Glazing · Australia

SWMS for shopfront glazing

By Safety PaperworkBuilt from Safe Work Australia and state regulator guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated 9 November 2026

Yes. Shopfront glazing usually includes high risk construction work (risk of a person falling more than 2 metres; work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant), so a SWMS is required by law before work starts.

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, road traffic, EWP tip-over or crush and public entering the work area.

Make this SWMS now Word template PDF

SWMS example: shopfront glazing

This is a complete SWMS for shopfront glazing, with 5 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)

Shopfront and commercial glazing · Glazing · Example

Document SWMS-001 · Rev 1

High risk construction work covered

Risk of a person falling more than 2 metresWork in an area with movement of powered mobile plant

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Set up pedestrian control on the footpath	Public entering the work area Road traffic	Extreme	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 Do the work at low-traffic times, or close the road or lane with approval. Eliminate Put solid barriers between the work and traffic where speeds are high, not just cones. Isolate Use a truck-mounted attenuator or buffer vehicle on high speed roads. Engineering Have a Traffic Management Plan. Signs and cones are set out by accredited traffic controllers to your state's rules. Administrative Get a road occupancy or street works permit from the road authority before you start. Administrative Park work vehicles to shield the work zone, with beacons on. Administrative Wear day and night hi-vis clothing (AS/NZS 4602.1). PPE	Medium
2	Plan large lifts with vacuum lifters or crane	Crane and lifting failure Glass handling and breakage	High	Barricade the lift zone and keep everyone out from under the load. Isolate Use a crane rated for the load at the radius, set up on firm ground with outrigger pads. Engineering Check slings, chains, shackles and hooks before use. Remove anything damaged or not tagged. Engineering Plan the lift: weight, radius, ground, path and landing area. Use a written lift plan for complex lifts. Administrative Crane operators and doggers or riggers hold the right High Risk Work Licence. Administrative Use tag lines to control loads and agree on clear radio or hand signals. Administrative Stop lifting in high wind or when the operator cannot see the signaller. Administrative Never ride on a load or hook. Administrative Wear a hard hat, hi-vis, gloves and safety boots. PPE Use suction lifters, glass trolleys or a glazing robot for large panes. Engineering Store glass upright on racks and secure it. Never lay it flat or lean it loosely. Engineering Use two or more people for large panes, and clear the carry route first. Administrative Mark new glass with tape or stickers so nobody walks into it. Administrative Clean up broken glass straight away into a marked container. Administrative Wear cut-resistant gloves, arm guards, safety glasses and safety boots. PPE	Medium
3	Work from a EWP for high panes	EWP tip-over or crush Falling from height	Extreme	Check the ground before setting up. Use outriggers and spreader pads, and keep clear of trenches, pits and slopes. Engineering Use a platform with tilt alarm and secondary guarding (anti-entrapment) where there is an overhead crush risk. Engineering Hold a High Risk Work Licence (WP) for boom-type EWPs with a boom of 11 metres or more. Under 11 metres and scissor lifts: trained and assessed (for example EWPA Yellow Card). Administrative Do a pre-start check each day. Keep a trained person on the ground who can lower the platform in an emergency. Administrative Have a written emergency and rescue plan, tested before work starts, for a worker stuck in the platform or hanging in a harness (WHS Regulations r.80). Administrative Never exceed the safe working load, climb on the rails or use a ladder in the basket. Administrative In boom-type platforms, wear a harness clipped to the basket anchor point. PPE 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	Medium
4	Install frames and glass, keeping everyone out from under the load	Falling tools and materials Lifting and carrying heavy loads	High	Barricade and sign the drop zone under overhead work so nobody walks beneath. Isolate Fit toe boards, kick plates and mesh screens on scaffolds and edges. Engineering Use catch fans, debris netting or covered walkways where people pass below. Engineering Tether hand tools when working at height. Engineering Keep platforms tidy. Do not stack materials near edges or above toe board height. Administrative Lower materials with a hoist, chute or rope. Never throw or drop anything down. Administrative Wear a hard hat anywhere objects could fall. PPE Plan to avoid carrying: have materials delivered, and old items picked up, as close as possible to where they are used. Eliminate Use lighter or smaller loads: order smaller bags and shorter lengths, and drain or break down old items before moving them. Substitute Use trolleys, pallet jacks, hoists, vacuum lifters or plant instead of carrying by hand. Engineering Use a two-person lift for anything heavy, long or awkward. Plan the route first and clear it. Administrative Keep the load close, back straight and no twisting. Turn with your feet. Administrative Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Administrative Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE	Medium
5	Seal, clean up and reopen the footpath	Hazardous chemicals Poor housekeeping and waste	Medium	Choose the least harmful product that does the job, for example water-based instead of solvent-based. Substitute Use chemicals in well-ventilated areas, or use fans and extraction in closed rooms. Engineering Read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before use and keep a register of hazardous chemicals on site. Administrative Keep chemicals in labelled containers. Never decant into drink bottles. Administrative Store chemicals away from heat, food and drink, and keep products that react with each other apart. Administrative Have eye wash and a spill kit nearby, and wash hands before eating. Administrative Wear chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses or goggles as listed on the SDS. PPE Use a respirator with the right cartridge if the SDS calls for one. PPE 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

Steel cap bootsHard hatHi-vis shirt or vestCut-resistant glovesSafety glassesSafety harness and lanyardWork glovesChemical-resistant gloves (nitrile)Safety gogglesHalf-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters)Overalls

Plant and equipment

Crane (Franna or mobile): HRWL for the crane class (e.g. C2, CN, C6), plus Dogging licence (DG) where slinging needs judgement or the load is out of the operator's viewBoom lift (EWP): HRWL WP for boom-type EWPs with a boom of 11 m or more. Under 11 m: trained and assessed (e.g. EWPA Yellow Card)Telehandler: 3 t or less: trained and assessed (VOC). Over 3 t with a jib, hook or winch: High Risk Work Licence CN (non-slewing mobile crane). Slewing telehandlers: slewing crane licence (C2, C6 and up). Victoria: any non-slewing telehandler over 3 t needs CN or the Victorian telehandler licencePower drillHand tools

Permits and plans

Lift planWorking at heights permit

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 shopfront glazing

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 shopfront glazing

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

SWMS read, explained and signed by everyone on the job
Edge protection installed and checked before anyone works above 2 m
Elevating work platform pre-start check done and the operator is ticketed
Exclusion zone and spotter set up for plant and traffic
Exclusion zone below the work and public kept out
First aider, first aid kit and emergency number (000) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: steel cap boots, hard hat, hi-vis shirt or vest, cut-resistant gloves

The safe sequence of work

Set up pedestrian control on the footpath
Plan large lifts with vacuum lifters or crane
Work from a EWP for high panes
Install frames and glass, keeping everyone out from under the load
Seal, clean up and reopen the footpath

Hazards to watch on shopfront glazing

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

Step 3EWP tip-over or crushThe platform tips on soft or sloping ground, the worker is crushed against a beam or ceiling, or is thrown out of the basket.

Step 1Road trafficPassing cars and trucks hit workers or plant working on or next to a road.

Step 2Crane and lifting failureA load falls or swings, or the crane tips, crushing workers under or near the lift.

Step 2Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.

Step 5Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.

Step 3Falling from heightA worker falls more than 2 metres from an edge, platform or opening and is badly hurt or killed.

Highest risk on shopfront glazing: 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 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?
Was the building built before 2004?

Licences and legal requirements in Australia

This task can involve these high risk construction work categories under the WHS Regulations:

Risk of a person falling more than 2 metres
Work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant

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

Crane (Franna or mobile): HRWL for the crane class (e.g. C2, CN, C6), plus Dogging licence (DG) where slinging needs judgement or the load is out of the operator's view
Boom lift (EWP): HRWL WP for boom-type EWPs with a boom of 11 m or more. Under 11 m: trained and assessed (e.g. EWPA Yellow Card)
Telehandler: 3 t or less: trained and assessed (VOC). Over 3 t with a jib, hook or winch: High Risk Work Licence CN (non-slewing mobile crane). Slewing telehandlers: slewing crane licence (C2, C6 and up). Victoria: any non-slewing telehandler over 3 t needs CN or the Victorian telehandler licence

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 4.5 High risk work and Part 5.1 Plant; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.5 High risk work; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.4 Falls; WHS Regulation 2011, Part 3.2 (falling objects); WHS Regulation 2011, Part 4.2 Hazardous manual tasks; WHS Regulation 2011, Chapter 7 Hazardous chemicals.

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 shopfront glazing?

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 shopfront glazing?

Usually Steel cap boots, Hard hat, Hi-vis shirt or vest, Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses, Safety harness and lanyard, Work gloves, Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile), Safety goggles, Half-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters), Overalls. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More glazing SWMS

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Toolbox talks for this job

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