Too often in an industry where safety is paramount, has the process for managing Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) been considered a checkbox ticking exercise, rather than the core reason of addressing High Risk Construction Work (HRCW) to keep people safe.

Over time, traditional SWMS documents have become long, downloadable dumping grounds to try and capture information that doesn’t have anything to do with HRCW. The result has been an inconsistent approach that fails to achieve the true aim of highlighting the risks and controls that workers need to be aware of before beginning work on site. This sometimes ineffective process and its generic tool results can contribute to injuries on-site that otherwise could be avoided.

Recognising this challenge, SimpliSWMS was developed as a new application providing a simple, collaborative, real-time method of creating, implementing and monitoring HRCW between workers, subcontractors and the principal contractor in line with WHS SWMS regulation.

The beauty of the app is that digitises an often paper-based process using the latest technology and makes it accessible from mobiles, tablets or desktop. The portability means that SWMS can be created, reviewed and discussed where they need to be, on site, and simplifies the SWMS process for both the Principal Contractor (PC) and Subcontractor (PCBU) whilst still being project, site and trade specific.

Simply SWMS’ mission is to transform the industry’s approach towards SWMS from a misused, verbose procedural compliance document, to a simple, collaborative, digital method of creating, implementing and monitoring high risk construction work.

Simply SWMS promotes consultation in real-time between principal contractors, subcontractors and workers to help contribute to the reduction in traumatic injuries and fatalities on construction sites whilst being aligned with WHS Regulations nationally.

Key features include:

• Flexible Platform – Create, review, implement and monitor SWMS on all projects easily via mobile app
• Customisable - Easy to use interface allows users to build their own SWMS specific to a trade, activity, project or policy
• Developed by industry - Developed with leading industry bodies, tier 1 building companies, subcontractors and workers to create a WHS Regulation compliant and standardised approach
• Keeping workers safe - Designed to help educate workers around the HRCW items specific to each project they work on though simple quizzes
• Real-time review - Collaborate, review and monitor SWMS in real-time between the worker, sub-contractor and principal contractor onsite
• Free to use - Free version for small organisations because safety is more important than profit. A tiered subscription model also exists to cater to the larger principal contractors and subcontractors in the market

Lastly, in recognition that one of the key challenges with workers on site is the diversity of cultural and linguistic backgrounds, Simply SWMS will be translated into multiple languages and uses images and videos as an innovative means of ensuring workers understand the content of the SWMS correctly.

The app has been piloted and is now being used across a growing number of construction sites. It has also been created and endorsed with leading industry bodies including the Master Builders Association, Formwork Industry Association and the Crane Industry Council of Australia.

Award Winning.

SimpliSWMS recently won the NSW 2019 Master Builders Association Excellence in Construction Awards for Safety Innovation as a standout initiative and the feedback on the app from users has been very positive:

"Simply SWMS now takes me just 30 minutes to create a completed SWMS that my principal contractor is happy with. In the past this would have taken 3 weeks!”, Michael Louis, REDS Global

“I’m the guy actually doing the job… I often read a SWMS that is just wrong, the suggestions are just not going to work… so we end up just doing it the way it needs to be done instead of following the documented SWMS”, says Dwayne, Demolition expert.

“Best thing to happen safety in the last 20 years”

“About time we had a say in our SWMS”

For more information visit the website link below.

SIMPLI SWMS