Excavation / Earthmoving WHS Documents in South Australia
Written to South Australia legislation · delivered in about 4 minutes · free revision within 24h
A excavation / earthmoving starting on a South Australia site is asked for a set of documents, not just a SWMS. This page covers the whole set: what each document is, who asks for it and when, and what happens if you turn up without it. SafeWork SA is the regulator here and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 (SA) is the law each document has to be written against.
The WHS documents a excavation / earthmoving needs in South Australia
- ✓ A site-specific SWMS for each high risk activity, cited to the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 (SA) (WHS Regulations 2012 (SA) reg 299)
- ✓ A SWMS register indexing every document, version and review date
- ✓ High risk work licences and excavation / earthmoving trade licences recognised in South Australia
- ✓ Safety Data Sheets for hazardous chemicals, and a chemical register
- ✓ Site induction record and daily sign-on / SWMS acknowledgement sheets
The SWMS a excavation / earthmoving usually needs
One SWMS per high risk construction work activity. The Trade SWMS Pack generates all of them, cited to South Australia law:
- ✓ Trench excavation deeper than 1.5 m with shoring or benching
- ✓ Bulk excavation with excavator and truck movements
- ✓ Excavation near underground services (locate and pothole)
- ✓ Working near overhead powerlines
- ✓ Excavation adjacent to roads and traffic corridors
- ✓ Footing, pier and shaft excavation
- ✓ Backfilling and compaction with mobile plant
- ✓ Spotter and exclusion zone procedures around plant
The South Australia law behind it
| Regulator | SafeWork SA |
| Principal Act | Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA) |
| Regulations | Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 (SA) |
| Duty to prepare a SWMS | WHS Regulations 2012 (SA) reg 299 |
| High risk construction work defined in | WHS Regulations 2012 (SA) reg 291 |
South Australia adopted the harmonised model WHS laws through the WHS Act 2012 (SA), enforced by SafeWork SA, and its Construction Work Code of Practice follows the national model, so an interstate harmonised SWMS transfers with a site-specific review.
South Australia's industrial manslaughter offence commenced on 1 July 2024, adding serious criminal penalties where a PCBU or officer is grossly negligent about conduct that causes a worker's death. That is the enforcement backdrop your WHS document set has to stand up to on a South Australia site.
The hazards these documents have to control
A excavation / earthmoving SWMS in South Australia is judged on whether it names and controls the hazards the trade actually meets:
- ⚠ Trench and excavation collapse
- ⚠ Underground service strikes
- ⚠ Overhead powerlines
- ⚠ Powered mobile plant near workers on foot
- ⚠ Traffic on adjacent roads
- ⚠ Water ingress
The high risk work that triggers a excavation / earthmoving's SWMS
- ✓ Work in or near a shaft or trench deeper than 1.5 m, or a tunnel
- ✓ Work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant
- ✓ Work on, in or adjacent to a road, railway or other traffic corridor in use
- ✓ Work on or near energised electrical installations or services
Every SWMS a excavation / earthmoving needs in South Australia, in one go
The Trade SWMS Pack generates all 8 SWMS above from one questionnaire, cited to South Australia law, plus the register, toolbox talks and sign-on sheets, for A$179.
See the Trade SWMS PackKeep exploring
Excavation / Earthmoving WHS documents (all states)Excavation / Earthmoving SWMS for SASWMS requirements by stateTrade SWMS Pack
Excavation / Earthmoving WHS documents in other states: