How to Use Claude to Review SWMS
Before high-risk work kicks off on an Australian site, the principal contractor often has a pile of subbie Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) to get through. Some are written for the job. Others are a master copy with the project name changed, and on a quick skim you can't tell them apart. Drop one into Claude and it'll pick out hazards with no control, controls that don't match a step, generic wording and blank risk ratings. The call, and the signature, stay with you.
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The short answer
Paste or upload the SWMS into Claude and ask it to check that every step lists its hazards, every hazard has a control, each step has a risk rating before and after controls, and there's a sign-on section. You'll get a list of gaps back, not a pass or fail. Your competent person decides what to fix before signing off.
How to Get Claude Reviewing Your SWMS
How good the review is comes down to what you ask for. Give Claude the SWMS and the standard to check it against, then ask for specific findings. A prompt that works can be saved and reused on the next subbie's SWMS.
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Step 1
Give Claude the SWMS and Your Standard
Paste the SWMS into Claude or upload the file, then tell it what to check against. Spell the standard out: the high-risk construction work is covered, every hazard has a control, each step carries a risk rating, and the job steps match the work being done.
- The SWMS, as pasted text or an attached file
- The task it covers and the site
- Your own SWMS template or the principal contractor's checklist, if you have one
- What to check first: controls and risk ratings, then the sign-on
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Step 2
Ask for a List of Gaps, Not a Verdict
Ask Claude whether a SWMS looks fine and it'll usually agree. Ask for a list of gaps instead, each tied to a job step, and you can send it straight back to the subbie.
- Hazards named but never controlled
- Controls with no matching job step
- Generic text that would fit any job
- Steps with no risk rating, or none after controls
- No sign-on section or named approver
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Step 3
Make the Call on Each Finding
Treat the list as a first pass and weigh each finding against the site and the task. Real gaps go back to whoever wrote the SWMS. The competent person still signs off.
Prompt Guidance for Reviewing SWMS with Claude
A specific prompt gets a sharp review. Name the high-risk construction work the SWMS covers and ask for findings against a clear standard. Once a prompt works, save it and reuse it on the next subbie's SWMS.
- "Review this subbie SWMS for [task] on [site]. List every hazard with no control and every control that isn't tied to a job step."
- "Check the risk ratings in this SWMS. Flag any step with no rating or no rating after controls, and any rating that doesn't match the controls listed."
- "Quote any lines in this SWMS that would read the same on any job."
- "Compare this SWMS against the attached template and list what it leaves out."
- "Check whether this SWMS names the high-risk construction work and includes a named approver and a crew sign-on."
- "Give me the top five gaps in this SWMS from [subbie name], most serious first."
Troubleshooting Thin Results When Reviewing SWMS
Thin findings usually come from the SWMS template. Claude can only review what the form records, so the fix goes into the template your subbies fill in.
- Controls don't match steps: they sit in separate tables, so put each control on the same row as its job step
- Risk ratings look missing: the matrix is an image or a scan, so add text rating fields per step, before and after controls
- Every SWMS gets the same findings: nothing on the form is specific, so add fields for the site, task and high-risk work
- Sign-on can't be checked: it's on a separate scanned sheet, so build name and date fields into the form
- Standard controls get flagged as vague: the same control is worded differently each time, so add a pick list for it
Limitations
Claude gives you the gaps. Your competent person makes the call and signs. The crew still signs on site and works to the signed version. Starting from scratch? See how to use Claude to draft a SWMS.
What Claude Does Well When Reviewing a SWMS
Hand Claude the SWMS and a clear standard to check against. It reads quickly and shows you which lines need a second look.
- Reads the whole SWMS against what a good one looks like
- Flags hazards that have no control
- Flags controls that don't match a job step
- Picks out generic text that doesn't fit the task
- Checks risk ratings before and after controls
- Compares it with your template or the principal contractor's checklist
What Claude Leaves to You When Reviewing a SWMS
Some of the review belongs to the people on the job, and nothing replaces the competent person's sign-off.
- Knowing the site and the ground conditions on the day
- Deciding whether controls are adequate
- Signing off or confirming WHS duties are met
- Catching every gap, so your own review still counts
What This Assumes You Already Do
This page assumes you already collect a SWMS before high-risk work starts and someone checks each one. Claude makes that check faster. The competent person still decides.
- You collect a SWMS from every subbie before high-risk construction work starts
- Someone on your side owns checking each one
- A competent person signs off each SWMS or sends it back
- You can tell a site-specific SWMS from a generic one
Why Use Claude to Review SWMS
A proper SWMS review takes time, and you might have a dozen to clear before Monday. Skim them and a generic one gets through. If an incident traces back to a missing control, it's the signer who answers for it. Claude does a structured first pass on each one, so you're not starting cold and your time goes on the decisions that matter.
What a Good SWMS Review Catches
A good review checks the SWMS against WHS regulations and what the principal contractor expects. In most states and territories, a SWMS has to name the high-risk construction work, the hazards and risks, the controls, and how those controls are put in place, monitored and reviewed. Most principal contractors also want a risk rating and a crew sign-on.
- Whether the high-risk construction work is named plainly
- Hazards that are named but never controlled
- Controls with no matching job step
- Controls that fall back on PPE
- Generic text that would fit any job
- Risk ratings missing, or absent after controls
- No named approver or sign-on record
It's Sunday night and six subbie SWMS are sitting in your inbox for a Monday start. Your name goes on the sign-off, and a skim lets the generic ones through.
Connecting Sitemate MCP to Claude
Connecting takes three steps, and the first happens outside Claude. An Org Controller turns on MCP access in Dashpivot by Sitemate, and until then the connector won't authenticate.
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Step 1
Turn On MCP Access in Dashpivot
An Org Controller opens Settings > Security in Dashpivot, sets the MCP Access toggle to anything above None and saves the changes. The connector won't authenticate until that's done.
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Step 2
Add the Sitemate Connector in Claude
In Claude, go to Settings > Connectors > Add > Browse connectors and search 'Sitemate'. Choose the connector tagged Community, click Connect, sign in with your Sitemate credentials and approve access when prompted.
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Step 3
Pick It in a Chat
Start a new chat, click the plus button, open Connectors and pick Sitemate. Claude only sees what your Dashpivot permissions allow, so connecting doesn't widen anyone's access.
If the Connector Won't Appear
Three causes account for most failed connections. The first one is the most common.
- Nothing connects: MCP Access is still off in Dashpivot, and only an Org Controller can turn it on
- Sitemate isn't in the list: search 'Sitemate' exactly and pick the connector tagged Community
- It's not showing in a chat: start a new chat, click the plus button and open Connectors
Where the SWMS and Its Review Live
A reviewed SWMS still needs a crew sign-on and somewhere to live. The review's worth more when it's kept with the signed record.
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Storm Captures It on Site
Once the gaps are fixed, save the SWMS as a PDF or Word file. Storm, Sitemate's data capture agent, rebuilds it as a Dashpivot template with AI Templates, and the crew signs on from a phone or tablet on site.
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Dashpivot Holds It as the Record
Dashpivot stores each job's SWMS and its sign-on as a structured, versioned record that's ready for audit. The version you reviewed is the one the crew signed.
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Sitemate MCP Reads It Back
Claude reads your Dashpivot records over Sitemate MCP, so you can ask which jobs have a signed SWMS or which gaps keep recurring. Access is read-only, and your existing permissions still apply.
Storm Fills the Records Claude Reads
The crew runs the SWMS and signs on from a phone or tablet as the work starts, and Storm, Sitemate's data capture agent, captures it there and then. Claude reviews the document, and the signed record sits in Dashpivot by Sitemate where Claude can read it.
AI Form Fill
Capture what you see and say, and Storm drafts the form for you. The details land in the right fields, so there is a record to check the moment the work is done, and you review and submit it yourself.
Listens to the work
Captures voice cleanly through machinery, wind, and movement. Accents and trade language understood. No headset needed.
Works on site
Built for gloves, cabs, and screen protectors. Captures inputs offline and processes in the background. No waiting on the field.
You stay in control
Storm never commits a record on its own. Every output is a draft for human review. Admins control what Storm can write to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Claude sign off a SWMS?
No. Claude lists the gaps it finds. Whether the controls are adequate, and whether the SWMS gets signed, is up to the competent person.
Does Claude check the SWMS against the site?
No. It only checks against the standard you give it. Claude doesn’t know the ground conditions or which other trades are on site, so you’ll still need your own site check.
Will Claude catch every gap in a SWMS?
No. Think of it as a fast first pass for things like missing controls or risk ratings. Your own review still needs to happen.
Can Claude write the SWMS as well as review it?
Yes, with separate drafting prompts. Describe the high-risk work, the site and the crew, and Claude drafts from there. A competent person reviews and signs it before work starts.
Where does the reviewed SWMS end up?
The crew signs onto it on site with Storm, and the record is kept in Dashpivot by Sitemate. Claude can read it back over Sitemate MCP. The connection is read-only, so Claude can’t change the record.