Product Overview

This Plastic Fabrication SWMS is a site-ready Safe Work Method Statement designed to identify hazards, assess risks and implement controls for plastic manufacturing and fabrication tasks. It is a comprehensive document covering multiple aspects of plastic fabrication safety and WHS compliance, from manual assembly and gluing through to advanced thermoforming and extrusion processes.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Assembly of acrylic components, including safe handling, cutting, edge finishing and securing of panels
• Gluing polycarbonate panels, with controls for solvent exposure, fume management and correct clamping techniques
• Heat bending polycarbonate material, including temperature control, guarding and burn prevention measures
• Set-up, operation and shutdown of high powered vacuum forming machines, including guarding, emergency stops and isolation
• Safe operation of plastics extruders, including hopper loading, screw and barrel heating, and jam-clearing procedures
• Plastics extrusion haul-off processes, including nip point guarding, puller speed control and product handling
• Use of on-line saws in plastics extrusion, with controls for cutting hazards, guarding, dust extraction and noise
• Operation of plastics extrusion belling tables, including hot surface controls, pinch point management and manual handling
• Set-up and operation of pressure formers, including vacuum and air pressure controls, tooling changes and guarding
• Rotational moulding (roto mould) operations, including loading/unloading moulds, hot surfaces and rotating plant hazards
• Thermoforming machine use, including sheet loading, forming cycles, trimming and safe access for maintenance
• Selection and correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for heat, cuts, noise and chemical exposure
• Management of plastic fumes, dusts and offcuts, including local exhaust ventilation, housekeeping and waste disposal
• Lockout/tagout and isolation procedures for cleaning, clearing blockages and maintenance on plastic fabrication plant

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for plastic fabrication workshops, extrusion and moulding facilities, thermoforming operations, maintenance teams, and site supervisors overseeing plastic manufacturing activities on Australian worksites.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace – Guidance on the safe use, guarding and maintenance of machinery such as extruders, saws and forming equipment
• Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace – Controls for solvents, adhesives, fumes and chemical handling during plastic fabrication
• Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks – Framework for hazard identification, risk assessment and implementation of control measures
• Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work – Requirements for controlling noise from extrusion lines, saws and forming machines
• Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities – Ventilation, lighting and welfare facilities for plastic fabrication areas
• AS/NZS 4024 Safety of Machinery (series) – Principles for machinery design, guarding and emergency stop systems on plastic processing equipment
• AS/NZS 1715 Selection, Use and Maintenance of Respiratory Protective Equipment – Guidance for respirator use where fumes or dusts may be present
• AS/NZS 2161 Occupational Protective Gloves (series) – Selection of hand protection for cuts, heat and chemical exposure
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017