SWMS requirements in Victoria: the 19-category OHS regime
Current at 28 September 2026 — reviewed against WorkSafe Victoria's SWMS guidance WSV1672 (March 2023) and the OHS Regulations 2017.
Victoria never adopted Australia's Model WHS laws. As at September 2026, SWMS duties in Victoria come from the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, enforced by WorkSafe Victoria — with 19 categories of high-risk construction work (the model law has 18), duties on employers and self-employed persons rather than PCBUs, and mandatory consultation with affected employees and their HSRs. A model-law SWMS template with "VIC" typed into the header does not meet this regime.
Victoria's 19 high-risk construction work categories
An employer or self-employed person must prepare a SWMS before starting construction work that involves any of these activities:
| # | Work… |
|---|---|
| 1 | where there is a risk of a person falling more than 2 m |
| 2 | on or next to roadways or railways used by road or rail traffic |
| 3 | in, over or next to water or liquids where there is a risk of drowning |
| 4 | at workplaces where there is any movement of powered mobile plant |
| 5 | where structural alterations require temporary support to prevent collapse |
| 6 | in an area with artificial extremes of temperature |
| 7 | on or near energised electrical installations or services |
| 8 | involving a trench or shaft more than 1.5 m deep |
| 9 | on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping |
| 10 | involving demolition |
| 11 | involving a confined space |
| 12 | on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines |
| 13 | involving tilt-up or precast concrete |
| 14 | on telecommunications towers |
| 15 | involving diving |
| 16 | involving removal or disturbance of asbestos |
| 17 | in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere |
| 18 | involving the use of explosives |
| 19 | involving a tunnel |
The visible difference from the model law's 18 categories: Victoria lists tunnels as their own category (19) separate from trenches and shafts (8). The deeper differences are in the legal language and consultation duties below.
How Victoria differs from the model-law states
| Victoria (OHS Regulations 2017) | Model WHS states (NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, ACT, NT, WA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | WorkSafe Victoria | SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe QLD, SafeWork SA, WorkSafe Tasmania, WorkSafe ACT, NT WorkSafe, WorkSafe WA |
| HRCW categories | 19 (tunnels separate) | 18 (reg 291(a)–(r); tunnel grouped with shaft/trench) |
| Who owes the duty | Employer / self-employed person | PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) |
| Consultation | Affected employees and their HSRs must be consulted | Workers directly engaged in the work |
| Review triggers | Whenever anything changes on site, the HRCW changes, risks aren't adequately controlled, or after any incident | Review when the work or controls change, or when a control measure is revised |
What WorkSafe Victoria says a SWMS should look like
WorkSafe Victoria's published SWMS layout links each task to its own hazards and controls — and its guidance lists what a SWMS does not need: legislation extracts, lengthy procedures, risk matrices. Its recommended preparation steps: bring the relevant employees, HSRs and supervisors together (at the work location if possible), review the proposed works and site-specific factors, identify every HRCW activity and its hazards, set control measures against each hazard, and review and update the SWMS whenever anything changes.
The kit includes true Victorian versions — not find-and-replace
Every one of the 8 SWMS in the electrician SWMS template pack ships in a dedicated Victorian version:
- Victoria's 19-category HRCW checklist (not the model law's 18)
- Employer / self-employed wording, not "PCBU"
- HSR consultation wording: affected employees and their HSRs consulted, recorded on the document
- Victoria's broader review triggers built into the review section
- WorkSafe Victoria's 5-column task table: task → hazards → controls → how implemented → who is responsible
Get the Electrician SWMS Kit — A$59
21 documents, Word + PDF, Victorian + Model WHS versions of every SWMS. Or start with the free pre-start SWMS checklist.
Victorian SWMS questions
Is a SWMS required in Victoria?
Yes. Under the OHS Regulations 2017, employers and self-employed persons must prepare a SWMS before starting any of the 19 categories of high-risk construction work, in consultation with affected employees and their HSRs.
Can I use a Safe Work Australia or NSW/QLD template in Victoria?
It's risky. The legal language (employer vs PCBU), the category list (19 vs 18) and the consultation duties (HSRs) all differ. A swapped-header template misses Victorian requirements — which is exactly what principal contractors and auditors check. (Going the other way, the model-law rules are covered on the NSW and Queensland pages.)
When must a SWMS be reviewed in Victoria?
Whenever anything changes on site, whenever the HRCW changes, if there's any indication risks aren't adequately controlled, and after any incident during the work.