The Purpose And Importance Of The Safe Work Method Statement
Dangerous jobs like working at heights require extra steps to keep the workers safe, making sure that they understand what is required of them and the risks they are going to take. The employer also needs to be legally protected from being held liable for any accidents the workers suffer because they were taking needless risks or engaging in reckless or dangerous behaviours on the job.
The best way to ensure that the specific requirements of performing a high-risk activity are understood and protocols agreed to, is to make use of a working at heights SWMS, or Safe Work Method Statement, a legal document that outlines the risks and expectations of a job in advance.
The most common sector in which safe work method statements are used in construction, although work method statements can also be used in a number of other high-risk industrial jobs. Before work on a site commences, a safe work method statement designated for each and every relevant risk-inducing activity must be prepared for the project and submitted for review by the client before work can begin.
Once the SWMS has been approved it becomes a living document that can be referenced and sometimes even updated throughout the project. All workers are required to acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agree to working under the stated safety guidelines. The number one purpose of a safe work method statement is to ensure that all of the workers conducting high-risk construction activities are doing so safely using the requirements and safety measures that are associated with the job.
If safe work method statements were not in place the workers and supervisors would be forced to rely on their intuition to conduct work, and potentially bad habits would have fertile ground to form in. Every worker is required to read through all of the high-risk job’s requisite safety measures and requirements, and have a full understanding of the training and instruction they need to undergo before they can conduct their work. They also must be appraised of the methods that will be employed to prepare for and control each risk they will encounter associated with every step of the job.
All of this information is essential to ensuring that the worker is well aware of all the risks and hazards that are involved with the job’s activities and understands the control measures that are in place to protect them and their coworkers.
Having a sensible and comprehensive SWMS prepared and in place is the first toward making sure the work is performed safely and with minimum risk to all involved.
