Floor Polishing SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers floor polishing work, including cleaning, stripping, buffing, waxing, curing and reopening floor areas. It supports planning for access control, equipment, electrical, chemical, wet-floor and manual-handling hazards.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Review the work area and identify access, contamination, exit and floor-condition hazards.
• Establish an exclusion zone and control pedestrian access, leads and equipment movement.
• Unload, position and inspect polishing equipment and electrical supplies.
• Prepare chemicals and solutions for cleaning and stripping activities.
• Clean and strip tiles, then rinse and dry treated areas.
• Buffer tiles while managing rotating equipment, leads, noise and electrical hazards.
• Prepare timber floors and apply timber floor wax.
• Buff timber floors and manage dust, vapours, electrical hazards and surface-slip risks.
• Allow finishes to cure, reopen the area, clean up and demobilise.

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out floor polishing activities.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

The template includes references relevant to the documented work, including:

• Applicable Commonwealth, state or territory WHS/OHS legislation and regulations, including duties to provide and maintain a safe workplace, manage risks, consult workers, provide information/training/supervision, maintain plant, manage hazardous chemicals and provide suitable PPE.
• Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks.
• Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace.
• Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace.
• Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace. Follow current SDS and label instructions; eliminate ignition sources and maintain electrical equipment where flammable chemicals may be present.
• Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks.
• Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities. Floors must be maintained to minimise slip and trip hazards, including hazards from trailing leads, contaminants and cleaning agents.
• AS/NZS 3760, In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment.
• AS/NZS 3012, Electrical installations—Construction and demolition sites, where applicable to temporary site electrical supply.
• AS/NZS 2210.3, Personal protective equipment—Safety footwear.
• AS/NZS 1270, Acoustics—Hearing protectors.
• AS/NZS 1337.1, Personal eye and face protection.
• AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716, Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment.

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Standard SWMS Features (Click to Expand)

• Task-specific job steps, hazards and control measures
• Initial and residual risk ratings
• Assigned responsible persons for each job step
• Plant, equipment and PPE requirements where applicable
• Permits, qualifications and high-risk construction work details where applicable
• Worker consultation, sign-off and review sections