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To write a SWMS, you need to identify the high-risk construction work involved, list every hazard associated with that work, assess the risk of each hazard, and then document the specific control measures you’ll put in place to eliminate or minimise that risk. That’s it. That’s the core of every Safe Work Method Statement.

If you’re a sole trader in Australia, the short answer is yes, you need a WHS policy. And no, it doesn’t matter that it’s “just you”. Under Australian workplace health and safety law, you have legal obligations the moment you engage workers, share a site with other trades, or create a risk to anyone affected by your work. That includes yourself.

You need a WHS policy, a risk register, SWMS for your high-risk activities, safe operating procedures, a plant and equipment register, an emergency plan, and records proving your team has been trained. That’s the short answer. If you want to know what each one actually is and why it matters, keep reading.

With a career spanning two decades, Matt Brun has navigated some of the most volatile and high-risk work environments on the planet. Graduating at the top of his university course in 2004, he bypassed traditional entry-level roles and secured a cadetship with an oil refinery. This was a baptism by fire. Working in an oil refinery meant being surrounded every single day by hazards with catastrophic potential.