Make-safe planning checklist

Make-Safe Planning Checklist for Insurers and Strata in NSW

Make-safe work means temporary action to control immediate risks after building damage, such as securing damaged areas, providing weather protection or installing engineer-designed structural support. This checklist helps insurers, loss adjusters, strata managers and property managers prepare the incident, access and authority information needed to plan that response.

Immediate danger: do not enter an unsafe area. If there is an immediate threat to life or public safety, contact emergency services on 000 and the relevant authority or utility. An SCE enquiry does not guarantee attendance or a particular response time.

Discuss an emergency make-safe enquiry View the insurance response pathway

Useful first information

Start with four facts you can gather safely

Good initial information helps identify the immediate condition, the authorised decision-makers and the inputs needed before any temporary construction activity is agreed.

Site and incident

Provide the address, affected area, when the incident occurred and what has changed since it was first observed.

Known hazards and access

Identify exclusion zones, affected services, occupants, access restrictions and controls already in place. Do not enter a damaged area to collect information.

Authority and contacts

Identify the insurer, loss adjuster, strata or property representative and the person authorised to discuss access, scope and expenditure.

Safe-to-obtain records

Share available photographs, incident references, reports, drawings and claim details without exposing anyone to additional risk.

Separate the immediate risk from the permanent repair

Make-safe work and permanent rectification answer different questions. Keeping them separate supports clearer scope, records and responsibility.

Immediate make-safe decision

The immediate scope addresses identified risks to people, property and adjoining areas. It may involve temporary protection, structural stabilisation and site controls, with engineering input matched to the damage and proposed work.

Access and exclusion controls
Temporary weather protection
Protection around damaged elements
Engineer-designed temporary support and propping where required
Securing loose non-structural components where appropriate

Permanent repair pathway

Permanent repairs may require separate investigation, monitoring, design, approval, procurement and construction. These later steps are not implied by a temporary make-safe scope.

Condition assessment and specialist input
Design or registered-practitioner responsibilities
Insurance coverage and claim decisions
Separately authorised repair construction

Make-safe request checklist

The checklist below gives the reviewing team practical information without asking occupants or representatives to inspect unsafe areas.

Checklist item	What to include	Why it matters
Incident summary	Address, date, event type, affected area and any continuing change.	Establishes the known condition and urgency.
People and access	Occupancy, vulnerable users, site contacts, keys, inductions and access limits.	Supports safe planning and stakeholder coordination.
Known hazards	Damaged areas, utilities, loose materials, water, fire, impact or access concerns already identified.	Helps define exclusions and required inputs.
Authority to proceed	Authorised contact, insurer or claim reference and approval pathway.	Clarifies who can instruct and accept the agreed scope.
Available evidence	Safe photographs, reports, drawings, previous correspondence and relevant site records.	Reduces ambiguity before attendance or scope discussion.
Expected handover	Required notes, photographs, limitations, observations and next-step contacts.	Creates a controlled transition to assessment or repair planning.

How SCE supports a controlled response

SCE manages make-safe planning and construction, bringing together engineering input, temporary structural support, access controls, building protection and incident records. Our qualified team and appointed specialists develop the response around the damage, safe access and authority to proceed, then connect temporary measures with the next stage of investigation or reconstruction.

1. Initial information

Confirm the incident, affected area, known hazards and authorised contacts.

2. Access inputs

Review site constraints and the information required from relevant parties.

3. Agreed actions

Define the temporary works, engineering requirements, construction sequence and responsibilities.

4. Records and handover

Document completed actions, observations and limitations within the agreed scope.

5. Next pathway

Identify separately authorised investigation, design, approval or repair steps where required.

Choose the right SCE pathway

Explore emergency make-safe services for urgent building risks, insurance response services for claim-related work, and the Villawood project for an example of engineering, temporary support and reconstruction.

Emergency Make-Safe Works

Use this pathway for an urgent building condition requiring review of temporary construction or site-control measures. Explore emergency make-safe works

Insurance Make-Safe Response

Use the insurance-specific pathway for authorised response coordination, site records and claim-supporting handover. Explore insurance make-safe response

Villawood Project Evidence

See SCE’s engineering design, temporary support, authority liaison and brickwork following major vehicle-impact damage. Reconstruction is ongoing. View the Villawood project record

Practical questions

Make-safe planning FAQs

What is make-safe work?

Make-safe work uses limited, agreed construction or site-control measures to address a verified immediate condition, protect people or property, reduce further deterioration and support a controlled handover.

What information should accompany a make-safe enquiry?

Provide the site address, incident summary, affected areas, known hazards, access arrangements, safe-to-obtain photographs, authorised contacts and any insurer or claim reference.

Should I enter a damaged area to take photographs?

No. Do not enter an unsafe or restricted area to obtain information. Use only evidence that can be collected safely and follow directions from emergency services, authorities, utilities and appointed site representatives.

Does this checklist guarantee attendance or a fixed response time?

No. Attendance and timing depend on current availability, access, site conditions, safety requirements and the agreed scope.

Is make-safe work the same as permanent repair?

No. Make-safe work addresses the immediate verified condition. Permanent repairs may require separate investigation, design, approvals, procurement and construction under another authorised scope.

Who decides insurance coverage, design and certification matters?

Insurers and their authorised representatives retain coverage and claim decisions. Appointed consultants, designers, certifiers and registered practitioners retain their respective professional responsibilities. SCE Corp undertakes construction and coordination activities within its agreed scope.

Prepare the information, then discuss the next safe step

Send the available incident, site, hazard, access and authority information through SCE Corp’s controlled enquiry pathway. The team can review whether the matter fits its make-safe construction and coordination scope and identify further inputs that may be required.

Contact SCE Corp