SafetyPaperwork
Bricklaying · Australia

SWMS for repointing

By Safety PaperworkBuilt from Safe Work Australia and state regulator guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated

A SWMS is required by law if repointing includes any high risk construction work, such as working where someone could fall more than 2 metres. Many principal contractors ask for one either way.

It must list the hazards, the controls and how they will be put in place, monitored and reviewed, and the workers must be consulted and sign before starting. The main hazards are falling from height, silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, public entering the work area and angle grinder injuries.

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SWMS example: repointing

This is a complete SWMS for repointing, with 4 job steps. Open it in the builder to add your site, crew and signatures, change anything, and download a PDF. Or download the free Word template below and fill it in by hand.

Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)
Brick repointing · Bricklaying · Example
Document SWMS-001 · Rev 1

High risk construction work covered

None for this task on its own. Tick any that apply on your site.

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Set up access and barricade below
  • Falling from height
  • Public entering the work area
Extreme
  • Do the work from the ground where you can, for example pre-assemble on the ground or use extension poles. Eliminate
  • Install guardrails or edge protection on all open edges before work starts. Isolate
  • Use a scaffold, mobile work platform or EWP instead of working off a ladder. Engineering
  • Where edge protection is not practical, use a fall restraint or fall arrest system on a rated anchor point. Engineering
  • Everyone working at height holds a White Card and has been briefed on this SWMS before going up. Administrative
  • Have a written emergency and rescue plan, tested before work starts, so a worker hanging in a harness can be brought down within minutes (WHS Regulations r.80). Administrative
  • Wear a full body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard, clipped on at all times when using fall arrest. PPE
  • Fence off the site with secure temporary fencing and lock the gates when you leave. Isolate
  • Give pedestrians a safe, marked path around the work, with ramps for prams and wheelchairs. Isolate
  • Use hoarding, covered walkways or catch fans where work is above public areas. Engineering
  • Put signs at each entry: site name, contact number and "No unauthorised entry". Administrative
  • Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower plant, remove ladders and lock tools away. Administrative
  • Use a spotter when moving plant or materials across public paths. Administrative
Medium
2Rake out joints with a grinder on extraction, wearing a respirator
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Angle grinder injuries
  • Loud noise
  • Eye injuries
Extreme
  • If the job involves engineered stone: do not supply, fabricate or install engineered stone benchtops, panels or slabs (banned since 1 July 2024). Removing, repairing or making minor changes to existing engineered stone is only allowed with water suppression or on-tool extraction, a fitted respirator, and written notice to the regulator before the work starts. Eliminate
  • Order materials cut to size, or use low-dust methods such as score and snap or a block splitter. Substitute
  • Cut outdoors or in a separate area, with other people well away and upwind. Isolate
  • Use water on the blade or on-tool dust extraction connected to an H-class vacuum. Engineering
  • Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Administrative
  • If the cutting, grinding or drilling is high risk, prepare a silica risk control plan (or include the r.529CA assessment in this SWMS), train workers in silica risks and give them the plan before work starts. Administrative
  • Use a guarded saw or a different tool where you can. Substitute
  • Keep the guard on and use the side handle. Never remove the guard. Engineering
  • Use the right disc for the job, rated for the grinder's speed. Check it for cracks first. Administrative
  • Only trained people change discs, with the grinder unplugged or the battery out. Administrative
  • Use quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Substitute
  • Keep noisy plant away from work areas, and use screens or distance between the noise and people. Isolate
  • Keep tools maintained and use mufflers on compressors and generators. Engineering
  • Limit time on noisy tools and rotate workers. Administrative
  • Keep exposure below 85 dB(A) over 8 hours. Give hearing tests to workers who often need hearing protection. Administrative
  • Use tool guards and screens to stop flying particles. Engineering
  • Use dust extraction and water to keep dust out of the air. Engineering
  • Keep others out of the area when cutting, grinding or chipping. Administrative
  • Keep an eye wash station or eye wash bottles on site. Administrative
Medium
3Mix and apply mortar
  • Wet concrete and cement burns
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
Medium
  • Use long-handled tools and pumps to cut down contact. Engineering
  • Wash concrete off skin straight away with clean water. Administrative
  • Have clean water and eye wash at the pour. Administrative
  • Wear waterproof gloves, long sleeves and gumboots with trousers worn over the top. PPE
  • Wear safety glasses or goggles to stop splashes. PPE
  • Use tools that cut the effort: powered screwdrivers, long-handled tools and extension poles for overhead work. Substitute
  • Set work up at waist height on benches or trestles where you can. Engineering
  • Use light tools with good grips, and keep blades and bits sharp. Engineering
  • Rotate tasks and take short breaks every hour on repetitive work. Administrative
  • Warm up before heavy physical work and report aches and pains early. Administrative
  • Wear knee pads for kneeling work and gloves for grip. PPE
Medium
4Clean down and vacuum dust
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Extreme
  • Wear a fit-tested P2 (or better) respirator. PPE
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative
  • Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Eliminate
  • Put skip bins and waste chutes close to the work. Engineering
  • Clean as you go, and do a full clean up at the end of each day. Administrative
  • Keep exits, stairs and walkways clear at all times. Administrative
  • Stack materials neatly on level ground, away from edges. Administrative
  • Wear gloves when handling waste. PPE
Medium

PPE

Safety glassesHalf-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters)Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Work glovesSteel cap bootsHi-vis shirt or vestFace shieldCut-resistant glovesSafety gogglesChemical-resistant gloves (nitrile)Knee pads

Plant and equipment

Angle grinderMobile scaffold: Scaffolding HRWL (SB or higher) to erect, alter or dismantle where a person or object could fall more than 4 mH-class vacuumHand tools

Emergency

Call 000. Add the nearest hospital, the assembly point and the first aider for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this SWMS.

Free SWMS template for repointing

Word (.docx) and PDF, A4 landscape, no email needed. Fill in your site details, then print or send it.

Word template (.docx)PDF template

Make yours in 2 minutes

Same document, filled in for your job. Answer a few yes or no questions, the crew signs on the phone, and you send the PDF.

Start this SWMS

Pre-start checklist for repointing

Tick these off before work starts. They come from the hazards, permits and equipment in this job.

The safe sequence of work

  1. Set up access and barricade below
  2. Rake out joints with a grinder on extraction, wearing a respirator
  3. Mix and apply mortar
  4. Clean down and vacuum dust

Hazards to watch on repointing

The hazards most specific to this job, and the step where each one comes up.

Step 2Angle grinder injuriesThe disc shatters, binds or kicks back, causing deep cuts to legs and hands or eye injuries.
Step 3Wet concrete and cement burnsWet concrete, mortar and cement burn skin and eyes. Burns can be deep and are often not felt until later.
Step 2Eye injuriesFlying chips, dust, chemicals or sparks get into the eye and cause damage or blindness.
Step 3Repetitive work and awkward posturesDoing the same movement for hours, kneeling or working overhead causes long-term damage to joints, muscles and tendons.
Step 1Falling from heightA worker falls more than 2 metres from an edge, platform or opening and is badly hurt or killed.
Step 2, 4Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tilesCutting, grinding or drilling concrete, brick, stone, tiles or fibre cement makes fine silica dust that causes silicosis and lung cancer.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: Insignificant to CatastrophicBA
Highest risk on repointing: Extreme before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Australia 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and catastrophic becomes unlikely and major).

What changes on your site

This example covers the job itself. Your site may add more. Add controls for any of these that apply (the builder asks you these as yes or no questions):

  • Will anyone work more than 2 metres off the ground?
  • Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
  • Will anyone work on a roof?
  • Is there a skylight, clear sheet, fibro or other fragile roofing?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?

Licences and legal requirements in Australia

Equipment on this job that needs a licence, ticket or training:

  • Mobile scaffold: Scaffolding HRWL (SB or higher) to erect, alter or dismantle where a person or object could fall more than 4 m

A SWMS must be prepared before any high risk construction work starts. It must list the high risk work, the hazards and risks, the control measures, and how those controls will be put in place, monitored and reviewed. It must be easy for the workers to read and understand.

Rules that apply: WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.4 Falls; WHS Regulations, Chapter 8A (Crystalline silica substances and engineered stone); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.1 Noise; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.2 Hazardous manual tasks.

Each state has its own regulator and some extra rules: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Australian Capital Territory.

Why SWMS get rejected

Principal contractors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

  • It is generic: another site address, tasks that are not on this job, or no sign it was reviewed for this site. WorkSafe WA says a generic SWMS may not meet the regulations unless it is reviewed and amended for the workplace.
  • The HRCW boxes are not ticked, or the ticks do not match the tasks (for example a roof job with no falls box ticked).
  • Falls are controlled only by "be careful", training or a harness, with no edge protection or scaffold and no reason why higher controls are not reasonably practicable.
  • Workers will clip on to a harness but there is no rescue plan for someone left hanging.
  • The "how controls are implemented, monitored and reviewed" part is missing, or it says the same thing on every row.
  • No worker sign-on, no person responsible for compliance, or a date given to the principal contractor that is before they actually received it.
  • Licence or White Card details are missing for workers operating plant or doing licensed high risk work.

Questions

Do I need a SWMS for repointing?

A SWMS is required by law if repointing includes any high risk construction work, such as working where someone could fall more than 2 metres. Many principal contractors ask for one either way.

Who signs the SWMS?

The person conducting the business (PCBU) or their supervisor prepares it with the workers, and every worker doing the high risk work signs to show they were consulted and understand it. Give a copy to the principal contractor before work starts.

How long do I keep it?

Keep this SWMS, and every revised version, until the high risk construction work is finished, where workers and inspectors can see it on site. If a notifiable incident happens during the work, keep it for at least 2 years after the incident.

What PPE is needed for repointing?

Usually Safety glasses, Half-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters), Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), Work gloves, Steel cap boots, Hi-vis shirt or vest, Face shield, Cut-resistant gloves, Safety goggles, Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile), Knee pads. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

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Related jobs in other trades

RoofingRoof Tile ReplacementAlso involves public entering the work areaConcretingConcrete Slab PourAlso involves public entering the work areaConcretingFormworkAlso involves falling from heightConcretingConcrete Cutting and Core DrillingAlso involves public entering the work areaDemolitionInternal Strip OutAlso involves angle grinder injuriesLandscapingTree RemovalAlso involves public entering the work area

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkSilica DustToolbox talkHearing Protection and NoiseToolbox talkAngle Grinder Safety

Blank SWMS template: free SWMS templates. Also for other countries: United Kingdom (RAMS) · United States (JHA) · Canada (FLHA)

Sources