Product Overview

This Textiles Rubber and Composite Material Processing Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is designed to identify hazards, assess risks, and implement controls for the safe processing of textiles, rubber, plastics, and composite materials in industrial environments. It is a comprehensive, task-specific document that consolidates multiple activities involved in textiles, rubber and composite material processing to support robust WHS compliance and risk management on Australian worksites.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Casting resin furniture parts, including safe handling, mixing, pouring, curing and de-moulding of resins
• Composite materials processing, with controls for cutting, shaping, bonding and finishing fibre-reinforced components
• Operation of fabric cutting machines, including guarding, isolation, feeding techniques and off-cut management
• Use of granulators for rubber and plastic waste, including guarding, emergency stops and jam-clearing procedures
• Operating meter mixer urethane systems, addressing chemical handling, mixing ratios, ventilation and spill response
• Safe operation of industrial sewing machines for heavy textiles, webbing and technical fabrics
• Rolling fabric onto tubes, including manual handling techniques, pinch-point controls and ergonomic positioning
• Use of rubber compounding mills, including nip-point guarding, lock-out/tag-out and cleaning procedures
• Operating rubber extruders, including start-up/shut-down, pressure and temperature controls and emergency isolation
• Use of rubber moulding presses, including high-temperature hazards, guarding, interlocks and release agents
• Operating rumblers for rubber products, including noise, vibration, guarding and containment of loose parts
• Safe use of standard sewing machines for lighter textiles and component assembly work
• Stringing and aligning multiple fabric or composite layers, including manual handling, alignment accuracy and cutting safety
• Working with glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GRP), including dust and fibre control, PPE selection and cutting/grinding controls
• General chemical and hazardous substance management for resins, hardeners, solvents, release agents and cleaning chemicals

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for textile manufacturers, rubber product manufacturers, composite fabricators, furniture and component makers, and site supervisors overseeing processing plant and machinery in these environments.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace – for safe storage, handling, use and disposal of resins, urethanes, solvents and other chemicals
• Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work – for controlling noise from granulators, rumblers, mills and other processing machinery
• Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace – for guarding, isolation and safe operation of cutting machines, mills, presses and extruders
• Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks – for systematic hazard identification, risk assessment and implementation of controls
• Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks – for managing manual handling risks when lifting rolls, loading machines and handling moulds or components
• Safe Work Australia: Guide for Managing Risks from Airborne Contaminants – for controlling dusts and fibres from cutting and processing composites and textiles
• AS/NZS 1715: Selection, Use and Maintenance of Respiratory Protective Equipment – for appropriate respiratory protection when working with resins, fibres and airborne contaminants
• AS/NZS 2161 (series): Occupational Protective Gloves – for hand protection against mechanical and chemical hazards
• AS/NZS 1337.1: Personal Eye Protection – for eye and face protection during cutting, grinding and chemical handling
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017