BlueSafe
Stonework Risk Assessment

Stonework Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • • Pre-filled Content – Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • • Customisable – Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Stonework Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with stone fabrication, installation and restoration activities using this management-level Stonework Risk Assessment. This document supports executive Due Diligence, alignment with the WHS Act, and the reduction of corporate and operational liability across your stonework operations.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • WHS Governance, Duties and Consultation: Assessment of PCBU and Officer due diligence obligations, consultation arrangements with workers, and integration of stonework risks into the broader WHS management system.
  • Planning, Design and Procurement of Plant and Equipment: Management of specification, selection and purchasing of stone saws, polishers, dust extraction and lifting equipment to ensure compliance and lifecycle safety.
  • Silica and Dust Exposure Management: Assessment of respirable crystalline silica risks, engineering controls, air monitoring, PPE programs and health surveillance requirements for stone cutting, grinding and polishing.
  • Hazardous Chemicals, Stone Sealers and Restoration Products: Control of chemical selection, storage, labelling, SDS access, decanting, ventilation and worker training for sealers, adhesives, cleaners and restoration compounds.
  • Plant Safety and Guarding for Saws and Polishers: Management of guarding, interlocks, emergency stops, isolation procedures and competency requirements for fixed and portable stoneworking plant.
  • Workshop Layout, Traffic and Manual Handling Systems: Assessment of workshop design, pedestrian and vehicle interaction, stone slab storage, trolleys, cranes and manual handling systems to minimise crush and musculoskeletal risks.
  • Competency, Training and Supervision: Development of competency frameworks, induction programs, silica awareness training, and supervision arrangements for stone masons, apprentices and labourers.
  • Safe Work Procedures and Documentation: Governance of SWPs, SWMS interfaces, permits, job planning tools and record-keeping to ensure stonework tasks are planned, communicated and documented effectively.
  • Contractor and Subcontractor Management: Protocols for prequalification, scope definition, WHS requirements, site rules and monitoring of installers, transport providers and specialist contractors.
  • Inspection, Maintenance and Calibration Systems: Scheduling and documentation of inspections, preventative maintenance and calibration for saws, polishers, extraction systems, lifting gear and monitoring equipment.
  • Health Monitoring, Injury Management and Wellbeing: Management of health surveillance for silica exposure, reporting pathways, early intervention, rehabilitation and support for physical and psychosocial risks.
  • Emergency Preparedness and Incident Management: Planning for fire, entrapment, crush injuries, chemical spills and silica exposure incidents, including emergency equipment, drills and notification procedures.
  • Auditing, Review and Continuous Improvement: Systems for internal audits, corrective actions, performance indicators and periodic review of stonework risk controls and WHS objectives.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Directors, Operations Managers and Safety Professionals responsible for planning, governing and monitoring stonework operations across workshops and installation sites.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. WHS Governance, Duties and Consultation
  • • Lack of clear WHS roles, responsibilities and accountability for stonework activities under WHS Act 2011 (PCBU, officer and worker duties)
  • • Inadequate consultation with workers, HSRs and contractors about risks associated with bridge saws, polishers, sandblasting, restoration and sealing works
  • • Absence of formal WHS policy specific to stonework, including crystalline silica, manual handling, plant and hazardous chemicals
  • • Poor integration of stonework WHS requirements into business planning, scheduling and resourcing decisions
  • • Inadequate oversight of subcontractors undertaking stone carving, pitching, conservation‑restoration and sealing works
2. Planning, Design and Procurement of Plant and Equipment
  • • Procurement of bridge saws, bridge polishers, edge/profile polishers and sandblasting units without adequate dust suppression or extraction systems
  • • Selection of stone cutting and polishing machinery without appropriate guarding, emergency stops, interlocks and noise/vibration controls
  • • Inadequate evaluation of compatibility between plant (e.g. bridge saws) and existing electrical supply, drainage and ventilation systems
  • • Purchase or hire of equipment without compliant instructions, maintenance schedules or Australian certification where applicable
  • • Failure to consider ergonomic design for stone handling, coping stone layout and profiling (e.g. work height, lifting aids, bench configuration)
  • • Insufficient planning for control of airborne silica dust generated from cutting natural stone, pitching and sandblasting
  • • Poor planning for control of wastewater, slurry and residues from polishing, sealing and restoration processes
3. Silica and Dust Exposure Management
  • • Uncontrolled generation of respirable crystalline silica during cutting, shaping, pitching and profiling of natural stone
  • • Inadequate dust control when operating bridge saws, bridge polishers, edge and profile polishers, or during stone carving by sandblasting
  • • Lack of systems to manage dry cutting or dry polishing tasks that may be undertaken for convenience or speed
  • • Insufficient maintenance and testing of local exhaust ventilation and water suppression systems leading to degraded performance
  • • Inadequate respiratory protective equipment (RPE) program including selection, fit testing and training
  • • Failure to undertake health monitoring for workers at risk of silica‑related diseases in line with WHS Regulations and guidance
  • • Poor housekeeping leading to accumulation of dry dust on floors, ledges and equipment that can become airborne
4. Hazardous Chemicals, Stone Sealers and Restoration Products
  • • Use of solvent‑based stone sealers, cleaning agents and restoration chemicals without adequate risk assessment
  • • Insufficient storage controls for flammable or corrosive products used in stone sealing and conservation‑restoration
  • • Lack of up‑to‑date safety data sheets (SDS) and inadequate worker information about chemical hazards and safe handling
  • • Inadequate ventilation for application of sealers and restoration products in enclosed or partially enclosed areas
  • • Inconsistent use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling chemicals (e.g. gloves, eye protection, RPE)
  • • Poor systems for management of spills, waste disposal and environmental releases from sealing and restoration processes
5. Plant Safety and Guarding for Saws and Polishers
  • • Inadequate guarding on bridge saws, bridge polishers, edge polishers and profile polishers leading to entanglement, amputation or contact with moving parts
  • • Defeated or bypassed interlocks, emergency stops and other safety features to speed up cutting and polishing work
  • • Lack of systematic pre‑use inspection and defect reporting for all stonework plant
  • • Uncontrolled modifications or repairs to plant affecting guarding, stability or electrical safety
  • • Inadequate safe systems of work for maintenance, cleaning and adjustment of bridge saws, polishers and sandblasting equipment
  • • Insufficient controls for noise and vibration generated by heavy stone cutting and polishing operations
6. Workshop Layout, Traffic and Manual Handling Systems
  • • Poor workshop layout creating congestion and collision risks between forklifts, trolleys and workers moving heavy stone slabs
  • • Inadequate systems for safe manual handling of stone pieces during coping stone layout, cutting, shaping and restoration work
  • • Lack of dedicated storage systems for slabs, off‑cuts and finished stone leading to instability and crush hazards
  • • Insufficient planning for access, egress and emergency evacuation paths around bridge saws, polishers and sandblasting areas
  • • Improper use or selection of lifting equipment such as clamps, slings, A‑frames and overhead cranes
  • • Uncontrolled pedestrian access into high‑risk stone cutting and polishing zones
7. Competency, Training and Supervision
  • • Workers operating bridge saws, polishers, sandblasting and restoration equipment without adequate competency or supervision
  • • Insufficient training on silica risks, control measures and correct use of RPE and PPE
  • • Lack of formal verification of competency for high‑risk tasks such as stone carving by sandblasting, stone pitching and conservation‑restoration of historic structures
  • • Inadequate training of supervisors in WHS responsibilities and hazard identification specific to stonework
  • • Failure to provide site‑specific and task‑specific inductions for new workers and subcontractors
  • • Reliance on informal on‑the‑job instruction without documentation or assessment
8. Safe Work Procedures and Documentation
  • • Absence of documented safe work procedures for cutting, shaping, polishing, sandblasting and sealing of stone
  • • Procedures that are overly generic and fail to capture specific risks associated with bridge saws, coping stone layout and stone restoration
  • • Inconsistent application of procedures between day, night or weekend shifts and between different supervisors
  • • Failure to update documentation following incidents, near misses or changes to plant and processes
  • • Workers and contractors not having ready access to current procedures at the point of work
9. Contractor and Subcontractor Management
  • • Contractors performing high‑risk stonework (e.g. sandblasting, conservation‑restoration, external stone sealing) without alignment to the PCBU’s WHS system
  • • Lack of clarity over who controls the workplace and plant when contractors use fixed stone cutting and polishing equipment
  • • Inadequate review of contractor risk assessments, SWMS and silica management strategies
  • • Poor communication of site‑specific hazards, emergency procedures and exclusion zones to visiting contractors
  • • Insufficient monitoring of contractor compliance with agreed WHS requirements, including RPE/PPE use and dust control
10. Inspection, Maintenance and Calibration Systems
  • • Lack of planned preventive maintenance for bridge saws, polishers, sandblasting units and dust control systems leading to sudden failures and increased risk
  • • Inadequate inspection regimes for lifting equipment, slab storage racks and A‑frames used in stone handling
  • • Failure to identify wear and tear on critical components such as blades, belts, guards and extraction ducting
  • • No calibration or verification of monitoring equipment such as airflow meters, noise meters and silica sampling devices where used
  • • Poor record‑keeping of maintenance activities and outstanding corrective actions
11. Health Monitoring, Injury Management and Wellbeing
  • • Failure to provide required health monitoring for workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica, noise and hazardous chemicals
  • • Delayed reporting and management of musculoskeletal injuries from repetitive handling, pitching and polishing of stone
  • • Inadequate systems for early intervention and rehabilitation following stonework‑related injuries or illnesses
  • • Poor recognition of cumulative impacts from vibration, awkward postures and repetitive tasks in stone shaping and restoration
  • • Lack of support for workers experiencing stress or fatigue due to high workloads, deadlines or physically demanding stonework tasks
12. Emergency Preparedness and Incident Management
  • • Inadequate planning for emergencies associated with stonework, including severe injuries from plant, chemical exposures and dust incidents
  • • Lack of clear procedures for plant‑related emergencies around bridge saws, polishers and sandblasting units
  • • Insufficient first aid equipment and trained first aiders relative to the risks and workforce size
  • • Poor incident reporting and investigation processes leading to repeated stonework‑related events
  • • Limited coordination with emergency services for sites undertaking high‑risk stone restoration or external sealing works
13. Auditing, Review and Continuous Improvement
  • • WHS systems for stonework becoming outdated and not reflecting current legislative requirements, technology or industry best practice
  • • Lack of systematic verification that silica controls, plant safety measures and procedures are implemented as intended
  • • Minimal involvement of workers in review processes, resulting in missed opportunities to identify practical improvements
  • • Ineffective follow‑up on audit findings, incident recommendations and corrective actions
  • • Failure to benchmark performance against industry expectations or regulatory guidance for stonework and silica management

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

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 – Managing the Risks of Respirable Crystalline Silica from Engineered Stone in the Workplace: Guidance on controlling silica exposure in stonework operations.
  • Model Code of Practice – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Framework for systematic hazard identification, risk assessment and control.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace: Requirements for chemical storage, handling, labelling and emergency planning.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work: Guidance for controlling noise from cutting, grinding and polishing plant.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces: Controls for working at height during stone installation and façade works.
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines.
  • AS/NZS 4801 / ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements for systematic WHS governance.
  • AS 4024 series – Safety of Machinery: Principles for guarding, emergency stops and control systems for stoneworking plant.
  • AS 1940: The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids, relevant to stone sealers 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

$79.5

Safe Work Australia Aligned