Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) Template
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This Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement, or Lawn Mowing SWMS, is an easy-to-use form that your workers can use to plan and manage lawn mowing risks before landscaping or grounds maintenance work begins. Easily select the scope of work, possible hazards, and required PPE from a list of choices, then work through a ready-to-use list of job steps, risk assessments, and method statements for common lawn mowing activities.
Need a complete digital lawn mowing SWMS you can fill out and make your own? It comes pre-filled with lawn mowing job steps, risk assessments, and method statements you can edit to match how your company works, and your crew can scan to sign on before starting and export the finished SWMS to PDF or CSV.
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What is Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)?
A Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement, or Lawn Mowing SWMS, is a document used by site teams, supervisors, landscapers, and grounds maintenance workers to plan how lawn mowing activities will be carried out safely. This SWMS usually includes details on the work area, mower type, terrain conditions, public access, nearby vehicles, debris hazards, fuel handling, PPE, job steps, hazards, risk ratings, and control measures.
Due to the risks that come with lawn mowing work, hazards such as flying debris, moving blades, noise, vibration, slips, uneven ground, manual handling, and interaction with pedestrians or vehicles have to be planned around to lessen potential accidents. This makes Lawn Mowing SWMS documents highly relevant in Australian landscaping, facilities management, council works, schools, parks, commercial properties, and residential maintenance where grass cutting and grounds work are common.
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Applicable Standards and Policies for Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)
There are generally no explicit formatting requirements for a Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement. However, Australian WHS laws require PCBUs to prepare a SWMS for high-risk construction work where applicable, and to document hazards, risks, and control measures involved in mowing, brush cutting, mobile plant use, and outdoor maintenance work. A Lawn Mowing SWMS is a good document to support compliance with this.
- Model WHS Regulations require a SWMS for high-risk construction work in Australia
- Safe Work Australia guidance covers plant, equipment, and outdoor work risks
- Safe Work Australia guidance covers hazardous manual tasks and exposure to noise, dust, and UV
- State and territory WHS laws commonly require risk controls for mowing and grounds maintenance work
- Local site and principal contractor requirements commonly require SWMS documents for lawn mowing activities
Staff Members and Parties that use Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)
A Lawn Mowing SWMS is primarily used by project teams that manage lawn mowing, brush cutting, grounds maintenance, landscaping, outdoor cleaning, or work near pedestrians, vehicles, and public areas. Here are examples of other common parties that use a Lawn Mowing SWMS:
- Site supervisors and project managers
- Grounds maintenance workers
- Landscapers and mowing crews
- Health and safety teams
- Contractors and subcontractors carrying out lawn mowing work
Business Risks Reduced by Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)
A Lawn Mowing SWMS puts controls in place for the hazards behind most lawn mowing incidents, such as cuts, flying debris, noise and UV exposure, slips and trips, manual handling, moving plant, and interaction with pedestrians or vehicles. Applied consistently, it reduces the following business risks.
- Injuries, illness, and lawn mowing-related incidents
- Non-compliance with Australian WHS and outdoor work safety requirements
- Legal claims, enforcement action, and incident-related costs
- Project delays from injuries, equipment damage, investigations, and site shutdowns
Business Opportunities Created by Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)
A well-prepared Lawn Mowing SWMS helps businesses improve control over grounds maintenance, outdoor work, equipment use, and public interface risks. Here are some ways a well-designed Lawn Mowing SWMS can help businesses:
- Improve worker confidence before lawn mowing work begins
- Strengthen contractor prequalification and tender-offer competitiveness
- Improve coordination between supervisors, mowing crews, landscapers, and site teams
- Build trust with clients, regulators, insurers, and project stakeholders
What Should be Included in a Lawn Mowing SWMS?
A Lawn Mowing SWMS should be prepared before lawn mowing work is carried out as part of high risk construction work or on sites with higher-risk conditions. While exact requirements can vary across Australian states, territories, projects, and principal contractor requirements, there are some core elements that are typically included that you should know about:
- Scope of work, site location, mower type, work area, and responsible persons
- Job steps for site inspection, mower checks, mowing, edging, trimming, clean-up, and pack-up
- Hazards such as thrown objects, moving blades, noise, vibration, heat, slips, trips, traffic, and public interaction
- Required controls such as exclusion zones, PPE, traffic controls, pre-start checks, guards, and clear communication
- Risk ratings, emergency procedures, worker consultation, sign-off, and review requirements
Why are Lawn Mowing SWMS Important?
Lawn Mowing SWMS are important because mowing work can expose workers and nearby people to hazards from moving blades, thrown objects, noise, vibration, heat, and uneven ground. This is critically important on construction, civil, council, commercial, and maintenance sites where mowing may occur near roads, pedestrians, buildings, parked vehicles, slopes, or other work crews.
Essentially, a Lawn Mowing SWMS helps confirm that the work steps, site hazards, equipment checks, and safety controls have been reviewed before the task begins. Additionally, it gives project management teams clear documentation of the due diligence performed, supporting consultation, site coordination, and compliance with Australian WHS requirements where the work forms part of construction or higher-risk site activity.
How to Create a Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)
Creating your own Lawn Mowing SWMS forms doesn’t have to be complicated. In this section, we break down the process step by step.
Before starting your Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) form, the following pre-requisites should be ready.
- Project or site details are required.
- Lawn mowing scope and work areas must be listed.
- High-risk construction work details must be covered.
- Hazards, risks, and control measures must be stated.
- Mower, fuel, and equipment checks must be included.
- PPE, traffic, pedestrian, and debris controls must be noted.
- Worker sign-off and SWMS review requirements must be recorded.
Start with Project and SWMS Information
First, you need to place high-level general information at the beginning of your Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement to help establish context for the work to be done. Here are some examples of core elements that you can use:
- Project name and site location
- SWMS title and document reference number
- Description of lawn mowing works to be completed
- Name of the PCBU, contractor, or subcontractor
- Names and roles of workers, supervisors, and mower operators
Define the Scope of Lawn Mowing Works
Next, you will want to define the scope of work so it is clear what mowing activities are covered by the SWMS. For example, you will want to list the following information in your Lawn Mowing SWMS:
- Type of mower or cutting equipment being used
- Work area, boundary, or grassed area to be maintained
- Mowing, edging, trimming, and clean-up activities
- Fuel, batteries, tools, and equipment required for the task
- Public access, traffic areas, or exclusion zone requirements
Assess Lawn Mowing Hazards
It is important that potential hazards are identified before lawn mowing starts so the appropriate safety control measures can be implemented. Common hazards that you should look out for include:
- Contact with mower blades or moving parts
- Flying debris, stones, sticks, or loose objects
- Slopes, uneven ground, holes, or hidden obstacles
- Noise, vibration, dust, heat, or sun exposure
- Interaction with pedestrians, vehicles, animals, or nearby workers
Record Safety Control Measures and Work Method
After the hazards are identified, you will want to determine the appropriate safety control measures to reduce risks for your workers and nearby site personnel. Be sure to document the following information in your SWMS:
- Pre-start checks for mowers, guards, blades, wheels, and controls
- Removal of debris and inspection of the work area before mowing
- Safe mowing direction for slopes, edges, and uneven ground
- PPE requirements such as eye protection, hearing protection, gloves, long pants, and safety footwear
- Stop work triggers for damaged equipment, unsafe weather, public access, or uncontrolled debris
Complete Review, Approval, and Worker Sign-Off
Complete your Lawn Mowing SWMS with review, approval, and worker sign-off to confirm that the work method and safety control measures have been communicated before work starts. Here are some examples of fields you can include:
- Names and roles of reviewers and approvers
- Date of review and approval
- Worker confirmation that the SWMS has been read and understood
- Supervisor or person in charge sign-off
- Revision number and next review trigger
Frequently asked questions
How to create SWMS Process in an App or Software System
A well-designed SWMS process ensures workers clearly understand the hazards, risks, and required control measures to perform high-risk work, while enabling your team to easily document, review, and share safe work procedures before work begins.
40 minutes
Medium difficulty
Start your Lawn Mowing SWMS with General Information
It is important to begin your Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) with key project, site, date, reference, and location details so the document can be traced to the correct mowing and grounds maintenance activity. This section should use simple text and date fields for fields such as:
- Text field or Automatic Form Counter for SWMS Reference Number
- Date selector field for Date
- Text fields for Project Name and Address
- Text field or Automatic Single Day Weather capture
- Multi-line text field for Description of Work
Create a Section for Scope of Work, Hazards, and PPE
Next, create a section where users can select the project scope, possible hazards, and required PPE for the lawn mowing works. For simplicity, we recommend using multiple-choice selector fields for this section, with fields such as:
- Multiple-choice selector field for Project Scope
- Multiple-choice selector field for Possible Hazards
- Multiple-choice selector field for PPE Required, including Ear Protection
- Conditional text field for other hazards or PPE not listed in the pre-filled choices
Create a Table for Material and Equipment Information
Users will next need to list the ride-on mower, push mower, brush cutter, and other equipment required for the task. We highly recommend using a table for this section so each item can be recorded with its make, asset details, and required training information.
- First column for Material or Equipment Name
- Second column for Make or Model
- Third column for Registration or Asset ID, if any
- Fourth column for Required License or Training, if any
Create a Table for the Method Statement and Risk Assessment
Next, create the main SWMS table where users can record each lawn mowing job step, hazards, risk scores, controls, and responsible persons. We highly recommend using a table for this section, with the following formatting for the columns:
- First column for Job Step
- Second column for Potential Hazards
- Third column for Initial Risk Score
- Fourth column for Controls
- Fifth column for Residual Risk Score
- Sixth column for Person Responsible
Add Pre-filled Method Statement Rows for Lawn Mowing Work
After the main table is created, add pre-filled rows that reflect the most common lawn mowing job steps in the attached SWMS. These rows help users complete the form faster while still allowing the SWMS to be adjusted for the actual site task.
- Row for Pre-start planning, work area setup and mower inspection
- Row for Operating mower and cutting grass
- Row for Mowing slopes, edges and around obstacles
- Row for Clearing blockages and shutting down mower
Create a Section for Additional High-Risk or Site-Specific Steps
Some lawn mowing tasks may require extra job steps depending on vehicle access roads, pedestrian areas, flying debris, slope conditions, public access, or the use of brush cutters near obstacles. We highly recommend creating an additional method statement table so users can add extra risk assessment rows when needed.
- Columns for Job Step, Potential Hazards, Likelihood, Consequence, Initial Risk Score, Controls, Residual Risk Score, and Person Responsible
- Dropdown fields for Likelihood and Consequence scores
- Risk Score = Likelihood Rating x Consequence Rating
Create a Section for Risk Matrix Guidance
Next, add a risk matrix section as a guide for users to assess initial and residual risk scores for any additional job steps they may add. We highly recommend using the following fields and features to help guide users:
- Pre-filled or photo of the Risk Matrix table showing Likelihood, Consequence, and Risk Score levels
- Pre-filled text field for Consequence ratings from 1 to 5
- Pre-filled text field for Likelihood ratings from 1 to 5
- Pre-filled guide for residual risk actions, including Low, Moderate, High, and Catastrophic risk outcome
End your Lawn Mowing SWMS with Worker and Supervisor Sign-offs
Finally, complete the Lawn Mowing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) with worker confirmation and sign-off fields for the responsible parties. If your app or software allows, use scan-to-sign and automatic e-signature fields to keep the sign-off process digital.
- A scan to sign-on table for workers’ sign-off
- E-signature field for Supervisor Sign-off
- E-signature field for Project Manager Sign-off
- Automatic date and time stamp fields for each sign-off
About the author
Ron Gadugdug
Engineering Content Writer
Education:
Cebu Institute of Technology - University - Civil Engineering
Bio:
Ron is a Civil Engineer with 6 years of experience in the construction industry, primarily focused on quantity surveying, cost estimation, project management, quality control, contract administration, and property & engineering insurance. At Sitemate, he writes about practical applications of evolving technologies and digital solutions that support construction professionals in improving efficiency, compliance, and project delivery across the built world.
Project Details:
Quantity Surveying & Cost Engineering
Performed quantity take-offs of several high-rise and horizontal structures using sheets and applications like Revit and Bluebeam Revu, and spearheaded trials with Building Information Modeling (BIM) software.
Project Management & Consultancy
Coordinated with project management teams during the construction of local projects such as a 4-tower hotel & resort, a 22 storey condominium project, and a school dormitory project.
Contract Administration
Assisted during contract biddings and negotiations with general contractors and sub-contractors, and oversaw progress reporting, billings, and payment.
Property & Engineering Insurance
Dedicated non-life claims handler, overseeing property and contractor all-risk insurance claims, risk management, and bonds.
Version History:
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