Product Overview

Summary: This Emergency Response for Glass Breakage SOP sets out clear, practical steps for safely managing broken glass incidents in Australian workplaces. It helps your team respond quickly, protect workers and the public from cuts and contamination, and restore the area to a safe condition with minimal disruption.

Broken glass incidents can occur in almost any workplace – from retail and hospitality venues with high customer traffic, to warehouses, laboratories, schools and office buildings. Without a clear, rehearsed procedure, staff may act on instinct, putting themselves and others at risk of serious cuts, blood exposure, slips, or contamination of food and products. This Emergency Response for Glass Breakage Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, step-by-step approach to securing the area, assessing the risk, cleaning up safely, and disposing of glass in line with Australian WHS expectations.

The SOP is designed to support businesses in meeting their duty of care under WHS legislation by standardising how broken glass is managed across all shifts and locations. It clarifies who does what in an emergency, what PPE must be used, how to manage incidents involving customers, children or vulnerable persons, and how to respond when glass is associated with chemicals, food, or bodily fluids. By implementing this procedure, organisations can reduce injury rates, prevent secondary incidents (such as slips or vehicle tyre damage), and demonstrate a defensible, documented process during audits, inspections or incident investigations.

Whether you operate a café with frequent glassware use, a supermarket with large glass display units, a laboratory handling glass apparatus, or a commercial building with extensive glazing, this SOP provides a ready-to-use framework that can be adapted to your site-specific risks and emergency arrangements.

Key Benefits

• Reduce the risk of lacerations and secondary injuries by providing clear, step-by-step response actions for any glass breakage event.
• Ensure compliance with Australian WHS requirements by documenting a consistent, auditable emergency response process.
• Protect customers, visitors and workers by standardising area isolation, communication and clean-up practices.
• Streamline staff training and inductions with a simple, role-based procedure that can be easily incorporated into toolbox talks and refresher training.
• Minimise operational disruption and reputational damage by enabling fast, controlled clean-up and incident recovery.

Who is this for?

• WHS Managers
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• Facilities and Maintenance Managers
• Retail Store Managers
• Hospitality Venue Managers
• Warehouse and Distribution Centre Supervisors
• Cleaning and Environmental Services Supervisors
• Laboratory Managers
• School and Campus Facilities Managers
• Frontline Team Leaders and Duty Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Cuts and lacerations from contact with broken or sharp glass edges
• Puncture wounds from stepping on or handling glass fragments
• Slips, trips and falls due to scattered glass, liquids or cleaning residues
• Cross-contamination of food, beverages or sterile areas with glass shards
• Exposure to blood or bodily fluids when glass is involved in an injury incident
• Chemical exposure when glass containers holding hazardous substances are broken
• Damage to tyres, trolleys, equipment or plant from uncollected glass fragments
• Psychological distress and panic among staff or members of the public during visible breakage incidents

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Types of Glass Breakage Incidents
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 Required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Clean-up Equipment
• 5.0 Initial Response and Area Isolation
• 6.0 Risk Assessment and Escalation Criteria
• 7.0 Safe Clean-up Procedure for Non-Contaminated Glass
• 8.0 Additional Controls for Glass Involving Food, Chemicals or Bodily Fluids
• 9.0 Glass Waste Segregation, Containment and Disposal
• 10.0 Incident Reporting, Investigation and Corrective Actions
• 11.0 Communication with Customers, Visitors and Other Stakeholders
• 12.0 Training, Induction and Competency Requirements
• 13.0 Post-Incident Review and Continuous Improvement
• 14.0 Document Control and Record Keeping

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state and territory WHS Regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Food Standards Code – Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements (for food and hospitality settings)
• AS/NZS 1319: Safety signs for the occupational environment
• AS/NZS 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use