Timber Framing — Safe Work Method Statement

Timber framing erection is classified as High Risk Construction Work under the model WHS Regulations (Regulation 291) where it involves a risk of a person falling more than two metres. On residential construction, this threshold is almost always reached during roof truss installation and upper-storey wall frame erection. A SWMS is mandatory before this work commences and must be developed in consultation with the workers who will carry out the framing. The Safe Work Australia Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces is the primary guidance document.

No specific trade licence is required for timber framing in most Australian jurisdictions, but workers must be competent and supervised. On residential buildings, the work must be carried out in accordance with the National Construction Code (NCC) Volume Two and AS 1684 (Residential timber-framed construction), which governs member sizes, fixing schedules, bracing requirements, and connection details. Structural framing that deviates from the prescriptive requirements of AS 1684 requires engineering design and sign-off. Roof trusses must be erected strictly in accordance with the truss manufacturer's installation instructions and the structural engineer's layout plan, including the temporary bracing requirements during erection — trusses are inherently unstable until permanently braced and sheeted.

The highest-consequence risk in timber framing is uncontrolled collapse of a partially erected frame or truss system before permanent bracing is installed. Temporary bracing must be applied progressively as framing proceeds and must remain in place until the permanent structure is complete and certified. Wind loading on exposed partially-erected frames can cause sudden collapse — stop work protocols for wind speeds above the safe working limit must be documented and observed.

Falls from height during top plate walking, truss setting, and roof noggin installation are the most frequent severe injury mechanism. Scaffold, elevated work platforms, or roof brackets with guardrails should be used where practicable; fall-arrest systems are a lower-order control requiring trained workers and anchor systems rated to AS/NZS 1891.

Customise this template with the specific building height and framing configuration, the temporary bracing design, the wind work-stop threshold, and the fall prevention method for each phase of the framing sequence.