Build a New Zealand SWMS in minutes

Some NZ principals — particularly Australian-owned contractors — require a SWMS in place of a Task Analysis. Riskora produces the SWMS structure with NZ PCBU terminology and HSWA-aligned controls. 100+ industries supported.

New Zealand (JSA) example document — Kitchen Reconfiguration & Beam Install — 42 Tinakori Road, Wellington. Client: Mr & Mrs Henderson (Private Client). Site: 42 Tinakori Road, Thorndon, Wellington 6011. Scope: Removal of a load-bearing internal wall in an existing 1910 weatherboard villa, installation of a 250 UB engineered steel beam to form a 4.8 m opening, replacement of kitchen joinery, services first/second fix, and minor strip-out of pre-2000 sheet linings. Works occur in an occupied dwelling within a Heritage Area 1 zone.

Example New Zealand (JSA) front cover produced by Riskora
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  • UK · IE · US · CA · AU · NZ
  • RAMS · SWMS · JHA · JSA · COSHH · Task Analysis · Toolbox Talks
  • Site-specific — not a blank template
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You're probably here because…
  • Principal contractor specifies a SWMS not a Task Analysis.
  • Confined space, working at height or hot work activity.
  • Existing SWMS is generic and reads as a UK RAMS.
  • WorkSafe interest after a notifiable event.
What to add to the box
  • A client email asking for paperwork
  • A site manager's WhatsApp or text message
  • Scope of works or job description
  • Tender or PQQ notes for the package
  • A previous RAMS to update or improve
Inside the document

What's in every SWMS

Job-specific hazards

Hazards drawn from the task, the site and the scope you describe — not a stock list.

Hierarchy of controls

Elimination first, PPE last. Initial and residual risk shown side by side.

Step-by-step method

Sequenced steps with a person responsible for each, written for this SWMS.

PPE & equipment

Task-specific PPE, plant and inspection requirements.

Emergency arrangements

First aid, fire, spill and rescue arrangements specific to the work.

Chemicals & substances

Substance prompts appear when materials in scope need a hazardous-substance assessment.

Permits & hold points

Hot work, working at height, confined space and inspection hold points where they apply.

Briefing & sign-off

Pre-start briefing register, version lock and an audit-ready workflow.

Client-ready SWMS PDF

Branded, paginated PDF you can issue without reformatting.

Example output

A SWMS, not a UK RAMS

PCBU instead of Principal Contractor. Hierarchy of controls applied. Sign-on register and worker-engagement record visible on the document.

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Not a blank template

Riskora isn't a blank template or a generic AI text generator

Riskora asks for your job and site context, then structures a client-ready, site-specific JSA: hazards, controls, method steps, PPE, emergency arrangements and sign-off — not a paragraph of AI prose. You stay in control of every section and the output is built for an audit-ready workflow.

Inside the document

What your JSA actually contains

Riskora builds a structured, client-facing document — not a generic AI paragraph. Every section is shaped around your job, your site and your team.

  • Hazards

    Task-specific hazards for the job, captured row by row — not a generic list pulled from an old JSA.

  • Controls

    Control measures mapped to each hazard with residual risk scoring after controls are applied.

  • PPE

    PPE requirements tied to the activity and site, ready to brief to the team.

  • Method steps

    Step-by-step method statement structured around how the work is actually sequenced on site.

  • Emergency arrangements

    First aid, rescue plan, emergency contacts and site-specific escalation routes.

  • COSHH prompts

    Substance prompts when the work involves chemicals, dusts, fumes or sealants — flagged early, not missed at review.

  • Sign-off

    Operative sign-off captured against the document — names, dates and acknowledgement of the brief.

  • Version history

    Every change tracked so you can show what was issued, when, and which version the team signed.

  • Approval status

    Clear approval state on every document — draft, in review, approved, issued — visible across the team.

  • Audit trail

    Who created it, who reviewed it, who signed it. A complete trail you can hand to a principal contractor or auditor.

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Before & after

From copied-and-pasted to site-specific

The reason JSA get rejected is rarely the format — it's that the document is obviously generic. Riskora rebuilds it around this job, this site and this task.

Before

Generic template copied from an old job.

  • • Hazards and controls that don't match this site or task.
  • • Method steps written for a different sequence of work.
  • • No emergency arrangements specific to the location.
  • • Client flags it as generic and asks for a rewrite.
After

Site-specific document structured around this job, site and task.

  • • Hazards captured from the actual scope you pasted in.
  • • Method steps sequenced for how the work runs on site.
  • • Emergency arrangements and rescue plan tied to the location.
  • • Approved internally, briefed to the team, signed off and stored.
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How it works

From job details to signed-off document

A four-step workflow used by contractors, consultants and safety teams to turn informal job details into client-ready safety paperwork.

  1. 1
    Paste job details

    Drop in a client email, a WhatsApp from the site manager, a scope of works or a tender note. Anything that describes the job.

  2. 2
    Riskora structures the document

    Riskora turns your brief into hazards, controls, method steps, PPE, emergency arrangements and COSHH prompts.

  3. 3
    Review, edit and download

    You stay in control of every section. Tweak anything, then download a clean PDF or share a link.

  4. 4
    Brief the team and record sign-off

    Brief operatives, capture their sign-off and keep a full audit trail of who signed which version.

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Built for site reality

Built by people who've written this paperwork on real sites

Riskora is built by a founder with hands-on site and document experience — designed for contractors, consultants and safety teams who need to issue, brief and prove safety paperwork without losing a day to admin.

Build my SWMS
  • Built for contractors, consultants and teams
    Solo trades, principal contractors and in-house safety teams all run on the same workflow.
  • Supports multiple countries
    UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada — wording and document types match the local standard.
  • Not just documents
    Sign-off, approvals, version history and an audit trail — the management workflow around the paperwork.
Start in seconds

Describe the job details — get a structured JSA

Describe the job details, scope of works, email or WhatsApp message. Riskora structures the rest.

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FAQ

Questions for this exact situation

Use whichever the principal contractor requires. Australian-owned contractors and some larger NZ principals require a SWMS; smaller NZ contractors usually default to Task Analysis.

Yes. PCBU named, worker engagement evidenced, hierarchy of controls applied in order.

Yes — first SWMS is free.

Riskora helps structure a site-specific safety document. It does not replace competent review, site supervision, client requirements or legal duties. Always check the final document before issue.

Keep exploring

Related Riskora pages

Regulatory context, common mistakes and a worked example

Although SWMS is technically an Australian term, many NZ contractors working across the Tasman or supplying Australian-owned principals are asked for a SWMS. In NZ, the equivalent is a Task Analysis under HSWA 2015 — Riskora builds both with NZ-specific regulators and citations.

Regulation and guidance referenced

  • HSWA 2015 Section 36 — Primary duty of care (WorkSafe NZ)

    PCBU duty to ensure health and safety so far as reasonably practicable — the SWMS / Task Analysis is the operational evidence.

  • HSWR 2016 Regulation 5 — Management of work risks (WorkSafe NZ)

    Hierarchy of controls (eliminate → minimise) must be evidenced for each high-risk task.

  • WorkSafe GPG Working at Height — Best Practice Guidelines for Working at Height in NZ (WorkSafe NZ)

    Referenced by NZ inspectors for fall hazard control selection — cite when work-at-height is in scope.

  • ACOP Construction Work — Approved Code of Practice for safety in construction (WorkSafe NZ)

    Used by inspectors and principals as the baseline for site induction, supervision and competence expectations.

Common mistakes that get this document rejected

  • Australian SWMS used unchanged

    Direct copy from an Australian SWMS template ignores HSWA 2015 terminology, PCBU duties, and NZ-specific GPGs. NZ principals spot this immediately.

  • Worker engagement record missing

    HSWA Section 58 requires worker engagement — SWMS / Task Analyses without an engagement record fail.

  • High-risk task list copied from WHS Reg 291

    NZ does not use WHS Regulation 291's 18-category list — copying it adds noise and shows the document wasn't NZ-prepared.

Worked example

Scenario: A Wellington fit-out company sub-contracting to an Australian-owned principal for a multi-floor refurbishment.

What went wrong: Used an Australian SWMS template referencing WHS Regulation 291 and Safe Work Australia — principal still wanted NZ-specific PCBU duties and worker engagement record.

The fix: Rebuilt as an NZ Task Analysis with parallel SWMS framing — HSWA 2015 citations, PCBU duties, hierarchy per HSWR Reg 5, and worker engagement signed off.

Outcome: Accepted by the Australian-owned principal and aligned with NZ regulator expectations.

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