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Painting and Decorating Risk Assessment

Painting and Decorating Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
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Painting and Decorating Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Painting and Decorating activities at a management and systems level, using this comprehensive Painting and Decorating Risk Assessment as a planning and governance tool. Support WHS Act compliance, demonstrate executive Due Diligence, and reduce operational liability exposure across your painting operations and projects.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • WHS Governance, Roles and Consultation: Assessment of PCBU duties, officer due diligence, role clarity, worker consultation mechanisms, and alignment of painting activities with organisational WHS policy and objectives.
  • Contractor Management & Procurement of Painting Services: Management of prequalification, tender and contract clauses, selection of competent painting contractors, and oversight of subcontractor safety performance.
  • Planning, Design & Pre-Construction Risk Management: Assessment of design-stage decisions, surface preparation requirements, access arrangements, and sequencing of painting works to eliminate or minimise risks before work commences.
  • Training, Competency & Supervision: Management of trade qualifications, VOCs, high risk work licensing (where applicable), toolbox talks, and supervision arrangements for employees, apprentices and contractors.
  • Hazardous Chemicals & Health Exposure Management: Protocols for selection and substitution of paints, solvents and coatings, SDS management, storage and decanting controls, ventilation strategies, and health monitoring where required.
  • Work at Heights & Access Systems Management: Assessment of ladders, mobile scaffolds, EWPs and other access systems, including selection, inspection, exclusion zones, and fall-prevention planning for internal and external painting works.
  • Plant, Tools & Equipment Management: Management of spray equipment, compressors, pressure hoses, sanding tools and other plant, including inspection, maintenance, guarding, and safe operating limitations.
  • Electrical Safety & Energy Management: Controls for portable electrical equipment, RCD use, extension leads, overhead and hidden services, isolation procedures, and interaction with other energy sources on site.
  • Environmental, Fire & Explosion Risk Management: Assessment of flammable and combustible liquids, vapour ignition sources, hot work interfaces, overspray and waste management, and environmental protection requirements.
  • Fatigue, Scheduling & Psychosocial Risk Management: Management of working hours, night works, compressed programs, client pressure, remote or isolated work, and psychosocial hazards impacting painting crews.
  • Traffic, Public Interface & Site Security: Protocols for managing public access, shared driveways, building occupants, vehicle movements, barricading, signage, and security of painting areas and materials.
  • Documentation, Communication & Information Management: Assessment of procedures, work instructions, permits, SDS registers, drawings, and communication pathways between management, supervisors, workers and clients.
  • Incident Reporting, Investigation & Corrective Action: Systems for capturing near misses and incidents, root cause analysis specific to painting activities, and implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
  • Monitoring, Audit & Continuous Improvement: Framework for inspections, contractor performance reviews, WHS audits, KPI monitoring, and ongoing improvement of painting and decorating risk controls.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Construction and Project Managers, and Safety Leaders responsible for planning, procuring and overseeing Painting and Decorating operations across projects or portfolios.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. WHS Governance, Roles and Consultation
  • • Lack of clear WHS governance structure for painting and decorating operations
  • • Ambiguity in WHS roles, responsibilities and accountabilities between PCBUs, supervisors, contractors and workers
  • • Insufficient consultation mechanisms with workers and health and safety representatives (HSRs) about painting-specific risks
  • • Inadequate WHS policies and procedures aligned to WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulations for construction work
  • • Failure to ensure overlapping duty holders (builders, principal contractors, host PCBU, subcontractors) coordinate WHS duties
2. Contractor Management and Procurement of Painting Services
  • • Engagement of painting contractors without adequate WHS systems or licences
  • • Pricing and procurement decisions that incentivise unsafe practices (e.g. unrealistic timeframes, inadequate resourcing)
  • • Failure to verify competency, insurances and high-risk work licences (e.g. EWP) before engagement
  • • Poor definition of WHS expectations and scope of work in contracts and purchase orders
  • • Inadequate prequalification and ongoing performance monitoring of subcontractors
3. Planning, Design and Pre-Construction Risk Management
  • • Inadequate planning of access methods leading to unsafe reliance on ladders or improvised platforms
  • • Lack of early design input to eliminate or reduce working at height and difficult access areas
  • • Incomplete or outdated hazard information provided by clients or principal contractors (e.g. asbestos registers, existing coatings data)
  • • Failure to assess environmental conditions (ventilation, lighting, weather exposure) at planning stage
  • • Insufficient consideration of interaction with other trades and public during planning
4. Training, Competency and Supervision
  • • Painters and decorators performing tasks without appropriate training or competency assessment
  • • Supervisors lacking knowledge of WHS legislation and high-risk construction work obligations
  • • Inadequate training in safe use of access equipment (scaffolds, EWPs, platform ladders)
  • • Insufficient competency in handling hazardous chemicals, including isocyanates and flammable coatings
  • • Over-reliance on informal on-the-job learning without structured competency assessment
5. Hazardous Chemicals and Health Exposure Management
  • • Exposure to hazardous substances in paints, solvents, thinners and surface preparation products (e.g. isocyanates, VOCs, heavy metals)
  • • Inadequate chemical risk assessment and failure to comply with WHS Regulations for hazardous chemicals
  • • Poor ventilation leading to accumulation of fumes and vapours in enclosed or poorly ventilated areas
  • • Incorrect or inconsistent use of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and other PPE
  • • Failure to maintain up-to-date Safety Data Sheets and correct decanting and labelling practices
6. Work at Heights and Access Systems Management
  • • Systemic reliance on ladders and makeshift platforms without higher level controls
  • • Inadequate planning, design and certification of scaffolding and temporary access systems
  • • Poor governance over use of EWPs, including overload, misuse and operation on unsuitable surfaces
  • • Lack of procedures for inspection, maintenance and tagging of access equipment
  • • Insufficient management of fall protection systems, including edge protection and harness systems where used
7. Plant, Tools and Equipment Management
  • • Use of defective or unsuitable plant such as sprayers, compressors, grinders and sanders
  • • Lack of preventive maintenance regime for painting equipment and electrical tools
  • • Inadequate management of guarding, noise and vibration risks from mechanical preparation tools
  • • Insufficient control over hire equipment, including verification of condition and documentation
  • • Uncontrolled introduction of new or modified equipment without risk assessment
8. Electrical Safety and Energy Management
  • • Systemic use of non-compliant power distribution for painting equipment on construction sites
  • • Inadequate controls to prevent contact with live electrical parts when working near existing installations
  • • Poor management of temporary leads, power boards and RCD protection in wet or outdoor areas
  • • Lack of documented procedures for isolation and verification of de-energised services where required
9. Environmental, Fire and Explosion Risk Management
  • • Use and storage of flammable paints and solvents without adequate fire and explosion controls
  • • Inadequate segregation of ignition sources from painting and solvent use areas
  • • Poor management of waste paint, solvent, rags and contaminated materials leading to fire or environmental contamination
  • • Lack of emergency planning for fire events associated with painting operations
10. Fatigue, Scheduling and Psychosocial Risk Management
  • • Compressed project schedules leading to long working hours and insufficient breaks for painters
  • • High work demands, rework, and conflict with other trades contributing to stress and psychosocial risks
  • • Inadequate consideration of shift work, night work and travel time in planning
  • • Lack of organisational systems to identify and manage fatigue and mental health risks
11. Traffic, Public Interface and Site Security
  • • Interaction between painters, vehicles, mobile plant and pedestrians on or near worksites
  • • Public exposure to painting operations, overspray, fumes or falling objects in occupied buildings or public areas
  • • Uncontrolled access by unauthorised persons to paint storage, scaffolds and work areas after hours
12. Documentation, Communication and Information Management
  • • Critical WHS information for painting and decorating not effectively communicated to workers and contractors
  • • Outdated or inconsistent procedures, SWMS and risk assessments across different projects
  • • Poor record-keeping undermining ability to demonstrate compliance with WHS Act 2011 and Regulations
  • • Failure to ensure workers understand documentation due to language or literacy barriers
13. Incident Reporting, Investigation and Corrective Action
  • • Under-reporting of near misses, minor injuries and exposures during painting works
  • • Inadequate incident investigations that fail to identify root causes and systemic issues
  • • Poor follow-up on corrective actions leading to repeated incidents
  • • Lack of processes to meet notifiable incident requirements under WHS legislation
14. Monitoring, Audit and Continuous Improvement
  • • Failure to verify that WHS controls for painting and decorating are implemented and effective
  • • Lack of systematic WHS performance monitoring specific to painting activities
  • • Infrequent or superficial safety inspections and audits on sites where painters operate
  • • No structured process for continuous improvement based on monitoring results

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • Model Code of Practice – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Guidance on systematic risk management processes.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities: Requirements for safe and healthy work environments, including for painting works.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace: Requirements for the storage, handling and use of paints, solvents and related products.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces: Guidance on selection and control of ladders, scaffolds and other access systems.
  • Model Code of Practice – Construction Work: WHS duties and risk management expectations for painting within construction and refurbishment projects.
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines.
  • AS/NZS 4801 / ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements for systematic WHS management.
  • AS/NZS 1891 series: Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices relevant to work at heights during painting activities.
  • AS/NZS 3012: Electrical installations — Construction and demolition sites, including temporary power and portable equipment used by painters.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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