Product Overview

This Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) provides a structured approach to managing the risks associated with wood dust generation and material handling activities in timber, joinery, and manufacturing environments, supporting strong WHS compliance. It is a comprehensive document that covers multiple aspects of Wood Dust and Material Handling, from raw timber processing through to specialised treatment, storage, and handling of manufactured wood products.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Alignment and levelling of timber and wood products to ensure accurate set-up while minimising manual handling and pinch-point risks
• Levelling and squaring of boards, panels, and components using mechanical and hand tools with appropriate guarding and dust extraction
• Chemically modifying wood, including safe use, storage, and application of chemical agents and preservatives
• Handling chemically-treated wood, including PPE selection, segregation, and controls for skin contact and fume or dust exposure
• Chipboard processing, cutting, and machining with controls for fine dust emissions and airborne contaminants
• Hardwood processing, including ripping, planing, and profiling with appropriate guarding, push-sticks, and local exhaust ventilation
• MDF handling and machining, with specific controls for high wood dust and formaldehyde exposure risks
• Plywood handling, stacking, and feeding into machinery with safe lifting techniques and mechanical aids
• Heating processes for bending plywood, including temperature control, burn prevention, and fume extraction
• Hot-press moulded plywood shaping, including guarding of presses, emergency stop access, and safe clearing of jams
• Implementing fire hardening of wood, including ignition source control, thermal protection, and emergency response planning
• Dust control in saw milling, including design and use of extraction systems, housekeeping, and regular cleaning procedures
• Lumber grading procedures, including safe inspection, sorting, and marking of timber on conveyors and grading lines
• Overhead wood storing tasks, including racking safety, load limits, and working beneath suspended or elevated loads
• General wood material handling, including manual handling risk reduction, use of trolleys and forklifts, and safe stacking and storage

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for sawmills, timber yards, joinery and cabinetmaking workshops, engineered wood and panel manufacturers, plywood and MDF plants, and site supervisors overseeing wood processing and material handling operations.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace – Code of Practice: Guidance on safe use, storage, and handling of chemicals used to treat or modify wood
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace – Code of Practice (Safe Work Australia): Controls for exposure to hazardous wood dusts and chemical by-products
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces – Code of Practice: Requirements for safe access and work at height when stacking or retrieving timber from overhead storage
• Hazardous Manual Tasks – Code of Practice: Methods to reduce musculoskeletal risk when lifting, carrying, and stacking timber and sheet products
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work – Code of Practice: Controls for high noise levels from saws, presses, and processing equipment
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks – Code of Practice: Framework for identifying, assessing, and controlling risks associated with wood dust and material handling
• Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants: Exposure limits for wood dust and associated airborne contaminants
• AS/NZS 1715: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment: Requirements for respirators used to control inhalation of wood dust and fumes
• AS/NZS 1716: Respiratory protective devices: Performance standards for respiratory protective equipment
• AS/NZS 2161: Occupational protective gloves: Guidance on selection of gloves for handling rough-sawn and chemically-treated timber
• AS 1684 Residential timber-framed construction: Reference for handling and processing structural timber in construction-related applications
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017