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Painting · Australia

SWMS for interior painting

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

A SWMS is required by law if interior painting 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 lead paint dust and fumes, falling from a ladder, flammable liquids and gases and working in an occupied home or building.

Make this SWMS nowWord templatePDF

SWMS example: interior painting

This is a complete SWMS for interior painting, with 6 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)
Interior painting · Painting · 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
1Agree work areas with occupants and protect floors and furniture
  • Working in an occupied home or building
  • Slips and trips
Medium
  • Plan noisy, dusty or risky work for when the building is empty. Eliminate
  • Close off the work area with barriers, plastic sheeting or locked doors, and put up signs. Isolate
  • Keep fire exits and paths clear at all times. Administrative
  • Tell occupants before you turn off power, water or gas, and before noisy or dusty work. Administrative
  • Lock away tools, chemicals and materials each day, out of reach of children. Administrative
  • Clean up dust and debris at the end of each day. Administrative
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Eliminate
  • Run leads and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Engineering
  • Fill or cover holes, and lay boards or mats on muddy access paths. Engineering
  • Clean up offcuts, packaging and spills as you go, not at the end of the day. Administrative
  • Keep work areas, stairs and access paths well lit. Administrative
  • Wear safety boots with good grip, laced up. PPE
Low
2Test old paint for lead before sanding
  • Lead paint dust and fumes
High
  • Test old paint for lead before you sand, scrape, cut or heat it. Eliminate
  • Use wet scraping, chemical strippers or shrouded tools with extraction instead of dry sanding. Never burn off lead paint with an open flame. Substitute
  • Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting and keep residents, children and pets out. Isolate
  • Clean up with an H-class vacuum and wet wipes. Never dry sweep. Engineering
  • Wash hands and face before eating, drinking or smoking. Change out of dusty clothes before going home. Administrative
  • Wear a P2 (or better) respirator, disposable coveralls and gloves. PPE
Low
3Fill and sand walls with a dust mask and vacuum sander
  • General dust
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
Medium
  • Use low-dust products, such as dust-reduced or pre-mixed compounds. Substitute
  • Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting in occupied buildings. Isolate
  • Use tools with dust extraction and a vacuum for clean up. Engineering
  • Lightly mist the area with water to keep dust down, away from anything electrical. Engineering
  • Never dry sweep or blow dust off with compressed air. Administrative
  • Wear a dust mask and safety glasses. 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
4Paint from a platform ladder, not chairs or tins
  • Falling from a ladder
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
High
  • Use a platform ladder, mobile scaffold or EWP for longer jobs instead of a straight ladder. Substitute
  • Use industrial-rated ladders (AS/NZS 1892, 120 kg or more) in good condition. Remove any damaged ladder from site. Engineering
  • Set extension ladders at a 4 to 1 angle on firm, level ground, tied or footed, and reaching 1 metre above the landing. Engineering
  • Use ladders only for short, light work. Do not carry heavy or awkward loads up a ladder. Administrative
  • Keep three points of contact and your belt buckle between the stiles. Do not overreach. Administrative
  • Do not stand on the top three rungs of an extension ladder or the top step of a stepladder. Administrative
  • Check the ladder before each use: feet, rungs, stiles and locks. Administrative
  • Wear non-slip safety boots with clean soles. PPE
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
5Keep windows open and lids on tins
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • Flammable liquids and gases
High
  • 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
  • Use non-flammable or water-based products where you can. Substitute
  • Keep ignition sources away: no smoking, no hot work and no running engines near flammables. Isolate
  • Store fuels and solvents in approved, closed containers in a ventilated area away from the work. Engineering
  • Refuel equipment outdoors with the engine off and cool. Administrative
  • Keep only what you need for the day on site. Administrative
  • Store gas cylinders upright, secured and outdoors. Administrative
  • Keep a suitable fire extinguisher where flammables are used or stored. Administrative
  • Wear chemical gloves and safety glasses when pouring or mixing. PPE
Medium
6Clean brushes away from drains and clear drop sheets
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
  • Slips and trips
Medium
  • 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
  • Slips and trips: see step 1 for the full controls Administrative
Low

PPE

Steel cap bootsSafety glassesP2 dust maskChemical-resistant gloves (nitrile)Half-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters)OverallsWork glovesKnee padsHard hatSafety goggles

Plant and equipment

Platform ladderStep ladderPower sanderHand 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 interior painting

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 interior painting

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Agree work areas with occupants and protect floors and furniture
  2. Test old paint for lead before sanding
  3. Fill and sand walls with a dust mask and vacuum sander
  4. Paint from a platform ladder, not chairs or tins
  5. Keep windows open and lids on tins
  6. Clean brushes away from drains and clear drop sheets

Hazards to watch on interior painting

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

Step 2Lead paint dust and fumesPaint on buildings built before 1970 is likely to contain lead, and anything before 1997 may. Sanding, scraping or heating it releases dust or fumes that poison workers and families, especially children.
Step 5Flammable liquids and gasesPetrol, solvents, thinners and LPG catch fire or explode when vapour reaches a spark, flame or hot surface.
Step 1Working in an occupied home or buildingResidents, staff or children wander into the work area and get hurt, or the work blocks exits or cuts off power or water while people are inside.
Step 3General dustDust from plasterboard, filler, cement and clean up irritates eyes and lungs and makes it hard to see.
Step 3, 4Repetitive work and awkward posturesDoing the same movement for hours, kneeling or working overhead causes long-term damage to joints, muscles and tendons.
Step 5Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: Insignificant to CatastrophicBA
Highest risk on interior painting: High before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Australia 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible and major 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 work on a roof?
  • Is there a skylight, clear sheet, fibro or other fragile roofing?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?
  • Will you use an EWP (scissor lift or boom lift)?

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 interior painting?

A SWMS is required by law if interior painting 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 interior painting?

Usually Steel cap boots, Safety glasses, P2 dust mask, Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile), Half-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters), Overalls, Work gloves, Knee pads, Hard hat, Safety goggles. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More painting SWMS

SWMSExterior Painting6 stepsSWMSLead Paint Removal10 stepsSWMSSpray Painting6 stepsSWMSRoof Restoration6 stepsSWMSPressure Washing6 stepsSWMSEpoxy Floor Coating5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionInternal Strip OutAlso involves lead paint dust and fumesTilingWet Area WaterproofingAlso involves working in an occupied home or buildingElectricalSwitchboard UpgradeAlso involves working in an occupied home or buildingRoofingGutter ReplacementAlso involves lead paint dust and fumesRoofingRoof Tile ReplacementAlso involves falling from a ladderConcretingConcrete Slab PourAlso involves repetitive work and awkward postures

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkWorking at HeightsToolbox talkLead Paint SafetyToolbox talkWorking in Cold Weather

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

Sources