Demolition · Australia

SWMS for bathroom demolition

By SiteSortedBuilt from Safe Work Australia and state regulator guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated 9 November 2026

A SWMS is required by law if bathroom demolition includes any high risk construction work, such as working where someone could fall more than 2 metres. Many principal contractors ask for one either way.

It must list the hazards, the controls and how they will be put in place, monitored and reviewed, and the workers must be consulted and sign before starting. The main hazards are silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, disturbing asbestos, electric shock from live wiring and glass handling and breakage.

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SWMS example: bathroom demolition

This is a complete SWMS for bathroom demolition, with 6 job steps. Open it in the builder to add your site, crew and signatures, change anything, and download a PDF. Or download the free Word template below and fill it in by hand.

Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)

Bathroom strip-out · Demolition · Example

Document SWMS-001 · Rev 1

High risk construction work covered

None for this task on its own. Tick any that apply on your site.

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Check wall and floor sheets for asbestos; older wet areas often have it	Disturbing asbestos	Extreme	Before work, check the asbestos register (workplaces built before 2004). For homes, or if there is no register, have a competent person identify asbestos or assume it is present. Eliminate Seal off the work area and keep everyone else out. Isolate If asbestos must be disturbed, keep it wet, use hand tools not power tools, and clean up with an H-class vacuum. Engineering Friable asbestos (Class A) and more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos (Class B) must be removed by a licensed removalist. Administrative Stop work straight away if you find suspect asbestos. Do not touch it and tell your supervisor. Administrative Wear a fitted P2 (or better) respirator and disposable coveralls. PPE	Medium
2	Isolate water and power to the room	Electric shock from live wiring Stored energy	Extreme	Isolate the power before any work. Do not do live work except in the limited cases the WHS Regulations allow (r.157; in Qld, the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013). Eliminate Lock out and tag the isolation point with your own personal lock and danger tag. Isolate Test before you touch: prove dead at the point of work with a voltage tester, proving the tester on a known live source before and after (AS/NZS 4836). Engineering Only licensed electricians do electrical work. Administrative Check for back feeds from solar, batteries and generators that can keep a circuit live after the main switch is off. Administrative If live work cannot be avoided, use a permit, a safety observer and insulated tools. Administrative Wear insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing and a face shield when testing or working near live parts. PPE Release or block all stored energy before work: release the pressure in pipes, tanks and hoses, bleed hydraulics, release springs, lower loads. Eliminate Lock out and tag all energy sources with personal locks. Isolate Put mechanical blocks or props under raised parts like buckets, tipper bodies and doors. Engineering Test that the system is dead and nothing can move before you start. Administrative Follow the maker's procedure, for example for garage door and roller door springs. Administrative Wear safety glasses and gloves. PPE	Medium
3	Remove fixtures and glass shower screens carefully	Glass handling and breakage Lifting and carrying heavy loads Sewage and wastewater	High	Use suction lifters, glass trolleys or a glazing robot for large panes. Engineering Store glass upright on racks and secure it. Never lay it flat or lean it loosely. Engineering Use two or more people for large panes, and clear the carry route first. Administrative Mark new glass with tape or stickers so nobody walks into it. Administrative Clean up broken glass straight away into a marked container. Administrative Plan to avoid carrying: have materials delivered, and old items picked up, as close as possible to where they are used. Eliminate Use lighter or smaller loads: order smaller bags and shorter lengths, and drain or break down old items before moving them. Substitute Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 6 for the full controls Administrative Flush and drain the line before opening it, and plan the job to avoid contact. Eliminate Use drain cameras, jetters and long-handled tools to keep hands out. Engineering Cover cuts with waterproof dressings. Never eat, drink or smoke before washing. Administrative Wash hands well and clean tools and boots after the job. Administrative Keep vaccinations such as tetanus and hepatitis A up to date, on medical advice. Administrative	Medium
4	Break off tiles and screed with dust control	Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles Loud noise Hand-arm and whole-body vibration Eye injuries	Extreme	If the job involves engineered stone: do not supply, fabricate or install engineered stone benchtops, panels or slabs (banned since 1 July 2024). Removing, repairing or making minor changes to existing engineered stone is only allowed with water suppression or on-tool extraction, a fitted respirator, and written notice to the regulator before the work starts. Eliminate Order materials cut to size, or use low-dust methods such as score and snap or a block splitter. Substitute Cut outdoors or in a separate area, with other people well away and upwind. Isolate Use water on the blade or on-tool dust extraction connected to an H-class vacuum. Engineering Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Administrative If the cutting, grinding or drilling is high risk, prepare a silica risk control plan (or include the r.529CA assessment in this SWMS), train workers in silica risks and give them the plan before work starts. Administrative Use quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Substitute Keep noisy plant away from work areas, and use screens or distance between the noise and people. Isolate Keep tools maintained and use mufflers on compressors and generators. Engineering Limit time on noisy tools and rotate workers. Administrative Keep exposure below 85 dB(A) over 8 hours. Give hearing tests to workers who often need hearing protection. Administrative Use low-vibration tools and methods, such as a breaker on an excavator instead of a hand jackhammer. Substitute Keep tools sharp and well maintained, and use anti-vibration handles and seats. Engineering Limit trigger time on high-vibration tools and rotate workers. Administrative Keep hands warm and dry, and take regular breaks. Administrative Use tool guards and screens to stop flying particles. Engineering Use dust extraction and water to keep dust out of the air. Engineering Keep others out of the area when cutting, grinding or chipping. Administrative Keep an eye wash station or eye wash bottles on site. Administrative	Medium
5	Check for mould and rot once linings are off	Mould and droppings	Medium	Fix the water leak and dry the area before removing mould. Eliminate Seal off the area with plastic sheeting and keep occupants out. Isolate Clean up with an H-class vacuum and wet wipes. Never dry sweep. Engineering Bag mouldy material on site and remove it promptly. Administrative Wash hands and face before eating and at the end of each shift. Administrative Wear a P2 (or better) respirator, gloves, goggles and disposable coveralls. PPE	Low
6	Bag and remove waste, then vacuum	Lifting and carrying heavy loads Poor housekeeping and waste	High	Plan to avoid carrying: have materials delivered, and old items picked up, as close as possible to where they are used. Eliminate Use lighter or smaller loads: order smaller bags and shorter lengths, and drain or break down old items before moving them. Substitute Use trolleys, pallet jacks, hoists, vacuum lifters or plant instead of carrying by hand. Engineering Use a two-person lift for anything heavy, long or awkward. Plan the route first and clear it. Administrative Keep the load close, back straight and no twisting. Turn with your feet. Administrative Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Administrative Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Eliminate Put skip bins and waste chutes close to the work. Engineering Clean as you go, and do a full clean up at the end of each day. Administrative Keep exits, stairs and walkways clear at all times. Administrative Stack materials neatly on level ground, away from edges. Administrative Wear gloves when handling waste. PPE	Medium

PPE

Steel cap bootsSafety glassesP2 dust maskHearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Cut-resistant glovesHalf-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters)OverallsWork glovesChemical-resistant gloves (nitrile)Safety gogglesFace shield

Plant and equipment

JackhammerRotary hammer drillHand toolsH-class vacuum

Permits and plans

Electrical isolation permit

Emergency

Call 000. Add the nearest hospital, the assembly point and the first aider for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this SWMS.

Free SWMS template for bathroom demolition

Word (.docx) and PDF, A4 landscape, no email needed. Fill in your site details, then print or send it.

Word template (.docx)PDF template

Make yours in 2 minutes

Same document, filled in for your job. Answer a few yes or no questions, the crew signs on the phone, and you send the PDF.

Start this SWMS

Pre-start checklist for bathroom demolition

Tick these off before work starts. They come from the hazards, permits and equipment in this job.

SWMS read, explained and signed by everyone on the job
Isolation, lockout and test for dead done before work starts
Asbestos register or survey checked for the work area
Water suppression or on-tool extraction fitted; respirators fit tested
First aider, first aid kit and emergency number (000) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: steel cap boots, safety glasses, P2 dust mask, hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)

The safe sequence of work

Check wall and floor sheets for asbestos; older wet areas often have it
Isolate water and power to the room
Remove fixtures and glass shower screens carefully
Break off tiles and screed with dust control
Check for mould and rot once linings are off
Bag and remove waste, then vacuum

Hazards to watch on bathroom demolition

The hazards most specific to this job, and the step where each one comes up.

Step 5Mould and droppingsWater-damaged buildings, bird and rat droppings and dead animals hold mould and germs that cause breathing problems and infections.

Step 3Sewage and wastewaterContact with sewage spreads germs that cause stomach illness, hepatitis and skin infections.

Step 3Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.

Step 2Stored energyEnergy left in springs, hydraulics, compressed gas, raised loads or capacitors releases suddenly and crushes or injures workers.

Step 4Hand-arm and whole-body vibrationLong periods on jackhammers, grinders, compactors or riding plant cause white finger, numbness and back damage.

Step 1Disturbing asbestosBuildings built before 1990 are likely to contain asbestos, and any built before 2004 may. Drilling, cutting or breaking it releases fibres that cause cancer years later.

Highest risk on bathroom demolition: Extreme before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Australia 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and catastrophic becomes unlikely and major).

What changes on your site

This example covers the job itself. Your site may add more. Add controls for any of these that apply (the builder asks you these as yes or no questions):

Will anyone work more than 2 metres off the ground?
Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
Will anyone work on a roof?
Is there a skylight, clear sheet, fibro or other fragile roofing?
Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?

Why SWMS get rejected

Principal contractors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

It is generic: another site address, tasks that are not on this job, or no sign it was reviewed for this site. WorkSafe WA says a generic SWMS may not meet the regulations unless it is reviewed and amended for the workplace.
The HRCW boxes are not ticked, or the ticks do not match the tasks (for example a roof job with no falls box ticked).
Falls are controlled only by "be careful", training or a harness, with no edge protection or scaffold and no reason why higher controls are not reasonably practicable.
Workers will clip on to a harness but there is no rescue plan for someone left hanging.
The "how controls are implemented, monitored and reviewed" part is missing, or it says the same thing on every row.
No worker sign-on, no person responsible for compliance, or a date given to the principal contractor that is before they actually received it.
Licence or White Card details are missing for workers operating plant or doing licensed high risk work.

Questions

Do I need a SWMS for bathroom demolition?

Who signs the SWMS?

The person conducting the business (PCBU) or their supervisor prepares it with the workers, and every worker doing the high risk work signs to show they were consulted and understand it. Give a copy to the principal contractor before work starts.

How long do I keep it?

Keep this SWMS, and every revised version, until the high risk construction work is finished, where workers and inspectors can see it on site. If a notifiable incident happens during the work, keep it for at least 2 years after the incident.

What PPE is needed for bathroom demolition?

Usually Steel cap boots, Safety glasses, P2 dust mask, Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), Cut-resistant gloves, Half-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters), Overalls, Work gloves, Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile), Safety goggles, Face shield. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More demolition SWMS

SWMSInternal Strip Out9 steps SWMSNon Friable Asbestos Removal10 steps SWMSLoad Bearing Wall Removal6 steps SWMSSmall Building Demolition6 steps SWMSConcrete Removal5 steps SWMSChimney Removal6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

ConcretingConcrete Cutting and Core DrillingAlso involves electric shock from live wiring RoofingRoof Tile ReplacementAlso involves silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles ConcretingConcrete Slab PourAlso involves hand-arm and whole-body vibration Air conditioning and refrigerationSplit System InstallationAlso involves electric shock from live wiring ElectricalSwitchboard UpgradeAlso involves disturbing asbestos PlumbingHot Water System ReplacementAlso involves electric shock from live wiring

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkSilica Dust Toolbox talkAsbestos Awareness Toolbox talkManual Handling and Back Safety Toolbox talkHearing Protection and Noise

Blank SWMS template: free SWMS templates. Also for other countries: United Kingdom (RAMS) · United States (JHA) · Canada (FLHA)