Free roofing swms template
Jump to download form ↓Enter your email below to download this roofing swms template as a ready-to-use PDF.
Free roofing SWMS template (PDF-ready). Covers roof-edge and fragile-roof falls, anchor points, exclusion zones and rescue. Download free.
Commercial Director
Key takeaways
- Roof work with a fall risk over 2 metres is high-risk construction work that needs a SWMS under Regulation 291.
- Falls through fragile roofing are a leading fatality risk, so identify skylights and brittle sheeting first.
- Use mesh, covers and crawl boards over fragile areas, not just edge protection.
- Anchors and a harness need a documented rescue plan, with equipment to AS/NZS 1891.
- Check for asbestos and isolate powerlines or solar before anyone goes onto the roof.
Updated 9 June 2026
How to use: download the PDF, print or complete digitally on any device.
- PDF format, ready to print or fill on screen
- Use as-is or customise to suit your operation
- Go digital in MapTrack for photos, alerts and audit trails
Download free PDF template
Trusted by teams across Australia and New Zealand
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
Used by construction, mining and field service teams
What is a roofing swms template?
A roofing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is a written document required under the Australian WHS Regulations before roof work that carries a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres begins. Roof work of that kind is high-risk construction work under Regulation 291, so a SWMS must identify the activity, break the job into steps, list the hazards at each step, rate the risk, and describe the control measures used to eliminate or minimise it. Every roofer and rigger on the task must read and sign the SWMS before going onto the roof.
Roof work is one of the highest fatality risks in construction. Workers fall from unprotected edges and fall through fragile or brittle roofing such as skylights, old fibre-cement or asbestos-cement sheeting and translucent sheets. A roofing-specific SWMS forces the crew to plan edge protection, covers and safety mesh over fragile areas, anchor points with a harness and a rescue plan, exclusion zones below, weather limits, an asbestos check and clearance from powerlines and roof-mounted solar before the first sheet is touched. The completed SWMS is kept on site, reviewed when conditions change, and signed by every worker so the controls are agreed and communicated.
Learn more about compliance and inspections in MapTrack.
Benefits of using this roofing swms template
- Roofing-specific hazard coverage: addresses roof-edge falls, falls through fragile roofing, falling tools and the heat exposure that general SWMS forms miss.
- High-risk construction compliance: meets the Regulation 291 requirement for a SWMS before any roof work with a fall risk of more than 2 metres.
- Fragile-roof planning: prompts the crew to identify brittle sheeting, skylights and penetrations and to install mesh, covers or crawl boards before access.
- Rescue readiness: requires an anchor, harness and rescue plan to be documented so a suspended worker can be recovered quickly after a fall is arrested.
- Asbestos and electrical checks: builds an asbestos check and powerline or solar isolation into the method before work starts rather than after.
- Audit and tender evidence: a signed roofing SWMS provides documented proof of controls for safety audits, principal contractors and client inspections.
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.
- Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
- Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
- Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
- Ability to share forms digitally.
- Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
- Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
- 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.
Book a demo to see how MapTrack handles procedures.
Try MapTrack free for 30 days
Full access to every feature. No credit card required. Per-asset pricing so you scale as your fleet grows.
- No credit card required
- 30 days free trial
- Cancel anytime
1-2 days/week saved
“Bloody amazing! We used to spend 1-2 days a week tracking and managing our generators alone.”
Steve McAllister
Asset Coordinator, Saunders International
What to include in a roofing swms template
This roofing swms template covers 9 key areas:
- Roof and task details: roof type, pitch, height to ground, sheeting material and the specific roofing activity being assessed.
- Fall-risk confirmation: a statement that the work involves a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres and is high-risk construction work.
- Work steps: sequential breakdown from access and setup through to sheeting, fixing, make-safe and pack-down.
- Hazards per step: edge falls, falls through fragile roofing, falling objects, heat and UV, manual handling, power tools, wind, asbestos and powerlines.
- Risk rating: likelihood and consequence for each hazard, recorded before and after controls.
- Control measures: edge protection, mesh and covers over fragile areas, anchors with harness and lanyard, exclusion zones and weather limits following the hierarchy of controls.
- Rescue plan: anchor locations, retrieval method, emergency contacts and how a fallen worker will be recovered from suspension.
- Responsible persons and PPE: who implements each control and the PPE required, including harness, lanyard, hard hat and sun protection.
- Worker sign-on and review: names and signatures of all workers briefed, plus reviewer, date and next review date.
How to use this roofing swms template
- Confirm the fall risk and inspect the roof before access.: Establish whether the work involves a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres so the SWMS is mandatory. Inspect the roof type, pitch, structural soundness and sheeting from the ground or a safe vantage, and mark any fragile areas, skylights and penetrations before anyone goes up.
- Identify hazards at each work step.: Walk the planned sequence and record the hazards for each step. Cover unprotected edges, fragile and brittle roofing, falling tools and materials onto people below, heat and UV, manual handling of long heavy sheets, power tools, wind, asbestos in older roofs and any overhead powerlines or roof-mounted solar nearby.
- Rate each risk and select controls using the hierarchy.: Assess likelihood and consequence for every hazard and record the rating before controls. Select controls in order: edge protection and guardrails first, then mesh and covers over fragile areas and penetrations, then anchors with harness and lanyard plus a rescue plan, with administrative limits and PPE supporting the higher-order controls.
- Plan access, exclusion zones and the rescue method.: Document how the crew gets onto and off the roof, set an exclusion zone below to keep people clear of falling objects, and confirm weather and wind limits that stop work. Record anchor locations, the harness and lanyard set-up and exactly how a suspended worker will be retrieved if a fall is arrested.
- Brief the crew, obtain sign-on and review on change.: Gather every worker at the work area and walk through each step, hazard and control. Confirm the asbestos check and any powerline or solar isolation are done, then have each person sign on before access. Stop work and revise the SWMS when weather, the roof or the crew changes, and re-brief before resuming.
In MapTrack, you can digitise safety inspections and compliance forms. Each submission is stored as a timestamped PDF against the asset record.
Get the free templateEnter your email above to download the full roofing swms template as a PDF.Back to download formHow often should you complete this procedure?
A roofing SWMS must be completed before any roof work with a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres begins, and it must be kept on site and accessible to every worker on the task. Review it at the start of each shift because roof conditions change quickly with weather, dew and wind. If the roof, the access method, the sheeting or the crew changes, or if a near miss occurs, stop work, revise the SWMS and re-brief and re-sign before resuming. The principal contractor is responsible for ensuring the SWMS is prepared, reviewed with workers and signed before the work starts.
Beyond the daily pre-start, the roofing SWMS should be reassessed whenever a new trade joins the roof, the scope extends to a different roof area, or new plant or materials are introduced. Wind and heat limits should be checked against the actual forecast each day rather than assumed. At minimum, review the template annually against the current Managing the risk of falls at workplaces Code of Practice, the Safe work on roofs information sheet and AS/NZS 1891 so the documented controls stay aligned with regulator guidance and the current fall-arrest standard.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- WHS Regulations 2011 - Regulation 291 (high-risk construction work, fall more than 2 metres)
- Safe Work Australia - Code of Practice: Managing the risk of falls at workplaces
- Safe Work Australia - Information sheet: Safe work on roofs
- AS/NZS 1891 - Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices (including Part 4: selection, use and maintenance)
- WHS Act 2011 (Section 19 - Primary duty of care)
Need to digitise safety inspections and compliance forms?
Register every asset in MapTrack, attach digital forms, and get a complete history of every inspection, service and compliance record.
Compliance and inspections · All templates · Pricing · Book a demo