Product Overview

Summary: This High-Rise Building Masonry Safe Operating Procedure sets out a clear, compliant and repeatable method for planning and carrying out masonry works at height on multi-storey projects. It focuses on controlling fall risks, structural instability and material handling hazards while maintaining productivity and workmanship quality in line with Australian WHS expectations.

Masonry work in high-rise buildings introduces a combination of high-risk construction activities: working at height, handling heavy materials, operating plant in tight spaces and building structural elements that must remain stable as floors are added. This High-Rise Building Masonry Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, end‑to‑end approach for planning, sequencing and safely executing masonry tasks on multi-storey residential, commercial and mixed‑use projects across Australia. It aligns field practice with WHS obligations, project specifications and engineering requirements, giving your teams a single, authoritative reference for how masonry is to be carried out on upper levels, balconies, cores and façade edges.

The SOP addresses the real‑world challenges faced on Australian high-rise sites: coordinating masonry with crane operations, scaffolding and formwork; managing edge protection and exclusion zones; controlling falling objects; and maintaining safe access while trades work above and below. It sets out clear responsibilities for supervisors, trades and subcontractors, specifies required permits and pre‑start checks, and embeds risk controls for manual handling, dust, noise and plant interaction. By implementing this procedure, businesses can reduce incident rates, avoid costly rectification and delays, and demonstrate due diligence to clients, regulators and insurers through a documented, defensible system of work for high‑rise masonry.

Key Benefits

• Ensure high-rise masonry activities are planned and executed in line with Australian WHS legislation and recognised industry standards.
• Reduce the risk of falls, structural instability and falling objects through clearly defined controls, checks and supervision requirements.
• Standardise masonry work methods across projects, improving build quality, productivity and coordination with other trades.
• Demonstrate due diligence to regulators, clients and principal contractors with a documented, auditable system of work for high‑risk construction tasks.
• Support effective induction, toolbox talks and competency assessment for bricklayers, blocklayers and supervisors working on multi-storey sites.

Who is this for?

• Construction Project Managers
• Site Supervisors
• Leading Hands (Bricklaying and Blocklaying)
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• High-Rise Construction Forepersons
• Principal Contractors
• Safety Coordinators
• Bricklayers and Blocklayers
• Scaffolding Supervisors
• Site Engineers

Hazards Addressed

• Falls from height during masonry work on upper floors, balconies and façade edges
• Falling bricks, blocks, tools or debris striking workers or the public below
• Collapse or instability of partially constructed masonry walls or columns
• Scaffold failure or unsafe use of working platforms, hop‑ups and mobile scaffolds
• Crane and hoist operations for lifting bricks, blocks, mortar and pallets
• Struck-by incidents involving forklifts, telehandlers and other mobile plant
• Manual handling injuries from repetitive lifting, carrying and placing heavy masonry units
• Exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) from cutting, chasing or grinding masonry
• Noise exposure from power tools, cutting equipment and site plant
• Slips, trips and falls due to poor housekeeping, mortar spills and uneven work surfaces
• Weather-related risks such as high winds impacting work at height and wall stability
• Electrical hazards from contact with temporary electrical leads or equipment
• Fatigue and reduced vigilance during repetitive, high‑risk tasks at height

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope – High-Rise Masonry Works
• 2.0 Definitions and Abbreviations
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (PCBU, Site Management, Supervisors, Workers, Subcontractors)
• 4.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Codes of Practice
• 5.0 Pre-Construction Planning and Design Considerations for Masonry in High-Rise Buildings
• 6.0 Risk Assessment and Safe Work Method Integration (SWMS for High-Risk Construction Work)
• 7.0 Site Access, Egress and Traffic Management for Masonry Operations
• 8.0 Scaffolding, Edge Protection and Working Platforms for Masonry at Height
• 9.0 Materials Handling, Storage and Lifting (Cranes, Hoists, Telehandlers and Pallet Movement)
• 10.0 Required Plant, Tools and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• 11.0 Manual Handling Controls for Bricks, Blocks and Mortar
• 12.0 Step-by-Step Operating Procedure for High-Rise Masonry Works
• 13.0 Structural Stability, Bracing and Temporary Supports for Partially Built Walls
• 14.0 Control of Falling Objects and Overhead Work (Exclusion Zones and Toe Boards)
• 15.0 Silica Dust, Noise and Other Health Hazard Management (Cutting, Grinding and Chasing)
• 16.0 Weather and Environmental Considerations (Wind, Rain, Heat and Lightning)
• 17.0 Coordination with Other Trades (Formwork, Steel Fixing, Services and Façade Installers)
• 18.0 Inspection, Testing and Quality Assurance of Masonry Works
• 19.0 Housekeeping, Waste Management and Site Clean-Up
• 20.0 Incident Reporting, Non-Conformance and Corrective Actions
• 21.0 Emergency Preparedness and Response (Falls, Structural Collapse, Struck-By Incidents)
• 22.0 Training, Competency and Induction Requirements
• 23.0 Review, Audit and Continuous Improvement of the SOP

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and relevant state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (and state/territory equivalents) – High Risk Construction Work
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Construction Work
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace (for silica-containing materials)
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work
• AS/NZS 1576 Scaffolding series
• AS/NZS 4576: Guidelines for scaffolding
• AS/NZS 1891 Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices series
• AS 3700: Masonry structures
• AS/NZS 3012: Electrical installations – Construction and demolition sites
• AS/NZS 4501: Occupational protective clothing
• AS/NZS 1715: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment
• AS/NZS 1801: Occupational protective helmets