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Textiles Rubber and Composite Material Processing Risk Assessment

Textiles Rubber and Composite Material Processing Risk Assessment

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Textiles Rubber and Composite Material Processing Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Textiles Rubber and Composite Material Processing through a structured, management-level WHS Risk Management framework. This Risk Assessment supports compliance with the Work Health and Safety legislation, strengthens Due Diligence, and helps protect your business from operational and legal liability.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • WHS Governance, Legal Compliance and PCBUs’ Duties: Assessment of organisational WHS responsibilities, consultation arrangements, officer due diligence, and verification of compliance across textile, rubber and composite processing operations.
  • Plant and Equipment Safety Management: Management of guarding, interlocks, emergency stops, lock-out systems and safe operating envelopes for mills, extruders, presses, granulators, cutting and sewing machines and associated plant.
  • Hazardous Chemicals and Resin Systems Management: Assessment of chemical selection, SDS management, decanting, storage, labelling, ventilation and safe handling of resins, solvents, curing agents and cleaning products.
  • Dust, Fume, Fibre and Airborne Contaminant Control: Control strategies for textile fibres, rubber dust, composite particulates, fumes and vapours, including LEV design, housekeeping programs and exposure minimisation.
  • Manual Tasks and Ergonomic Risk Management: Management of lifting, pushing, pulling, repetitive movements and static postures associated with rolls, bales, sheets, moulds and finished products.
  • Process Safety for Rubber Compounding, Extrusion and Moulding: Assessment of process parameters, temperature and pressure control, batch integrity, contamination risks and safe start-up/shut-down procedures.
  • Maintenance, Isolation and Contractor Management: Protocols for isolation and tagging, in-house and external maintenance activities, contractor induction, permits and verification of competency.
  • Workplace Design, Traffic Management and Material Flow: Planning of plant layout, walkways, forklift and mobile plant interaction, storage systems, loading docks and internal logistics for materials and waste.
  • Training, Competency and Supervision: Systems for role-specific training, competency assessment, authorisation to operate plant, refresher training and supervision levels across shifts.
  • Fatigue, Shift Work and Psychosocial Risk Management: Management of roster design, extended hours, night work, production pressure, bullying, stress and organisational factors affecting mental health.
  • Emergency Preparedness, Fire and Explosion Management: Assessment of emergency planning, alarm and evacuation systems, fire protection for rubber, textiles and resins, and explosion risk from dusts and flammable atmospheres.
  • Health Monitoring, Exposure Surveillance and Injury Management: Programs for health surveillance, lung function and skin monitoring, audiometry, incident reporting, early intervention and return-to-work processes.
  • Procurement, Design and Change Management for Materials and Processes: Controls for selecting safer plant and substances, design review, introduction of new materials or technologies and formal Management of Change processes.
  • Document Control, Records and Continuous Improvement: Governance of policies, procedures, risk registers, training records, audit findings and corrective actions to support ongoing WHS performance improvement.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Operations Managers, Production Managers and Safety Professionals responsible for textiles, rubber and composite material processing facilities and supply chains.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. WHS Governance, Legal Compliance and PCBUs’ Duties
  • • Inadequate understanding of WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulation obligations for textile, rubber and composite processing operations
  • • Failure to clearly allocate WHS responsibilities between PCBUs, directors, managers, supervisors and labour hire providers
  • • Lack of documented WHS policy, objectives and due diligence processes for senior officers
  • • Insufficient consultation, cooperation and coordination between multiple PCBUs on the site (e.g. contractors servicing presses, extruders, mills, granulators, meter-mixers)
  • • No systematic monitoring of compliance with plant registration, hazardous chemicals, noise, manual handling and confined space requirements
  • • WHS decisions made without reference to hierarchy of control or contemporary Australian standards and codes of practice
2. Plant and Equipment Safety Management (Mills, Extruders, Presses, Granulators, Cutting and Sewing Machines)
  • • Inadequate guarding and interlocking on rubber compounding mills, rubber extruders, rubber moulding presses, granulators, rumblers and fabric cutting machines leading to entanglement, drawing-in and crush injuries
  • • Bypassing or defeating safety interlocks on meter mixer urethane units, moulding presses, granulators or sewing machines to maintain throughput
  • • Lack of structured plant risk assessments for new and existing plant (including casting resin furniture parts set-ups and glass-fibre reinforced plastic processes)
  • • Inadequate maintenance and inspection programme for critical safety components (e.g. emergency stop functions, light curtains, nip guards, brakes)
  • • Uncontrolled introduction of second-hand or modified plant without verification of compliance to WHS Regulation and relevant Australian Standards
  • • Poor change management for plant modifications (e.g. added rollers for rolling fabric onto tubes, new stringing systems for multiple layers, altered tooling on presses)
  • • Inconsistent lock out tag out (LOTO) and isolation procedures for breakdowns, cleaning, die changes and jams
  • • Noise exposure from granulators, rumblers, mills, extruders and fabric cutting machinery not systematically assessed or controlled
3. Hazardous Chemicals and Resin Systems Management
  • • Inadequate identification and assessment of hazardous chemicals used in casting resin furniture parts, urethane meter mixing, rubber compounding and glass-fibre reinforced plastic work
  • • Absence of or outdated safety data sheets (SDS) and chemical registers for resins, curing agents, solvents, accelerators, plasticisers, isocyanates and cleaning agents
  • • Inappropriate storage and segregation of incompatible chemicals (e.g. oxidisers, flammables, acids) leading to fire, explosion or release
  • • Uncontrolled airborne exposure to hazardous vapours, aerosols and mists during resin mixing, pouring, curing and cleaning processes
  • • Skin and respiratory sensitisation risks from isocyanates, styrenes, epoxy systems and glass-fibre reinforced plastic resins due to inadequate controls
  • • Poor labelling and decanting practices for resins, hardeners and solvents into unlabelled containers
  • • No formal hazardous chemicals risk assessment or implementation of hierarchy of control measures
  • • Insufficient emergency preparedness for chemical spills, leaks and first aid for exposures
4. Dust, Fume, Fibre and Airborne Contaminant Control
  • • Generation of respirable and inhalable dusts from granulators, rumblers, fabric cutting, trimming of rubber products and sanding of composite materials
  • • Release of glass-fibre fragments and fibres during use of glass-fibre reinforced plastic and stringing multiple layers
  • • Inadequate control of fumes and vapours from hot rubber processing, curing presses and extruders
  • • Lack of atmospheric monitoring to confirm effectiveness of ventilation for dusts, fibres and fumes
  • • Housekeeping systems that allow accumulation of combustible dust or fibrous material on surfaces, beams and in extraction ducting
  • • Failure to consider combined exposure from multiple contaminants across shifts and roles
5. Manual Tasks and Ergonomic Risk Management
  • • Repetitive movements and awkward postures during operating industrial sewing machines and standard sewing machines, fabric cutting, and stringing multiple layers of textiles and composites
  • • Forceful exertions when manually handling rubber bales, rolls of fabric, composite panels and moulds
  • • Poor workstation design for rolling fabric onto tubes, feeding rubber mills, loading extruder hoppers and accessing moulding presses
  • • Lack of systematic identification and assessment of hazardous manual tasks in production, rework and packing activities
  • • Inadequate job rotation, rest breaks and workload management contributing to musculoskeletal disorders
6. Process Safety for Rubber Compounding, Extrusion and Moulding
  • • Uncontrolled temperature, pressure or mixing parameters in rubber compounding mills, extruders and moulding presses resulting in thermal decomposition, fire or explosion
  • • Failure of controls on meter mixer urethane systems leading to incorrect ratios, exothermic reactions and off-gassing
  • • Inadequate process descriptions, safe operating limits and alarm/trip settings for critical rubber and composite processing equipment
  • • Lack of documented procedures for abnormal operations, start-up, shutdown and emergency situations in mills, extruders and presses
  • • Insufficient verification of safety instrumented functions and interlocks on moulding presses, curing ovens and extruder lines
  • • Poor management of utilities (steam, compressed air, hydraulics, electricity) integral to process safety performance
7. Maintenance, Isolation and Contractor Management
  • • Unplanned maintenance and breakdown response on mills, presses, extruders, granulators and cutting machines undertaken without effective isolation
  • • Contractors performing high-risk work (e.g. electrical, fabrication, confined space, hot work) without integration into site WHS systems
  • • Inadequate maintenance planning leading to deferred inspection of critical safety systems and resulting in plant failures
  • • Poor communication and coordination between in-house teams and contractors performing concurrent work on the same equipment
  • • Lack of verification of contractor competence, licences and insurances
  • • Incomplete handover and recommissioning processes after major repairs or modifications
8. Workplace Design, Traffic Management and Material Flow
  • • Congested production areas with conflicting flows of people, forklifts and manual handling equipment between fabric cutting, sewing, mills, extruders, presses and granulators
  • • Inadequate segregation of pedestrian walkways from mobile plant routes, particularly near loading of rubber bales, fabric rolls and finished composite products
  • • Poor layout leading to trip hazards from hoses, electrical leads and offcuts around cutting machines, sewing stations and rolling operations
  • • Lack of structured design review when introducing new plant or processes, causing bottlenecks and unsafe material handling practices
  • • Insufficient lighting and signage in key areas, including around emergency exits, storage areas and rumblers
9. Training, Competency and Supervision
  • • Workers operating complex plant (mills, extruders, moulding presses, granulators, meter mixers, cutting and sewing machines) without formal competency verification
  • • Inadequate induction and site-specific WHS training for new starters, labour hire staff and contractors
  • • Supervisors lacking skills to identify unsafe behaviours, manage fatigue and enforce safe work procedures
  • • Insufficient refresher training for infrequently performed or high-risk tasks (e.g. changeovers, cleaning inside guarded areas, resin system changeovers)
  • • Language, literacy and cultural barriers leading to misunderstanding of instructions, signage and procedures
10. Fatigue, Shift Work and Psychosocial Risk Management
  • • Extended hours and shift work in continuous processing of rubber and composite materials leading to fatigue and reduced alertness
  • • Production pressure and tight deadlines for furniture parts and textile orders affecting decision-making and safety compliance
  • • Low worker involvement in decision-making and limited consultation contributing to stress and reduced reporting of hazards
  • • Insufficient systems to manage psychosocial hazards including bullying, role conflict and job insecurity in a mixed labour hire and permanent workforce
  • • Inadequate consideration of mental health and wellbeing within WHS systems
11. Emergency Preparedness, Fire and Explosion Management
  • • Inadequate planning for fires involving rubber stock, composite resins, textiles and flammable/combustible liquids
  • • Insufficient emergency equipment and training for chemical spills, resin leaks and isocyanate releases from meter mixer systems
  • • Blocked or poorly marked emergency exits around presses, mills, fabric cutting machines and sewing lines
  • • Lack of coordination of emergency response with neighbouring businesses, emergency services and other PCBUs on shared sites
  • • Failure to consider specific emergency scenarios such as dust explosions, curing oven fires or electrical faults in high-load machinery
12. Health Monitoring, Exposure Surveillance and Injury Management
  • • Lack of systematic health monitoring for workers exposed to hazardous chemicals such as isocyanates and other sensitising agents used in urethane and composite processing
  • • No structured programme for audiometric testing for workers exposed to noise from granulators, mills, presses, rumblers and cutting machinery
  • • Inadequate systems to track early signs of musculoskeletal disorders in sewing, cutting and manual handling roles
  • • Poor return-to-work and injury management processes leading to prolonged harm and recurrence of injuries
  • • Failure to use health and exposure data to inform risk assessments and control improvements
13. Procurement, Design and Change Management for Materials and Processes
  • • Procurement of plant, tools, resins, rubber compounds and composite materials without WHS input, resulting in inherently higher risk equipment or substances
  • • Changes to materials (e.g. new resin systems, glass-fibre types, fillers) without risk assessment of their health and process safety implications
  • • Introduction of new processes such as improved casting or new rolling/stringing techniques without structured change management
  • • Failure to consider whole-of-life safety impacts (installation, operation, maintenance, decommissioning and disposal) during design and procurement decisions
  • • Inadequate communication of process changes to operators, maintenance personnel and contractors
14. Document Control, Records and Continuous Improvement
  • • Outdated or inconsistent procedures for plant operation, resin handling, sewing operations and emergency response available on the floor
  • • Loss or misplacement of critical records such as risk assessments, training records, maintenance logs, SDS and inspection reports
  • • Lack of structured review of incidents, near misses and non-conformances to prevent recurrence
  • • Poor version control leading to multiple differing instructions for the same task or process
  • • Limited management visibility of trends and systemic issues affecting WHS performance

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Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • Model Code of Practice – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Guidance on systematic risk management processes.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace: Requirements for plant design, guarding, maintenance and safe use.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace: Controls for storage, handling and use of hazardous substances and mixtures.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities: Requirements for workplace layout, amenities, lighting, ventilation and traffic management.
  • Model Code of Practice – Hazardous Manual Tasks: Guidance on identifying and controlling musculoskeletal disorder risks.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work: Controls for noise generated by mills, presses, extruders and associated machinery.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces: Guidance for elevated work areas, platforms and access systems.
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • AS/NZS 4801 / ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements for systematic WHS management.
  • AS 4024 series – Safety of Machinery: Standards for machinery guarding, emergency stops and control systems.
  • AS/NZS 1715 & 1716: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment and performance requirements.
  • AS 1940: The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids, relevant to resin systems and solvents.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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