Product Overview

Summary: This Glass Cutting and Shaping Safe Operating Procedure sets out clear, practical steps for carrying out glass fabrication tasks safely and consistently. It helps Australian workplaces manage the significant risks of working with sheet glass, power tools and sharp offcuts, while lifting quality, productivity and WHS compliance.

Cutting and shaping glass is inherently high-risk work, involving sharp edges, breakage, heavy panels, power tools and exposure to noise and airborne particles. Without a structured procedure, even experienced workers can fall into unsafe habits, resulting in lacerations, eye injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, equipment damage and costly rework. This Glass Cutting and Shaping Safe Operating Procedure provides a clear, end-to-end method for planning, setting up, performing and completing glass fabrication tasks in line with Australian WHS expectations.

The SOP breaks down each stage of the process, from receiving and storing glass sheets, conducting pre-use inspections of cutting and shaping equipment, and selecting the correct PPE, through to safe manual handling, controlled cutting techniques, edge finishing, offcut management and clean-up. It embeds risk controls for common hazards such as glass breakage, flying fragments, dust generation, noise, slips and trips, and interaction with other trades. By implementing this SOP, businesses can demonstrate due diligence, standardise training, and provide workers with a practical, step-by-step reference that supports safer, higher-quality glass work across workshops, factories and construction sites.

Key Benefits

• Reduce the risk of cuts, eye injuries and manual handling incidents during glass cutting and shaping tasks.
• Ensure consistent, repeatable work quality by standardising how glass is measured, scored, cut and finished.
• Support compliance with Australian WHS legislation and relevant standards for plant, PPE and hazardous manual tasks.
• Streamline onboarding and refresher training for glaziers, apprentices and labour hire workers.
• Minimise material wastage, rework and downtime caused by breakage, equipment damage or unsafe work practices.

Who is this for?

• Glaziers
• Glass Factory Supervisors
• Workshop Managers
• WHS Managers
• Fabrication Team Leaders
• Apprentice Glaziers
• Construction Project Managers
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• Small Business Owners in Glass and Aluminium
• Maintenance and Facilities Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Lacerations and puncture wounds from sharp glass edges and broken pieces
• Eye and face injuries from flying glass fragments and glass dust
• Musculoskeletal injuries from lifting, carrying and positioning heavy glass panels
• Crush and pinch injuries when handling large sheets on racks, trolleys or cutting tables
• Noise exposure from cutting, grinding and shaping tools
• Respiratory irritation from fine glass dust and particles
• Slips, trips and falls due to offcuts, shards and slurry on floors
• Electric shock or burns from powered cutting and shaping equipment
• Entanglement or contact injuries with rotating parts on grinders and edge polishers
• Inadequate guarding or emergency stop access on glass-cutting machinery

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 References, Definitions and Applicable Standards
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 Competency, Training and Authorisation Requirements
• 5.0 Required Tools, Equipment and Materials
• 6.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements
• 7.0 Hazard Identification and Risk Controls for Glass Cutting and Shaping
• 8.0 Pre-Start Checks and Work Area Setup
• 9.0 Safe Manual Handling of Glass Sheets and Panels
• 10.0 Step-by-Step Procedure: Measuring, Marking and Scoring Glass
• 11.0 Step-by-Step Procedure: Breaking, Cutting and Trimming Glass
• 12.0 Step-by-Step Procedure: Edge Grinding, Polishing and Shaping
• 13.0 Use of Mechanical Aids, Racks and Trolleys
• 14.0 Housekeeping, Offcut Management and Waste Disposal
• 15.0 Lockout/Tagout and Isolation of Powered Equipment
• 16.0 Emergency Procedures for Breakages and Injuries
• 17.0 Inspection, Maintenance and Storage of Equipment
• 18.0 Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and corresponding state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) and corresponding state and territory WHS Regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
• AS/NZS 1337.1: Eye and face protection for occupational applications
• AS/NZS 2161: Occupational protective gloves
• AS/NZS 4501: Occupational protective clothing
• AS/NZS 1270: Acoustics – Hearing protectors
• 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