco Silva, and never working alone while connected. Each truss is braced to the manufacturer's temporary bracing layout as it is fixed, before the next truss lands. Tools carried at the truss line are lanyarded, and no one works directly below the leading edge.
•Residual risk: Medium (L2 x C4)
•Responsible: Site supervisor, carpenters
Step 6: Nail guns and power tools through the frame stage
•Hazards: Nail gun ricochet and shoot-through into a hand or a worker behind the timber; contact with saw blades; airline whip; hearing damage; damaged leads
•Initial risk: Medium (L3 x C4)
•Controls: Sequential actuation stays on every nail gun for the whole job, and guns are disconnected before adjustment, clearing or handing over. No worker positions a hand or body behind timber being nailed. Airlines are inspected at pre-start and fittings are pinned. Leads and hoses run clear of walkways and the cutting station. Hearing protection is worn during sustained nailing and cutting, and eye protection whenever any tool runs.
•Residual risk: Low (L2 x C2)
•Responsible: Carpenters
Step 7: Cleanup and handover of the frame
•Hazards: Protruding nails in offcuts; trips over waste and banding; manual handling of waste; incomplete bracing left concealed by tidy-up
•Initial risk: Medium (L3 x C2)
•Controls: Nails in offcuts are bent flat or the offcut goes straight to the bin. Waste is cleared progressively and the slab left broom-clean each day, not just at handover. Banding is cut, coiled and binned, never left underfoot. Before leaving site, Marco Silva walks the frame checking that all permanent bracing and tie-downs shown on the layout are installed and that no temporary brace has been removed early, and confirms handover with Ashwood Homes Pty Ltd.
•Residual risk: Low (L1 x C2)
•Responsible: Site supervisor, carpenters
6. Personal Protective Equipment
PPE is the last control in the hierarchy and supplements the controls above, in line with the employer's duty under the OHS Regulations 2017 to provide and maintain protective equipment:
•Hard hat and steel-capped boots: at all times on site
•High-visibility clothing: at all times, and mandatory during deliveries and craneage
•Eye protection: whenever nail guns or saws are operating
•Hearing protection: during sustained nailing and cutting
•Gloves: handling timber, trusses and banding
•Full-body harness and lanyard to AS/NZS 1891: only for the short-duration leading edge tasks identified in the work method, as the last resort after ground-level work and edge protection
•Sun protection: the work is outdoors for 2 weeks
All PPE is inspected before use and replaced if damaged. Any harness that has arrested a fall is withdrawn from service.
7. Permits, Licences & Training Requirements
•Every worker holds a current construction induction (white card). In Victoria this training must be delivered face to face, not online, and the card lapses if the holder performs no construction work for 2 consecutive years; Marco Silva sights each card and confirms currency before the worker signs on.
•The crane operator holds the high risk work licence class required for the crane, and the dogger holds a DG high risk work licence. Licences are sighted before the lift.
•Fernhill Carpentry Pty Ltd contracts this domestic carpentry work at a value above $10,000 and holds registration in the Domestic Builder (Limited) - Carpentry class with the Building and Plumbing Commission. Employee carpenters working under the company need no individual registration.
•Every worker completes the Ashwood Homes Pty Ltd site induction before starting at 17 Loxton Rise, Tarneit.
8. Emergency Procedures
•In any emergency, call 000 and give the site address: 17 Loxton Rise, Tarneit VIC 3029. Record the nearest emergency department, the assembly point and the location of the builder's first aid facilities at the site induction, and repeat them at this crew's first pre-start.
•Fall from height: call 000, do not move the fallen worker unless they are in immediate danger, and send a worker to the site entrance to guide the ambulance in.
•If a worker is suspended in a harness after an arrested fall, call 000 immediately and reach the worker from the structure or by ladder without delay; no one is left suspended waiting for the ambulance. The deployed harness is withdrawn from service.
•Crane incident or load failure: the dogger stops all crane movement, the area is cleared and made safe, and 000 is called if anyone is injured.
•Frame or truss instability discovered at any point: clear everyone from the fall zone, prevent access, and do not resume until Marco Silva has assessed and rectified the bracing.
•All incidents and near misses are reported to Marco Silva and to Ashwood Homes Pty Ltd. Notifiable incidents are reported to WorkSafe Victoria and the scene preserved until an inspector directs otherwise.
9. Monitoring, Review & Consultation
•Marco Silva runs a pre-start briefing each day, confirms the work is following this SWMS, and stops the work if it is not, in line with the employer's duty under the OHS Regulations 2017 to ensure high risk construction work is carried out in accordance with the statement.
•This SWMS is reviewed and revised whenever the erection sequence, the weather limits, the crane arrangements or the site conditions change, and after any incident, under the employer's review duty in the OHS Regulations 2017.
•The crew was consulted in preparing this document before mobilisation and signs on below. Any worker can stop the job to raise a concern, and concerns are resolved before that task resumes.
•A copy of this SWMS is kept with the crew at 17 Loxton Rise, Tarneit and remains available until the frame stage is complete, consistent with the employer's duty to keep the statement available under the OHS Regulations 2017.
10. Applicable Legislation & Standards
•Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
•Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Vic): reg 322 (defines high risk construction work) and reg 327 (safe work method statement required before high risk construction work). The duties to comply with, review and keep the statement, to manage fall risks, and to provide protective equipment also arise under these Regulations and are described by name through this document.
•Compliance code: Prevention of falls in housing construction (WorkSafe Victoria, Edition 2, December 2019). Victoria publishes compliance codes rather than codes of practice, and this code sets the fall-control approach used in the work method.
•AS/NZS 1891 (industrial fall-arrest systems and devices)
•AS/NZS 1892 (portable ladders)
11. Worker Sign-Off & Acknowledgement
Each person below confirms they have read and understood this SWMS, were consulted on its contents, had the opportunity to ask questions, and agree to carry out the work in accordance with it.
Site supervisor - Marco Silva, Fernhill Carpentry Pty Ltd
Signature: ________________________ Date: ____________________
Carpenter 1
Signature: ________________________ Date: ____________________
Carpenter 2
Signature: ________________________ Date: ____________________