Product Overview

This Site Cleaning Housekeeping and Waste Management SWMS is a comprehensive Safe Work Method Statement designed to identify, control, and minimise risks associated with site cleaning, housekeeping, and waste handling activities. It provides detailed, step-by-step controls for multiple aspects of site housekeeping to support WHS compliance and effective construction site risk management.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Cleaning and clearing work areas during operations and at job completion to maintain a safe and orderly site
• Systematic clean up after job completion, including segregation and removal of waste and recyclable materials
• Cleaning the jobsite throughout the day to minimise slip, trip, and fall hazards
• Safe handling and removal of installation debris, offcuts, and packaging materials
• Clearing debris from the site and designated work zones to maintain clear access and egress
• Clearing human-made obstacles and obstructions from walkways, stairways, and access routes
• Maintaining clear paths of travel and emergency exits free from rubbish, tools, and stored materials
• Preventing workers from bumping into unsecured materials through correct stacking, storage, and barricading
• General housekeeping tasks upon completion of work, including tool checks and removal of residual hazards
• End-of-day and end-of-shift clean up procedures, including securing plant, tools, and hazardous substances
• Packing up equipment post-job, including safe manual handling, loading, and transport preparation
• Management of waste streams, including general, recyclable, and construction and demolition waste
• Use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for cleaning, sweeping, and rubbish handling tasks
• Control of dust, noise, and airborne contaminants generated during sweeping and clean-up activities
• Communication and signage to warn workers and visitors of cleaning activities and temporary obstructions

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for builders, construction contractors, maintenance crews, cleaners, site supervisors, and any PCBU responsible for housekeeping and waste management on Australian worksites.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Model Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities – guidance on maintaining a clean, safe, and accessible workplace
• Model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks – framework for identifying, assessing, and controlling risks associated with housekeeping and waste management
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces – relevant to slips, trips, and falls arising from poor housekeeping and site debris
• Model Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks – controls for manual handling of rubbish, debris, and equipment during site clean-up
• Model Code of Practice: Confined Spaces – where cleaning and waste removal occurs in pits, shafts, or other confined work areas
• AS/NZS 4801 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems – principles for systematic WHS management and continuous improvement
• AS 1319 Safety Signs for the Occupational Environment – requirements for safety signage used during cleaning and waste operations
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017