Safe Work Method Statement
Switchboard upgrade or replacement
SWMS-0007 · Revision 1 · Example Electrical
- Site
- 12 Example Street, Southport QLD 4215
- Work starts
- 8 Oct 2026
- Principal contractor
- None
- Prepared by
- Sam Sparky
- Contact
- 0400 000 000 · hello@example.com
- Last updated
- 8 Oct 2026, 7:00 am
High risk construction work
- Likely to disturb asbestos
- On or near energised electrical installations or services
Steps, hazards and controls
1. Arrange the supply disconnection and tell the customer
Hazards: Working on a board that can't be fully isolated on site (service fuse or mains still live), loss of supply to medical or critical equipment. High
Controls: Arrange a network disconnection. Only pull the service fuse if the network authorises you to (rules differ by state), wearing arc-rated PPE. Confirm with the customer that no one relies on life-support equipment, and agree the outage time. Medium
Who: Licensed electrician in charge
2. Check the old board for asbestos
Hazards: Asbestos in older board backing panels (often pre-1990). High
Controls: Treat old board backing as asbestos unless known otherwise. Don't drill, cut or break it. Remove and dispose of it only as the asbestos rules allow (licensed removalist where required). Low
Who: Licensed electrician in charge
3. Isolate and prove dead
Hazards: Electric shock, arc flash from consumer mains or a second supply (solar, battery, generator). High
Controls: Identify the circuit/s. Isolate at the switchboard, plus any other supply (solar inverter, battery, generator), lock off and tag (personal lock and danger tag). Prove the tester on a known live source, test for dead at the point of work, then prove the tester again. Check for shared or borrowed neutrals. Treat everything as live until tested. Isolate solar inverters, batteries and any other supply too, and test the consumer mains. Low
Who: Licensed electrician in charge
4. Remove the old board and fit the new one
Hazards: Manual handling, cuts, mixing up circuits, loose connections. Medium
Controls: Label every circuit before disconnecting. Two people for heavy enclosures. Torque connections as the manufacturer says. Low
Who: All workers
5. Test, re-energise and hand over
Hazards: Faults on re-energising, incorrect polarity, RCDs not working. High
Controls: Do all the required tests before re-energising, then earth fault-loop impedance and RCD trip times. Remove locks and tags only when the work is complete and tested. Restore the supply as the network requires. Give the customer the certificate. Low
Who: Licensed electrician in charge
| # | Task | Hazards and risks | Risk | Controls and how they're done | After | Who |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrange the supply disconnection and tell the customer | Working on a board that can't be fully isolated on site (service fuse or mains still live), loss of supply to medical or critical equipment. | High | Arrange a network disconnection. Only pull the service fuse if the network authorises you to (rules differ by state), wearing arc-rated PPE. Confirm with the customer that no one relies on life-support equipment, and agree the outage time. | Medium | Licensed electrician in charge |
| 2 | Check the old board for asbestos | Asbestos in older board backing panels (often pre-1990). | High | Treat old board backing as asbestos unless known otherwise. Don't drill, cut or break it. Remove and dispose of it only as the asbestos rules allow (licensed removalist where required). | Low | Licensed electrician in charge |
| 3 | Isolate and prove dead | Electric shock, arc flash from consumer mains or a second supply (solar, battery, generator). | High | Identify the circuit/s. Isolate at the switchboard, plus any other supply (solar inverter, battery, generator), lock off and tag (personal lock and danger tag). Prove the tester on a known live source, test for dead at the point of work, then prove the tester again. Check for shared or borrowed neutrals. Treat everything as live until tested. Isolate solar inverters, batteries and any other supply too, and test the consumer mains. | Low | Licensed electrician in charge |
| 4 | Remove the old board and fit the new one | Manual handling, cuts, mixing up circuits, loose connections. | Medium | Label every circuit before disconnecting. Two people for heavy enclosures. Torque connections as the manufacturer says. | Low | All workers |
| 5 | Test, re-energise and hand over | Faults on re-energising, incorrect polarity, RCDs not working. | High | Do all the required tests before re-energising, then earth fault-loop impedance and RCD trip times. Remove locks and tags only when the work is complete and tested. Restore the supply as the network requires. Give the customer the certificate. | Low | Licensed electrician in charge |
PPE
Safety boots, Safety glasses, Insulated gloves (rated), Arc-rated clothing, Arc-rated face shield, P2 mask
Plant and equipment
Insulated hand tools, voltage tester (CAT IV), insulation resistance tester, loop impedance tester, lock-out kit, barriers and signs.
Emergency
Call 000 for an ambulance. First aid kit and fire extinguisher in the vehicle. Electric shock: don't touch the person until the supply is off, then call 000 and start CPR if needed. Anyone who gets a shock sees a doctor even if they seem fine, and the shock is reported to the electrical safety regulator. Nearest hospital: (add for this site).
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