Product Overview

Summary: This SOP provides a structured, dynamic approach to identifying, assessing and controlling risks across all stages of glazing projects, from pre-start to final install. It equips glazing businesses with a practical, WHS-aligned framework to continuously evaluate changing site conditions and keep workers, subcontractors and the public safe.

Glazing projects are highly dynamic, with risks changing as structural frames go up, access arrangements shift, and weather and public interfaces evolve. Traditional, static risk assessments completed at the start of a job often fail to capture these changes, leaving glazing crews exposed to falls, dropped objects, glass handling injuries and interface risks with other trades. This Dynamic Risk Evaluation in Glazing Projects SOP sets out a clear, repeatable process for continuously identifying hazards, reassessing risk levels and implementing appropriate controls in line with Australian WHS expectations.

The procedure walks your team through pre-start and daily risk reviews, change management triggers (such as design variations, new equipment, or scaffold alterations), and how to document and communicate revised controls on fast-paced construction sites. It supports compliance with the WHS Act and Regulations by embedding the hierarchy of control, consultation requirements and due diligence into everyday glazing activities, whether you are installing curtain walls on a high-rise or replacing shopfront glazing in a busy retail strip. By implementing this SOP, glazing businesses can demonstrate a defensible, best-practice approach to risk management, reduce incidents and project disruptions, and build a strong safety culture that protects workers and the public alike.

Key Benefits

• Ensure continuous WHS compliance by embedding dynamic risk assessment into daily glazing activities.
• Reduce incidents related to glass handling, falls from height and dropped objects through timely control updates.
• Improve communication and consultation between project managers, supervisors, installers and other trades on site.
• Streamline documentation of risk evaluations, making it easier to demonstrate due diligence to clients and regulators.
• Enhance project reliability by minimising unplanned stoppages, rework and delays caused by unmanaged safety risks.

Who is this for?

• Glazing Project Managers
• Site Supervisors
• Leading Hands (Glazing Crews)
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• Construction Managers
• Principal Contractors
• Small Business Glazing Owners
• Facilities and Asset Managers overseeing glazing works

Hazards Addressed

• Falls from height during installation of windows, curtain walls and balustrades
• Falling objects and dropped glazing panels from elevated work areas
• Manual handling injuries from lifting, carrying and positioning glass units
• Cuts, lacerations and crush injuries from handling and installing glass and frames
• Glazing equipment hazards, including glass lifters, suction cups, cranes and EWPs
• Struck-by risks from mobile plant and vehicles in and around the work area
• Adverse weather impacts on glass handling, access equipment and stability
• Public interface risks where glazing works occur near footpaths, retail spaces or occupied buildings
• Interaction hazards with other trades, including overlapping work zones and shared access ways
• Fatigue and time-pressure risks leading to poor decision-making and shortcuts

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Concepts (Dynamic Risk, Residual Risk, Change Management)
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (PCBU, Officers, Supervisors, Installers, HSRs)
• 4.0 Regulatory and Standards Framework for Glazing Risk Management
• 5.0 Project Risk Planning for Glazing Works
• 6.0 Pre-Start Risk Identification and Assessment for Glazing Tasks
• 7.0 Dynamic Risk Evaluation Triggers (Design Changes, Site Changes, Weather, Equipment)
• 8.0 Step-by-Step Dynamic Risk Evaluation Process
• 9.0 Applying the Hierarchy of Control to Glazing Hazards
• 10.0 Integration with SWMS, JSA and Permit-to-Work Systems
• 11.0 Controls for Common Glazing Risks (Heights, Glass Handling, Public Interface, Plant)
• 12.0 Consultation, Communication and Toolbox Talks
• 13.0 Documentation, Record Keeping and Evidence of Due Diligence
• 14.0 Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement of Risk Controls
• 15.0 Training and Competency Requirements for Glazing Personnel
• 16.0 Incident, Near-Miss and Change Reporting Linked to Dynamic Risk Evaluation
• 17.0 Audit Checklist and Implementation Guide

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth and relevant state/territory variants)
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth and relevant state/territory variants)
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Construction Work
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces
• AS/NZS 4801: Occupational health and safety management systems (superseded but still commonly referenced)
• AS/NZS ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• AS/NZS 4994.1: Temporary edge protection for housing and residential buildings
• AS/NZS 1891 series: Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices
• AS/NZS 2208: Safety glazing materials in buildings