Product Overview

This Industrial Workshop Cleaning and Tool Maintenance Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) sets out the step-by-step procedures, hazards and controls required to safely clean, service and maintain tools and equipment in an industrial workshop environment. It is a comprehensive document covering multiple aspects of industrial workshop safety, tool servicing and maintenance to support ongoing WHS compliance and risk management.

Activities & Specific Tasks Covered

This document includes specific risk controls for:

• Calibrating tools and equipment to ensure accuracy, reliability and safe operation
• Safe procedures for changing cutting blades on fixed and portable machinery
• Planning and recording scheduled equipment calibration to meet manufacturer and site requirements
• Itemising and tracking consumed cutting blade teeth for maintenance planning and cost control
• Maintenance, inspection and cleaning of saw blades to minimise kickback and blade failure
• Safe operation and maintenance of oil filter crushers, including guarding and pressure controls
• Use of parts washers, including chemical handling, splash protection and waste management
• Practising safe tool storage and maintenance to prevent damage, unauthorised use and manual handling injuries
• Replacing machine blades or tips on lathes, mills, saws and other plant using lock-out/tag-out procedures
• Controlled saw blade changing, including isolation, securing of blades and verification before restart
• Safe storage of tools and equipment to prevent falls, trips and struck-by incidents
• Use and maintenance of thermal parts washers, including heat, vapour and burn risk controls
• Safe use of wall mounted tyre racks, including load limits, securing tyres and working at height considerations
• Housekeeping and cleaning of workshop floors, benches and storage areas to reduce slips, trips and fire risk
• Management of workshop waste, including oily rags, used filters, blades and chemical residues

Who is this for?

This SWMS is designed for mechanical workshops, fabrication shops, maintenance departments, tyre and auto repair businesses, and site supervisors responsible for industrial workshop cleaning and tool maintenance activities.

Specific Job Steps & Hazards Covered

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice: Guidance on managing risks associated with machinery, tools and equipment
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice: Requirements for safe use of solvents, cleaning agents and other chemicals used in parts washers and cleaning processes
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice: Framework for identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing controls in workshops
• Workplace Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination Code of Practice: Guidance on involving workers, contractors and supervisors in SWMS implementation
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice: Requirements for safe, clean and well-maintained workshop environments
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice: Controls for lifting, carrying and handling tools, tyres and components
• Safe Storage and Handling of Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code of Practice: Applicable to solvents, cleaning fluids and other flammable substances in workshops
• AS/NZS 4024 Safety of Machinery: Series providing guidance on machinery guarding, isolation and emergency stop systems
• AS/NZS 4801 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems: Framework for integrating this SWMS into broader safety management systems
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017