Butchery Safety SWMS

Product Overview

This SWMS covers butchery activities, including setup, equipment inspection, carcass handling, cutting, processing, cleaning, waste management and end-of-shift tasks. It supports planning work controls and managing hazards from knives, blades, machinery, biological material, wet floors and manual handling.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes task-specific risk controls for:

• Complete pre-start setup and induction
• Inspect knives, tools and machinery
• Receive and move carcasses
• Drain blood and separate internal organs
• Perform knife cutting, deboning and trimming tasks
• Operate meat slicers
• Operate mincers and tenderisers
• Operate bandsaws and poultry saws
• Clean and sanitise equipment
• Manage waste and spills
• Secure knives, report issues and complete end-of-shift tasks

Who is this for?

For workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out butchery activities.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

The template includes references relevant to the documented work, including:

• Applicable Commonwealth, state or territory WHS/OHS legislation and regulations, including duties to provide safe systems of work, safe plant, information, training, instruction, supervision, consultation, workplace facilities, first aid and risk control.
• Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks, as guidance where adopted or otherwise applicable.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the risks of plant in the workplace, as guidance where adopted or otherwise applicable.
• Model Code of Practice: Hazardous manual tasks, as guidance where adopted or otherwise applicable.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace, as guidance where adopted or otherwise applicable.
• Model Code of Practice: Managing the risks of biological hazards at work, as guidance where adopted or otherwise applicable.
• Model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace, as guidance where adopted or otherwise applicable.
• AS 4024.1 Safety of machinery series; AS/NZS 2161 Occupational protective gloves series; AS/NZS 2210.3 Safety, protective and occupational footwear; AS/NZS 1270 Hearing protectors; AS/NZS 1337.1 Personal eye-protection; AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716 respiratory protective equipment, where relevant.
• AS 4696 Hygienic production and transportation of meat and meat products for human consumption, where applicable to the operation.

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Standard SWMS Features (Click to Expand)

• Task-specific job steps, hazards and control measures
• Initial and residual risk ratings
• Assigned responsible persons for each job step
• Plant, equipment and PPE requirements where applicable
• Permits, qualifications and high-risk construction work details where applicable
• Worker consultation, sign-off and review sections