The aim of this study was to determine how managers and workers interpret and use safe work method
statements (SWMS) in the Australian construction industry in order to explore if there was a gap between
work as imagined and work as performed. Despite recent improvements in its safety performance, the
Australian construction industry continues to be among the top four most dangerous industries within
which to work. SWMS are a key strategy relied upon by the construction industry to reduce this toll.
However, few, if any studies have looked at the role of SWMS in creating a safe workplace. This ethno-
graphic study focused on the role of SWMS at two commercial construction sites in Australia. The
researcher spent 6 months ‘getting to know’ the organisation before conducting 18 semi-structured inter-
views spanning labourers, supervisors and managers. The researcher also collected examples of com-
pleted SWMS. This study found: (1) that SWMS are important for safety, particularly for tasks that are
out of the ordinary; (2) that social interaction as well as SWMS are important for safety; (3) gaps do exist
between work as imagined in a SWMS and work as performed in practice, but in the minds of those on
site, there were no unresolved gaps; (4) therefore construction companies must identify and resolve the
gaps between SWMS, practice and task demands to make construction sites a safer place to wor