Workflow Template

Excavation SWMS review and sign-on (Australia) Workflow

Collects an excavation Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) submission, routes it through safety manager review with revision cycles for changes required or stop-work for unsafe conditions, and on approval manages crew briefing and sign-on before work begins.

Excavation work can't start until a Safe Work Method Statement is reviewed, revised if needed, and the crew has signed on, but chasing paperwork by email slows sites down and makes it hard to track where a SWMS is stuck. This workflow collects the SWMS submission, routes it to the safety manager for a decision, cycles it back to the site supervisor for revisions or stops work on unsafe conditions, and manages the crew briefing and sign-on before work begins. Site supervisors and safety managers run it through assigned tasks, with the principal contractor kept informed by email.

Business Outcomes

Helps reduce time spent chasing SWMS approvals between site and safety teams
Makes revision cycles clearer with a documented decision and comments at each round
Supports faster crew sign-on once a SWMS is approved
Keeps principal contractors informed automatically without manual follow-up
Gives each SWMS a status and timeline that's easy to check at a glance

Workflow Steps

Steps

1
Create SWMS Recordcreate record
Creates the SWMS submission record from the intake form data.
2
Set Status to Submittedupdate record
Sets the SWMS status to Submitted immediately after creation.
3
Email Submission Acknowledgementsend email
Sends the site supervisor an acknowledgement email with the SWMS reference number.
4
Set Status to Safety Reviewupdate record
Sets the SWMS status to Safety Review before the safety manager task is created.
5
Safety Manager: Review SWMScreate task
Assigns the safety manager to review the SWMS and record their decision and comments, due in 2 days.
6
Save Safety Review Decisionupdate record
Persists the safety manager's decision and comments to the record.
7
Route on Safety Review Decision
Branches the workflow based on the safety manager's review decision.
safety_decision: "Approved"→Site Supervisor: Brief Crew & Sign On
safety_decision: "Changes required"→Set Status to Revising
safety_decision: "Unsafe to proceed"→Set Status to Stopped
Default→End
8
Set Status to Revisingupdate record
Sets the SWMS status to Revising when changes are required.
9
Site Supervisor: Revise SWMScreate task
Assigns the site supervisor to review comments, upload the revised SWMS, and update control measures, due in 2 days.
10
Save Revised SWMSupdate record
Persists the revised SWMS document and updated control measures to the record.
11
Return to Safety Reviewrestart from step
Restarts the workflow from the safety review task so the safety manager reviews the revised SWMS.
12
Set Status to Stoppedupdate record
Sets the SWMS status to Stopped when the safety manager deems the work unsafe to proceed.
13
Email Stop Work Noticesend email
Notifies the site supervisor that work must not start, with the safety manager's comments.
14
Safety Manager: Record Required Actionscreate task
Assigns the safety manager to record the actions required before work can proceed, due in 1 day.
15
Save Required Actionsupdate record
Persists the required actions to the record.
16
Site Supervisor: Brief Crew & Sign Oncreate task
Assigns the site supervisor to brief the crew, get sign-on, and record details, due in 1 day.
17
Save Sign-On Detailsupdate record
Persists the crew sign-on details, signed sheet, and review trigger notes to the record.
18
Set Status to Activeupdate record
Sets the SWMS status to Active once the crew has signed on.
19
Email SWMS Approved & Crew Signed Onsend email
Notifies the site supervisor that the SWMS is approved and the crew has signed on.
20
Email Principal Contractor SWMS Approvedsend email
Notifies the principal contractor that the SWMS is approved and the crew has signed on.

Fields

Site Supervisor Name*
Site Supervisor Email*
Principal Contractor Name*
Principal Contractor Email*
Site Address*
Job*
+19 more fields

Forms

Excavation SWMS Submission

16 fields

Data Views

SWMS Register

job, site_address, planned_start_date, swms_version +1 more

Dashboard Widgets

SWMS by Status

Recommended integrations

Setup the following integrations to extend workflow capability.

Send email in the workflow
AWS SES

excavation swms review and sign-onexcavation and earthmovingswmstradetradesaustralia

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FAQs

How do I set up this workflow for our site?

Publish the template in your workspace and it's ready to run immediately, no installation or development project needed. You'll want to assign your safety manager and confirm which team members can be assigned as site supervisors, since tasks in the workflow go to specific people.

What information do I need before submitting a SWMS?

The request form asks for site and job details, planned start date, excavation type, the SWMS document itself, site-specific hazards, control measures, underground services, trench support, exclusion zones, and emergency arrangements. Having this ready before submission keeps the safety review moving quickly.

How long does the safety review take?

The safety manager's review task is due in 2 days from assignment. If changes are required, the site supervisor's revision task is also due in 2 days, and the SWMS returns to safety review afterward, so multiple cycles can extend the overall timeline.

What happens if the safety manager marks the SWMS as unsafe to proceed?

The status is set to Stopped and the site supervisor receives an email stop work notice with the safety manager's comments. The safety manager then has a task, due in 1 day, to record the actions required before work can proceed, which is saved to the record.

What happens when changes are required?

The status changes to Revising and the site supervisor gets a task, due in 2 days, to review comments, upload a revised SWMS document, and update control measures. Once submitted, the workflow returns to the safety manager for another review of the revised submission.

Who is responsible for crew briefing and sign-on?

Once the SWMS is approved, the site supervisor is assigned a task, due in 1 day, to brief the crew, get sign-on, and record who signed on, the signed sign-on sheet, and notes on what would trigger a future review. This information is saved to the record once submitted.

Does the principal contractor need to log in or create an account?

No. The principal contractor is notified by email once the SWMS is approved and the crew has signed on. Customers interact through public request forms and emailed forms without needing an account.

Can we customise the steps or forms in this workflow?

Yes. You can describe the change you want in plain English or edit the steps directly in the workflow editor, and earlier versions of the workflow are kept. This lets you adjust fields, tasks, or timing as your site's process evolves.

How do we track the status of a SWMS submission?

Each SWMS submission is a record with a reference number, a status such as Submitted, Safety Review, Revising, Stopped, or Active, and a timeline of what has happened. Table views and dashboards show records grouped by status so you can see where every submission stands.

What gets saved on the record versus staying on a task?

Answers entered on tasks the workflow waits for, like the safety review decision, revised documents, required actions, and sign-on details, are saved directly on the record. Each business should confirm what records it needs to keep to meet its own obligations.

Ready to use this workflow?

Create a free account and customise this workflow for your business.