Excavation / Earthmoving WHS Documents in Western Australia
Written to Western Australia legislation · delivered in about 4 minutes · free revision within 24h
Excavation / earthmovings working in Western Australia need a core WHS document set built around a site-specific SWMS for each high risk activity, cited to the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA). In Western Australia the regulator is WorkSafe WA, and the duty to prepare a SWMS before high risk construction work sits in WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) reg 299. The documents are the same as any state; what must be correct here is the legislation each one cites.
The WHS documents a excavation / earthmoving needs in Western Australia
- ✓ A site-specific SWMS for each high risk activity, cited to the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) (WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) reg 299)
- ✓ A SWMS register indexing every document, version and review date
- ✓ High risk work licences and excavation / earthmoving trade licences recognised in Western 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 Western 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 Western Australia law behind it
| Regulator | WorkSafe WA |
| Principal Act | Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA) |
| Regulations | Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) |
| Duty to prepare a SWMS | WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) reg 299 |
| High risk construction work defined in | WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) reg 291 |
WA was the last jurisdiction to adopt the harmonised model WHS laws (31 March 2022), so its construction case law is still developing; its WHS (General) Regulations 2022 sit alongside separate mining and petroleum safety regulations.
Industrial manslaughter has applied in Western Australia since the WHS Act 2020 (WA) commenced on 31 March 2022, replacing the former Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984, with penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment for an individual and a $10 million fine for a body corporate. That is the enforcement backdrop your WHS document set has to stand up to on a Western Australia site.
The hazards these documents have to control
A excavation / earthmoving SWMS in Western 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 Western Australia, in one go
The Trade SWMS Pack generates all 8 SWMS above from one questionnaire, cited to Western 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 WASWMS requirements by stateTrade SWMS Pack
Excavation / Earthmoving WHS documents in other states: