Product Overview

Summary: This Facility Maintenance Safe Operating Procedure sets out a clear, repeatable system for maintaining buildings, plant and services safely and efficiently across Australian workplaces. It helps organisations control maintenance-related risks, protect workers and contractors, and keep critical assets compliant and operational with minimal downtime.

Facility maintenance touches every part of a business – from building fabric and essential services to plant, equipment and grounds. Without a structured procedure, maintenance activities can become reactive, inconsistent and unsafe, leading to unplanned outages, near misses, costly repairs and non-compliance with Australian WHS and building regulations. This Facility Maintenance Safe Operating Procedure provides a robust, step-by-step framework to plan, schedule and execute maintenance tasks with a clear focus on safety, risk management and asset reliability.

The SOP covers the full maintenance lifecycle: from work request and prioritisation, through risk assessment and isolation, to verification, documentation and close-out. It defines roles and responsibilities for in-house staff and contractors, embeds WHS obligations into everyday maintenance tasks, and integrates permit-to-work, lockout/tagout and confined space controls where required. By adopting this procedure, organisations can demonstrate due diligence, reduce unplanned downtime, and ensure that buildings and services remain safe, functional and fit for purpose for workers, visitors and tenants alike.

Key Benefits

• Ensure facility maintenance activities are planned and executed in line with Australian WHS legislation and relevant standards.
• Reduce maintenance-related incidents, near misses and equipment failures through structured risk assessment and control measures.
• Streamline communication between operations, maintenance teams and contractors with a standardised work request and approval process.
• Improve asset reliability and lifecycle performance by embedding routine inspections, preventive maintenance and defect management.
• Demonstrate due diligence to regulators, clients and insurers through consistent documentation, record-keeping and review.

Who is this for?

• Facilities Managers
• Maintenance Supervisors
• Maintenance Planners
• WHS Managers
• Property and Asset Managers
• Operations Managers
• Building Managers
• Maintenance Technicians
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• Contractor Coordinators

Hazards Addressed

• Slips, trips and falls during maintenance activities (including work at heights and on stairs or ladders)
• Electrical shock or arc flash during inspection, testing or repair of electrical systems
• Contact with moving machinery or stored energy during servicing of plant and equipment
• Exposure to hazardous chemicals, asbestos-containing materials or biological contaminants in building services and plant rooms
• Confined space risks in tanks, pits, ceiling voids and plant rooms with limited access
• Manual handling injuries when lifting, carrying or positioning tools, parts and materials
• Noise exposure from plant rooms, mechanical equipment and power tools
• Fire and explosion risks during hot works such as welding, grinding or cutting
• Struck-by and crush injuries from mobile plant, vehicles and materials handling equipment
• Psychosocial risks associated with after-hours call-outs, lone working and time pressure during breakdown response

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Terminology
• 3.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Competency Requirements
• 4.0 Planning and Scheduling of Maintenance Activities
• 5.0 Work Request, Prioritisation and Approval Process
• 6.0 Risk Assessment and Job Safety Analysis (JSA) for Maintenance Tasks
• 7.0 Permit to Work Requirements (Hot Work, Confined Space, Electrical and Others)
• 8.0 Isolation, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and Verification of Energy Sources
• 9.0 Safe Work Procedures for Routine and Reactive Maintenance
• 10.0 Management of Contractors and Site Induction Requirements
• 11.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Tools Requirements
• 12.0 Access, Housekeeping and Work at Height Controls
• 13.0 Environmental and Waste Management Considerations
• 14.0 Incident, Hazard and Near Miss Reporting During Maintenance
• 15.0 Documentation, Records and Maintenance Logs
• 16.0 Inspection, Testing and Preventive Maintenance Checklists
• 17.0 Emergency Procedures and Response During Maintenance Activities
• 18.0 Training, Communication and Consultation
• 19.0 Monitoring, Audit and Continuous Improvement
• 20.0 References, Legislation and Applicable Standards

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and corresponding state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 and state/territory equivalents
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Confined Spaces
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks
• AS/NZS 3000: Electrical installations (Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules)
• AS 3745: Planning for emergencies in facilities
• AS 1657: Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders – Design, construction and installation
• AS/NZS ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• AS 1940: The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids (where relevant to plant rooms and maintenance activities)