Free electrical swms template
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Free electrical SWMS template (PDF-ready). Covers isolation, test for dead, arc flash and work near live, overhead and underground services.
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Key takeaways
- Work on or near energised electrical installations is high-risk construction work, so a SWMS is legally required before the task starts.
- The default control is to de-energise, isolate, lock and tag, then prove the circuit dead using the prove-test-prove method.
- Energised electrical work is prohibited unless an exception applies, and the SWMS must record the justification and extra controls.
- Capture safe approach distances to overhead lines and Dial Before You Dig cable location for underground services.
- Electrical work must be done by a licensed or competent person and aligns with AS/NZS 3012 and AS/NZS 4836.
Updated 9 June 2026
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What is a electrical swms template?
An electrical SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) is the document a PCBU must prepare before electrical work is carried out as high-risk construction work, including any work on or near energised electrical installations or services. It breaks the electrical task into sequential steps, identifies the hazards at each step (electric shock, arc flash and blast, burns, fire, and falls when working at height), and records the control measures that manage each risk following the hierarchy of controls. The standard control for electrical work is to de-energise and isolate the circuit, apply lock-out and tag-out, and prove the circuit is dead with an approved voltage tester before any work begins.
Under the WHS Regulations 2011, work on or near energised electrical installations is high-risk construction work, so a SWMS is a legal requirement, and energised (live) work is prohibited unless a specific exception applies. This template gives licensed electricians and electrical contractors a ready structure to document isolation, test-for-dead, safe approach distances to overhead lines, cable location for underground services, RCD protection, insulated tools and voltage-rated PPE. It aligns with AS/NZS 3012 for construction and demolition site wiring and AS/NZS 4836 for safe working on or near low-voltage installations, and it must be reviewed and signed by every worker before the task starts.
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Benefits of using this electrical swms template
- Electrical-specific hazard coverage: addresses electric shock, arc flash and blast, burns, fire and the fall hazards of overhead electrical work in one document.
- Isolation discipline: prompts the full de-energise, lock-out, tag-out and test-for-dead sequence so no one works on a circuit assumed to be dead.
- Legal compliance: meets the WHS Regulation requirement for a SWMS before electrical high-risk construction work and records why any live work was unavoidable.
- Services protection: captures safe approach distances to overhead powerlines and cable-location controls for underground services before excavation or lifting.
- Competency evidence: records the licensed electrician, electrical worker licences and the responsible person for each control, supporting audit and incident defence.
- Worker sign-on: every worker reviews and signs the SWMS, confirming they understand the isolation points, exclusion zones and emergency response before work starts.
Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack
When you move your procedures from paper to MapTrack, you get:
- Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
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- Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
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- Electronic signatures.
- Edit forms later without reprinting.
- Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
- Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
- Escalate critical hazards instantly to safety managers via push notification.
- Maintain an auditable safety register that satisfies WHS regulator requests.
- Correlate incident trends across sites with built-in safety analytics.
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What to include in a electrical swms template
This electrical swms template covers 10 key areas:
- Project and contractor details: principal contractor, electrical contractor, site address and electrical work licence numbers.
- Scope of electrical work: the circuits, installations or equipment being worked on and whether work is de-energised or energised.
- High-risk work confirmation: identification that the work is on or near energised electrical services (HRCW category).
- Work steps: sequential breakdown from isolation through testing, the task itself, and re-energising.
- Hazards and risk rating: electric shock, arc flash, burns, fire, falls and services, with likelihood and consequence before and after controls.
- Isolation and test-for-dead procedure: isolation points, lock and tag details, approved tester and the prove-test-prove method.
- Control measures: hierarchy of controls including de-energising, exclusion zones, insulated tools, RCDs and voltage-rated PPE.
- Overhead and underground services: safe approach distances, spotters, Dial Before You Dig and cable location before any nearby work.
- Emergency response: rescue from live contact, isolation of supply, first aid for electric shock and burns, and incident notification.
- Worker sign-on and review: names, licences, signatures and the review date for the electrical crew.
How to use this electrical swms template
- Confirm the work is high-risk and define the electrical task in steps.: Confirm whether the work is on or near energised electrical installations, which makes it high-risk construction work requiring a SWMS. Describe the scope and break it into sequential steps from isolation and testing through to the task and re-energising.
- Identify the electrical hazards at each step.: For each step, identify electric shock, arc flash and blast, burns, fire and explosion, fall hazards from working at height, and the proximity of overhead powerlines or underground cables. Record each hazard against the relevant step and rate the initial risk.
- Plan isolation, lock-out, tag-out and test-for-dead.: Determine the isolation points, who holds the keys, and the lock and tag arrangements. Specify the approved voltage tester and the prove-test-prove method so the circuit is confirmed dead at the point of work before anyone touches a conductor.
- Document control measures using the hierarchy of controls.: Wherever practicable, eliminate the risk by working de-energised. Add engineering and administrative controls such as exclusion zones, RCD protection, insulated tools, safe approach distances to overhead lines, spotters and cable location, then voltage-rated PPE. Record the responsible person and residual risk for each control.
- Brief the crew and obtain sign-on.: Walk the licensed electricians and electrical workers through the SWMS at the work area. Confirm each person understands the isolation points, exclusion zones, controls and emergency response, then have each worker sign on before work begins.
- Review when conditions, scope or personnel change.: Stop and revise the SWMS if the scope changes, a circuit cannot be isolated as planned, new workers join, or an incident or near miss occurs. Re-brief the crew and obtain fresh sign-on before resuming, and file the updated version for audit records.
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Get the free templateEnter your email above to download the full electrical swms template as a PDF.Back to download formHow often should you complete this procedure?
An electrical SWMS must be prepared before electrical high-risk construction work begins and kept on site and accessible to every worker doing the task. It must be reviewed whenever the scope changes, when a circuit cannot be isolated as planned, when new workers join the crew, when an incident or near miss occurs, and before each new shift on multi-day work. Under the WHS Regulations 2011, work on or near energised electrical installations is high-risk construction work, and energised electrical work is prohibited unless an exception applies (for example, where it is not reasonably practicable to de-energise), so the SWMS must record the justification and the additional controls for any live work.
Electrical work must be carried out by a licensed or competent person, and the standard approach is always to de-energise and test for dead before work starts. The Safe Work Australia Code of Practice: Managing electrical risks in the workplace and AS/NZS 4836 set out the isolation, testing and safe-working requirements that the SWMS should reflect, while AS/NZS 3012 governs the wiring, RCD protection and inspection and testing of electrical installations on construction and demolition sites. Keep completed SWMS and sign-on registers for the project records and any regulator audit.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- WHS Regulations 2011 - Regulation 291 (high-risk construction work near energised electrical services)
- WHS Regulations 2011 - Part 4.7 (electrical work and energised electrical work)
- AS/NZS 3012 - Electrical installations: construction and demolition sites
- AS/NZS 4836 - Safe working on or near low-voltage electrical installations and equipment
- Safe Work Australia - Code of Practice: Managing electrical risks in the workplace
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