Clause 291 of the WHS Regulation sets out a list of construction work that is high risk for the purposes of the Regulations , and for which a safe work method statement ( SWMS ) is required . This includes work ‘ carried out in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere ’.
The on-site installation of engineered stone is considered high risk construction work if the processes used to install , modify or repair the engineered stone such as , cutting , grinding , trimming , drilling , sanding , or polishing generate silica dust and contaminate the work area .
A SWMS must be prepared before carrying out any on-site installation of engineered stone that involves any processing , modification or repair of the engineered stone that may generate silica dust .
A SWMS is required because it helps a PCBU clearly communicate to all workers at the construction site any health and safety risks and how they will be managed . A SWMS is not required for work undertaken during fabrication of the engineered stone at a workshop .
Who is responsible for preparing a SWMS ?
A PCBU must prepare a SWMS , or ensure a SWMS has been prepared , before installation of the engineered stone starts . The person responsible for carrying out the on-site installation of the engineered stone is often best placed to prepare the SWMS in consultation with workers who will be directly engaged in the installation of the engineered stone and HSRs , if any .
If more than one PCBU has the duty to ensure a SWMS is or has been prepared , they must consult and cooperate with each other to coordinate who will be responsible for preparing it .
There may be situations when different types of high-risk construction work occur at the same time at the same workplace . In this situation , one SWMS may be prepared to cover any high-risk construction work activities being carried out at the workplace .
Alternatively , a separate SWMS can be prepared for each type of high-risk construction work . If separate SWMS are prepared , consider how the different types of work activities may impact on each other and whether this may lead to inconsistencies between control measures .
The on-site installation of engineered stone will often be carried out in connection with a construction project . In this instance , the SWMS must consider the WHS management plan prepared by the principal contractor of the construction project .
A PCBU must provide the principal contractor with a copy of the SWMS before high risk construction work starts . If not made available , the principal contractor would need to take reasonable steps to obtain a copy of the SWMS before construction work commences .
What should a SWMS include ?
The content of a SWMS should provide clear direction on the control measures to be implemented . There should be no statements that require a decision to be made by supervisors or workers . For example , the statement ‘ use appropriate PPE ’ does not detail the control measures . The control measures should be clearly specified .
The SWMS must be accessible and understandable to any individual who needs to use it . It is important that those who need to carry out work in accordance with the SWMS understand the detail of the SWMS and what they are required to do to implement and maintain risk controls . For example , it should consider the literacy needs and the cultural or linguistically diverse backgrounds of the workers .
Managing the risks of respirable crystalline silica from engineered stone in the workplace - Code of Practice 15 of 57