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Glass Manufacturing Risk Assessment

Glass Manufacturing Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
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  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Glass Manufacturing Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Glass Manufacturing through a structured, management-level WHS Risk Management approach that focuses on governance, systems, plant, and process controls. This Risk Assessment supports compliance with the Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations, helping to demonstrate Due Diligence and reduce operational liability across your glass manufacturing operations.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • WHS Governance, Legal Compliance & Consultation: Assessment of leadership responsibilities, consultation arrangements, safety committees, and processes to demonstrate ongoing compliance with WHS legislation in glass manufacturing.
  • Risk Management Systems & Change Control: Management of formal risk assessment processes, change management for new products, equipment or layouts, and integration of risk controls into organisational procedures.
  • Plant & Equipment Safety for Glass Forming & Tempering: Evaluation of guarding, interlocks, isolation, maintenance programs and safety controls for furnaces, forming lines, tempering ovens and associated machinery.
  • Thermal Hazards & Furnace/Lehr Management: Assessment of high-temperature exposure, heat stress, refractory maintenance, burner systems, and protocols for start-up, shut-down and upset conditions.
  • Hazardous Chemicals & Coating Systems Management: Management of chemical selection, storage, decanting, application systems, ventilation, Safety Data Sheet (SDS) controls and hazardous chemical registers.
  • UV Curing, Adhesives & Bonding Systems: Controls for UV radiation exposure, adhesive selection, curing equipment safety, ventilation, and management of sensitisation and respiratory risks.
  • Soldering, Metals & Stained Glass Processes: Assessment of lead and metal exposures, fume generation, soldering equipment safety, and hygiene controls for specialist and decorative glass operations.
  • Manual Handling, Mechanical Handling & Storage of Glass: Management of lifting, carrying, and team handling of glass, use of mechanical aids, racking design, storage stability and traffic management.
  • Glass Breakage, Flying Fragments & Product Integrity: Protocols for product quality controls, breakage management, guarding, PPE selection, and segregation of high-risk areas to minimise impact and shattering risks.
  • Noise, Dust, Fumes & Environmental Conditions: Assessment of grinding, cutting and blasting processes, airborne contaminant controls, ventilation, noise exposure and housekeeping standards.
  • Competency, Training & Licence Management: Systems for verifying operator competency, high-risk work licences, refresher training, and role-specific induction for glass manufacturing tasks.
  • Safe Work Procedures, Permits & Documentation Control: Management of documented procedures, permit-to-work systems (e.g. hot work, confined spaces), document version control and communication of safety requirements.
  • Emergency Preparedness, Fire Safety & First Aid: Planning for furnace and plant emergencies, fire detection and suppression systems, spill response, evacuation drills and first aid arrangements.
  • Health Monitoring, Wellbeing & Fatigue Management: Oversight of health surveillance for noise, chemicals and heat, fatigue risk management, shift-work considerations and worker wellbeing programs.
  • Contractor, Visitor & Supply Chain Safety: Controls for contractor induction and supervision, visitor access to production areas, supplier safety expectations and logistics interfaces.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Operations Managers, Production Managers and Safety Professionals responsible for planning, overseeing and improving Glass Manufacturing operations and systems.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. WHS Governance, Legal Compliance & Consultation
  • • Inadequate understanding or implementation of WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulations across glass manufacturing operations
  • • Lack of formal WHS policy, objectives and due diligence processes from Officers
  • • Insufficient consultation with workers and Health & Safety Representatives (HSRs) regarding specialised glass processes (e.g. silvering, pyrolytic coating, tempering, stained glass work)
  • • No systematic review of new or changed processes such as mirror manufacturing or patterned glass production before introduction
  • • Failure to monitor and incorporate updates to relevant Australian Standards, Codes of Practice and industry guidance (e.g. plant, hazardous chemicals, confined spaces, noise)
  • • Inadequate incident notification and regulator liaison processes
  • • Poor integration of WHS requirements into contractor and labour‑hire management
2. Risk Management Systems & Change Control
  • • Ad‑hoc or inconsistent risk assessment of integrated glass manufacturing processes (hot end, cold end, coatings, silvering, soldering, UV curing)
  • • Failure to identify interactions between processes (e.g. fumes from silvering or soldering affecting nearby workers or ignition sources near UV adhesives)
  • • No structured process for assessing risks of new raw materials such as new adhesive systems, silvering chemicals or pyrolytic coating formulations
  • • Lack of formal review of previous incidents, near misses and industry alerts relating to glass breakage, furnace failures, chemical exposures or burns
  • • Inadequate documentation and communication of risk controls, leading to uncontrolled workarounds and drift from procedure
  • • Poor verification that implemented controls remain effective over time
3. Plant & Equipment Safety for Glass Forming & Tempering
  • • Inadequate guarding or interlocks on furnaces, lehrs, tempering lines, cutting tables, tube forming machines and automated handling systems
  • • Failure of safety‑critical controls (e.g. emergency stops, light curtains, interlocked doors) due to poor design, bypassing or inadequate maintenance
  • • Uncontrolled access to high‑temperature zones during tempered glass creation, tempering glass work and glass tube drawing
  • • Insufficient lockout/tagout (isolation) systems during maintenance, cleaning or unblocking of machinery
  • • Unverified safeguarding on legacy or imported machinery not meeting current Australian Standards
  • • Poor maintenance planning resulting in breakdowns, unplanned manual handling and unsafe improvisations
  • • Inadequate integration of robots, conveyors, automated stacking and vacuum lifting devices with human–machine interfaces and guarding
4. Thermal Hazards & Furnace/Lehr Management
  • • Uncontrolled exposure to high temperatures from furnaces, lehrs and heating elements during tube manufacturing, patterned glass forming and tempering
  • • Inadequate monitoring and control of furnace atmospheres, combustion systems and refractory condition
  • • Failure of temperature control systems leading to overheated equipment, structural damage and potential fire or explosion
  • • Inadequate emergency shutdown procedures for furnaces and tempering ovens
  • • Poorly planned heat‑up and cool‑down procedures creating thermal shock risks to plant and product, increasing glass shattering potential
  • • Insufficient training for operators and maintenance personnel on furnace hazards and abnormal conditions
5. Hazardous Chemicals & Coating Systems Management
  • • Inadequate identification and control of hazardous chemicals used in pyrolytic coating application, silvering application, mirror backing, cleaning and etching
  • • Lack of ventilation and capture systems for fumes, mists and vapours from coating lines and silvering baths
  • • Poor segregation, labelling and storage of flammable, corrosive or toxic substances including solvents and curing agents
  • • Failure to comply with WHS Regulations for hazardous chemicals, including risk assessments, SDS access and manifest requirements
  • • Inappropriate disposal of spent silvering solutions, heavy‑metal containing wastes or coating by‑products
  • • Insufficient control of chemical deliveries, bulk transfers and mixing, resulting in spill or incompatible mixing risks
  • • Inadequate health monitoring for workers exposed to specific hazardous substances where required
6. UV Curing, Adhesives & Bonding Systems
  • • Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation during the use of UV curing adhesives for glass bonding and mirror manufacturing
  • • Inhalation or dermal exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and sensitising agents in silicone or UV curing adhesives
  • • Inadequate control of exothermic curing reactions leading to burns, fires or degradation of adhesive performance
  • • Incorrect mixing, dosing or curing parameters resulting from poor procedures or automation errors
  • • Lack of maintenance of UV curing equipment, shielding and interlocks
  • • Insufficient information to workers regarding chronic health risks associated with repeated exposure to adhesive components
7. Soldering, Metals & Stained Glass Processes
  • • Exposure to metal fumes (e.g. lead, tin, flux decomposition products) during soldering for stained glass creations
  • • Inadequate fume extraction at soldering benches leading to inhalation exposures
  • • Dermal contact with fluxes, patinas or cleaning chemicals used in stained glass application
  • • Use of open soldering irons and heating elements near combustible materials and flammable solvents
  • • Insufficient control of potential lead exposure where lead‑based materials are used
  • • Ergonomic strain from repetitive fine motor tasks, awkward postures and long periods of detailed close‑up work
8. Manual Handling, Mechanical Handling & Storage of Glass
  • • Systematic reliance on manual lifting, carrying and rotating of glass tubes, sheets and patterned or tempered panels due to inadequate mechanical aids
  • • Poorly designed racking, stillages and storage systems increasing risk of glass breakage or collapse
  • • Inadequate planning for movement of large or heavy glass sheets, mirrors and assemblies between process areas
  • • Lack of competency in operating mechanical handling equipment (vacuum lifters, overhead cranes, trolleys, A‑frames)
  • • Congested layouts and poor traffic management causing collision risks and manual handling around mobile plant
  • • Insufficient controls around stacking of tempered and patterned glass which can store high residual stress and fail unexpectedly
9. Glass Breakage, Flying Fragments & Product Integrity
  • • Systemic failure to control risks associated with glass shattering during cutting, edging, handling, tempering and transport within the facility
  • • Inadequate specification or verification of tempering and heat‑treating processes, leading to inconsistent glass properties and unexpected breakage
  • • Lack of segregation or shielding in areas where glass may explode (e.g. tempered panels during quenching or cooling)
  • • Insufficient quality control and inspection regimes to detect defects, inclusions or stresses before products leave site
  • • Absence of structured response to breakage events, including clean‑up, isolation and investigation
  • • Failure to analyse breakage data trends to improve product and process design
10. Noise, Dust, Fumes & Environmental Conditions
  • • High noise levels from cutting, grinding, tempering fans, compressors and handling systems, potentially exceeding exposure standards
  • • Generation of fine glass dust from cutting, edging and surface treatment processes
  • • Fumes and aerosols from coating lines, silvering, soldering, adhesives and combustion processes dispersing across work areas
  • • Inadequate ventilation, temperature control and lighting in manufacturing halls, impacting both health and safe operation
  • • Insufficient environmental monitoring to verify the performance of noise, dust and fume controls
  • • Failure to integrate environmental conditions into maintenance planning, housekeeping and PPE policies
11. Competency, Training & Licence Management
  • • Workers operating complex glass manufacturing equipment without verified competencies
  • • Insufficient process‑specific training for tempering, pyrolytic coating, silvering, soldering, stained glass application and UV adhesive use
  • • Inadequate induction for new starters, labour‑hire staff and contractors regarding site‑specific hazards and controls
  • • Failure to maintain current records of licences, high‑risk work qualifications and refresher training
  • • Lack of supervisor capability to coach, monitor and correct unsafe work practices
  • • Informal on‑the‑job training that bypasses critical WHS requirements or manufacturer instructions
12. Safe Work Procedures, Permits & Documentation Control
  • • Critical tasks performed without up‑to‑date procedures, permits or work instructions
  • • Outdated or inconsistent versions of operating procedures for furnaces, tempering lines, coating equipment and silvering baths in circulation
  • • Lack of formal permit‑to‑work systems for high‑risk activities such as hot work, confined space entry, working at height or major plant interventions
  • • Procedures that are not practical or aligned with actual workflow, leading to non‑compliance and workarounds
  • • Insufficient worker participation in procedure development and review, resulting in key steps or risks being overlooked
13. Emergency Preparedness, Fire Safety & First Aid
  • • Inadequate emergency response planning for furnace incidents, chemical spills, fires, major glass breakage events or power failures
  • • Insufficient fire detection and suppression systems in areas with combustible packaging, flammable chemicals or electrical equipment
  • • Lack of trained first aiders familiar with burns, eye injuries, lacerations from glass and chemical exposures
  • • Poor communication systems for raising alarms and coordinating evacuations in large or noisy facilities
  • • Emergency equipment (showers, eyewashes, extinguishers, spill kits) not maintained, not clearly located or not suited to the specific hazards
14. Health Monitoring, Wellbeing & Fatigue Management
  • • Failure to identify where health monitoring is required for exposure to hazardous substances (e.g. certain metals, solvents, lead in stained glass work)
  • • Inadequate systems for monitoring fatigue in shift workers, furnace operators and maintenance personnel during extended shutdowns or start‑ups
  • • Poor recognition and management of heat stress in high‑temperature areas around furnaces and lehrs
  • • Under‑reporting of early signs of musculoskeletal disorders from repetitive tasks, manual glass handling or tool use (e.g. diamond point tools)
  • • Insufficient support for mental health and psychosocial risks such as production pressure, monotonous tasks or isolated workstations
15. Contractor, Visitor & Supply Chain Safety
  • • Contractors performing maintenance on furnaces, tempering lines, coating equipment or silvering systems without adequate knowledge of specific hazards
  • • Insufficient control over delivery drivers and visitors entering production or storage areas with live plant and glass movement
  • • Poor integration of supplier safety information for new glass products, chemicals, tools (e.g. diamond point tools) or equipment into site risk management
  • • Lack of verification that waste contractors manage hazardous glass and chemical wastes in accordance with legal requirements
  • • Inconsistent induction and supervision of short‑term or specialist contractors
16. WHS Performance Monitoring, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
  • • Lack of reliable WHS data to identify trends in incidents, near misses, breakages, exposures and non‑conformances
  • • Under‑reporting of hazards, near misses and minor injuries due to cultural or system barriers
  • • Failure to close out corrective actions from audits, inspections, incident investigations and regulator findings
  • • No systematic review of WHS performance by senior management, leading to stagnation or drift from compliance
  • • Inadequate communication of lessons learned to workers and contractors across shifts and departments

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

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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 risk management principles and implementation.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace: Requirements for plant design, guarding, operation and maintenance.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work: Controls for noise exposure from glass cutting, grinding and production lines.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace: Framework for chemical selection, storage, handling and record keeping.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities: Requirements for ventilation, temperature, amenities and general workplace conditions.
  • 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 4024 Safety of Machinery (series): Standards for machinery safeguarding and control system safety relevant to glass manufacturing plant.
  • AS/NZS 1715 & 1716: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment and performance requirements.
  • AS/NZS 2161 (series): Occupational protective gloves for handling glass and sharp edges.
  • AS 4775: Emergency eyewash and shower equipment for chemical and heat exposure risks.
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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