Product Overview

This Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) for Laying of Pipes and Culverts is designed to identify hazards, assess risks, and implement controls for all stages of pipe and culvert installation on Australian worksites. It is a comprehensive document that supports WHS compliance and effective management of High Risk Construction Work associated with excavation, lifting, and installation activities.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Planning and sequencing of pipe and culvert installation works, including site access and traffic interface
• Selection and inspection of plant and equipment such as excavators, loaders, compactors, and lifting gear
• Excavation of trenches and culvert pits, including benching, battering, and shoring to prevent ground collapse
• Control of underground essential services, including dial-before-you-dig checks and safe exposure of services
• Hazard management for working in and around open excavations, including edge protection and exclusion zones
• Rigging and dogging requirements for lifting and positioning pipes, culverts, and pre-cast units
• Use of cranes, excavators, or lifting attachments to safely lower and place pipes and culverts into trenches or pits
• Manual handling risk controls for handling smaller pipes, fittings, and components to minimise musculoskeletal injuries
• Installation, alignment, and jointing of pipes and culverts, including gaskets, couplings, and sealants
• Backfilling and compaction around pipes and culverts to maintain structural integrity and prevent damage
• Control of water ingress, dewatering, and work in wet conditions to prevent slips, trips, and trench instability
• Working around live traffic and mobile plant, including spotters, traffic management plans, and communication protocols
• Environmental controls for sediment, spoil management, and protection of nearby waterways and drainage systems
• Emergency response planning for trench collapse, plant incidents, and worker injury on site

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for civil contractors, plumbing and drainage crews, pipe-laying and road construction teams, and site supervisors overseeing the installation of pipes and culverts on construction and infrastructure projects.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Code of Practice: Construction Work – Guidance on managing risks associated with construction activities, including excavation and installation of services.
• Code of Practice: Excavation Work – Requirements and controls for trenching, shoring, and preventing ground collapse during pipe and culvert works.
• Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces – Controls for working near edges and in and around excavations where fall risks exist.
• Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace – Safe use of excavators, cranes, lifting gear, and other plant used in pipe and culvert installation.
• Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks – Guidance on reducing musculoskeletal risks when handling pipes, fittings, and related materials.
• AS 4744.1:2000 – Steel shoring and trench lining – Design – Design requirements relevant to trench support systems used during pipe and culvert works.
• AS 2550 series – Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use – Requirements for the safe operation of lifting equipment when placing pipes and culverts.
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017