SWMS template · Structural & Formwork
Patio and Pergola Construction — Safe Work Method Statement
Safe Work Method Statement for building steel and timber patios, pergolas and carports attached to or free-standing beside homes, covering footings, posts and beams, fixing to the existing house structure, and installing roof sheeting.
- Category
- Structural & Formwork
- HRCW
- 1 category
- Job steps
- 6
- Hazards rated
- 15
- PPE items
- 8
Building a patio or pergola on an existing home puts a small crew on ladders and the roof edge of an occupied house, usually right next to the overhead service line. Fixing brackets or a beam to the fascia, rafters or roof of the house, and installing roof sheets on a patio that ties into a single-storey roof, regularly involves a fall of more than 2 metres, which makes it High Risk Construction Work. A SWMS is required. If any part of the work, including your ladder, the sheets you carry or a telehandler, comes within the no-go zone of the overhead service line, the job is also work near energised electrical services and needs an arrangement with the network operator.
The hazards that injure patio builders are specific. The overhead service line usually lands on the same side of the house as the patio. The existing fascia, rafters or trusses may not be strong enough to carry the new roof and its wind uplift, and roof-attached kits need the house framing checked. Walking on an existing tiled or metal roof to fix risers or brackets risks slipping or breaking tiles, and polycarbonate and other translucent sheets are fragile and will not take your weight. Long roof sheets catch the wind when carried and lifted. Digging post footings near the house can hit the sewer, stormwater, gas, water, underground power and NBN lines.
Most patios need council or private certifier approval, and the design must suit the site's wind classification. Use the supplier's engineering or an engineer's design for post sizes, footing sizes, beam spans and the connection to the house, and do not change them on site. The SWMS must cover how you will work at the roof edge and on the patio roof, keep clear of the service line, locate underground services with Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) and a locator, temporarily brace posts and beams, and handle and lift sheets in wind. In older homes, check whether eaves linings are asbestos cement before drilling or cutting them to fit brackets.
Customise this template with: the site address and owner; the approval or permit details; the kit supplier and engineering reference; the wind classification; the attachment method to the house and any framing check; the overhead service line location and no-go zone; BYDA plans and services found; the access and edge protection for roof work (scaffold, roof edge protection, EWP or platform ladders); the sheet type; and the asbestos information for the house.
Important: This SWMS template is a starting point only. Review and customise it for your workplace and task. The PCBU remains responsible for ensuring the SWMS is suitable for the work. Not legal advice.
High Risk Construction Work Types
- Risk of a person falling more than 2 metres
Personal Protective Equipment
- Steel-capped safety boots with soft, slip-resistant soles for roof work
- Safety glasses
- Cut-resistant gloves for handling roof sheets and steel
- Hearing protection for drop saws, grinders and impact drivers
- P2 respirator when cutting fibre cement, drilling masonry or cutting treated timber
- Full body harness to AS/NZS 1891 where roof anchors or EWPs are used
- Hard hat when working below others or around plant
- Sun protection: hat, long sleeves and sunscreen
Risk Assessment
RatingsCatastrophicHighModerateLow
Step 1Site set-up, service line check and set-out
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with the overhead service line while carrying sheets or working at the eaves | Catastrophic | Locate the service line and point of attachment before set-out. Keep yourself, ladders, sheets, beams and plant outside the no-go zone set by your state regulator and network operator. If the patio design or the work cannot keep clear, contact the network operator to relocate, cover or isolate the line before starting. Carry long sheets and beams horizontally and low under any line. | Low | Supervisor / All Workers |
| Occupants, children and pets entering the work area | Moderate | Fence or tape off the work area and agree with the owner which doors and paths stay closed. Keep tools and offcuts inside the work area. Stop work if anyone enters. | Low | Supervisor |
Step 2Digging footings and setting posts
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striking underground services near the house | High | Obtain BYDA plans and locate services with a locator, including private sewer, stormwater, gas and electrical lines. Pothole by hand or vacuum where services are near footing positions. Move the footing if the engineering allows rather than dig near a service. | Low | Supervisor |
| Strain and entanglement using a post hole auger | Moderate | Use a machine-mounted or frame-supported auger where possible. With two-person augers, keep a firm stance and be ready for kickback when the auger binds on roots or rock. Do not wear loose clothing near the auger. | Low | Builder / Labourer |
| Posts falling before concrete sets | Moderate | Brace posts in two directions as soon as they are stood. Leave braces in until the concrete has cured enough and the beams are fixed. | Low | Builder |
Step 3Fixing to the house structure
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falling from a ladder or the existing roof edge while fixing brackets | High | Use a mobile scaffold, platform ladder or EWP at the eaves rather than an extension ladder for fixing work. Where workers go onto the existing roof, use roof edge protection or a harness attached to anchors rated to AS/NZS 1891. Do not work on a wet or dusty roof. | Moderate | Builder |
| Patio pulling away from a weak fascia or rafters in high wind | High | Check the condition and size of the fascia, rafters or trusses before fixing. Fix to the house only as the engineering details specify. Do not fix the patio roof to a fascia alone unless the design allows it. Report rotten or undersized framing to the owner and get engineering advice. | Low | Builder |
| Breaking tiles or falling through the existing roof | High | Walk only where the roof structure supports you: on tile battens near the nail line or along metal roof fixing lines. Do not step on skylights or old fibre cement or translucent roofing. Use crawl boards across fragile areas. | Moderate | Builder |
Step 4Lifting and fixing beams and rafters
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beam falling during lifting and positioning | High | Lift long steel or timber beams with two people on platforms at each end or with a lifting device. Temporarily clamp or prop the beam before releasing it. Bolt connections to the design before loading. | Low | Builder |
| Cuts, noise and dust from cutting steel and treated timber | Moderate | Cut on a stable bench with guards fitted. Wear hearing protection and eye protection. Collect treated timber dust and wear a P2 respirator when cutting it. Do not burn offcuts. | Low | Builder |
Step 5Installing roof sheets, flashings and gutters
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falling through translucent or polycarbonate sheets | Catastrophic | Treat all translucent and polycarbonate sheets as fragile. Never step on them. Install sheets from the scaffold or by working off the purlins with walkway boards, and cover or mesh fragile areas where you have to work nearby. | Moderate | Builder |
| Sheets caught by wind and pulling workers off balance | High | Check the forecast and stop sheet handling in strong or gusty wind. Carry sheets with two people. Fix each sheet as soon as it is laid and restrain any loose sheets on the roof. | Moderate | Builder |
| Falling off the patio roof edge | High | Use a scaffold or edge protection along the open edges of the patio roof where the fall is more than 2 metres, or work from an EWP. Keep off the patio roof once sheets are on unless the system and access are safe. | Moderate | Builder |
Step 6Electrical items, clean-up and handover
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shock from lights, fans or power points installed in the patio | High | Any 230 V wiring for lights, fans or heaters is installed by a licensed electrician. Builders do not relocate cables or fittings at the eaves. Isolate any circuit in the work area before drilling near it. | Low | Licensed Electrician / Builder |
| Swarf and offcuts damaging the roof or injuring occupants | Moderate | Sweep metal swarf off new and existing roofs and gutters the same day to stop rust staining and cuts. Remove all offcuts and packaging. Walk the site with the owner at handover. | Low | Builder |
Relevant Codes of Practice
Worker Acknowledgement
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