South Australia’s working at heights rules are changing. From 1 July 2026, any construction work involving a risk of falling more than two metres will be classified as high-risk construction work under SA’s Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012. That’s down from the current threshold of three metres.
If you work in construction in South Australia, or you run a business that does, this change affects how you plan, document, and manage work at height.
What’s changing, and when
From 1 July 2026, the trigger for high-risk construction work in South Australia drops from three metres to two metres.
What that means in practice: any task on a construction site where there’s a risk of a person falling more than two metres must now have a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) in place before work begins.
This applies regardless of your role. SafeWork SA is explicit about this: whether you’re a sole trader, labourer, apprentice, or contractor, if you’re working above two metres on a construction site, the high-risk construction work rules apply to you.
The change was introduced via the WHS (High Risk Construction Work) Amendment Regulations 2025 and aligns South Australia with the national model WHS regulations, which other states and territories have already adopted.
Why SafeWork SA made this change
The data behind this decision is straightforward. Between 2020 and 2022, there were 149 recorded instances of workers falling from above two metres in South Australia. More than 100 of those falls happened in the residential construction sector.
68 per cent of those falls occurred between two and three metres. That’s the exact height range that, until now, sat outside the high-risk construction work threshold.
Across the full period since 2016/17, falls from height in SA’s construction industry have generated approximately 1,585 workers compensation claims at a total cost of more than $64 million.
SafeWork SA Executive Director Glenn Farrell put it plainly: employers can no longer rely on the higher height threshold to avoid providing adequate fall protection, particularly in the residential sector.
The change was developed through a structured consultation process. SafeWork SA convened a High-Risk Construction Work Subcommittee with representatives from construction and residential housing industry groups, relevant unions, the Australian Institute of Health and Safety, and the Voice of Industrial Death.
What is high-risk construction work?
High-risk construction work is a specific category under WHS legislation that triggers additional obligations, most importantly the requirement for a SWMS.
Other activities already classified as high-risk construction work include work near live electrical conductors, work involving explosives, and work in or adjacent to roadways. Falling from height is among the most common.
With the threshold dropping to two metres, a significantly larger share of everyday construction activity now falls into this category. That includes residential framing, roofing, and maintenance work.
What PCBUs need to do
If you’re a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) in South Australia’s construction sector, the 1 July 2026 date is your preparation deadline.
This change does not alter the fundamental duty to provide a safe workplace. Fall protection measures, including guardrails, fall arrest systems, and edge protection, remain the same. What changes is that these measures must now be formally documented in a SWMS for any work above two metres, not just above three.
Your SWMS must be:
- Completed before the work begins
- Specific to the site and tasks
- Prepared in consultation with workers
- Communicated to all workers involved
- Reviewed and updated if work conditions change
- Kept and accessible for the duration of the work
- Provided to the principal contractor for any high-risk construction work
Two practical points for businesses preparing SWMS documents:
A generic SWMS template downloaded from the internet will not automatically meet your legal obligations. A SWMS must reflect the specific circumstances of the workplace, the work environment, and the workers involved. A generic template needs to be reviewed and amended for each specific site before it can be used.
You don’t need a separate SWMS for every individual task. One SWMS can cover multiple high-risk construction work activities on the same job, provided it accounts for how those activities interact with each other.
Be aware: SafeWork SA will be actively auditing. As part of its Construction Industry Targeted Campaigns across 2025/26, SafeWork SA will conduct both proactive and reactive audits focused on medium and large construction businesses, labour hire companies, and young workers registered with training organisations. Compliance with the updated high-risk construction work rules will be within scope.
Additional obligations for principal contractors
If you’re the principal contractor on a construction project, you carry responsibilities beyond those of individual PCBUs.
Your WHS Management Plan must include:
- Arrangements for collecting, assessing, monitoring, and reviewing all SWMS used on the project
- Processes for ensuring SWMS remain current as site conditions change
Reasonable steps you must take:
- Collect the SWMS for all high-risk construction work carried out on the project
- Require PCBUs to submit their SWMS before work begins so it can be reviewed and incorporated into site planning
- Ensure that only work covered by an appropriate SWMS is carried out
- Monitor compliance and take action if a SWMS is not being followed
The obligation to supply the SWMS early sits with the PCBU. The obligation to collect, review, and enforce it sits with you as principal contractor.
What workers need to do
If you’re a worker in SA construction, you need to be aware of this change and make sure you’re not starting any work above two metres on a construction site without a SWMS in place.
Your rights as a worker:
- You are entitled to ask for the SWMS before starting work if you haven’t been shown it
- You can stop work if conditions change and the job becomes unsafe
- You can report concerns or hazards without fear of negative treatment
Your PCBU is responsible for making sure you understand the SWMS, are provided with the right equipment and training, and can carry out the work in accordance with the control measures it sets out. If that isn’t happening, you don’t have to start.
Risk exists at any height. The 2-metre threshold is about when a SWMS is legally required. It doesn’t mean falls below two metres don’t need to be managed. PCBUs must always manage fall hazards, regardless of height.
Does this mean more SA workers need a working at heights certificate?
Not directly, but it’s a fair question. The SWMS requirement and the training requirement are separate obligations. The high-risk construction work rules require documentation; the training requirement exists alongside that, based on the nature of the work being performed.
If workers are performing tasks at height, particularly using fall arrest systems, harnesses, or anchor points, nationally recognised training under RIIWHS204E (Work Safely at Heights) remains the standard that most employers, principal contractors, and site inductions require.
The transition period: what to do before 1 July 2026
SafeWork SA has set 1 July 2026 as a transition date, not a soft launch. The preparation window exists so businesses can get their systems in order, not delay acting.
SafeWork SA recommends using this period to:
- Review and update your work at height procedures
- Update your SWMS templates to reflect the new 2-metre threshold
- Train supervisors, workers, and contractors on the change and what it means on site
- Ensure consultation processes are in place for SWMS preparation
- Assess all construction tasks to determine which will now be classified as high-risk construction work
Once 1 July 2026 passes, the regulations apply in full.
| Before 1 July 2026 | From 1 July 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Height threshold | 3 metres | 2 metres |
| SWMS required above threshold | Yes | Yes |
| SWMS required between 2m and 3m | No | Yes |
| Applies to | PCBUs, principal contractors | PCBUs, principal contractors, sole traders, apprentices, all workers |
Working at Heights Training in Adelaide
Link Resources delivers RIIWHS204E in Adelaide at our Hendon facility. Group bookings and dedicated sessions are available for employers training multiple workers.
Phone: 07 5491 2144
