SiteSorted
Painting · Australia

SWMS for pressure washing

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

A SWMS is required by law if pressure washing 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 electric shock from live wiring, disturbing asbestos, electric shock from leads and power tools and lead paint dust and fumes.

Make this SWMS nowWord templatePDF

SWMS example: pressure washing

This is a complete SWMS for pressure washing, 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)
Pressure washing and surface prep · Painting · 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 stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Cover power points and outside lights, and keep leads off wet ground
  • Electric shock from leads and power tools
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Extreme
  • Use battery-powered tools where you can. Substitute
  • Plug all tools into an RCD-protected outlet or a portable RCD. Engineering
  • Keep leads off the ground and out of water, using lead stands or hooks. Engineering
  • Check leads, plugs and tools before every use. Tag out and remove anything damaged. Administrative
  • Test and tag leads, tools and RCDs at the intervals in AS/NZS 3012 (every 3 months on construction sites). Push-button test portable RCDs before each use. Administrative
  • Do not use tools in rain or wet areas unless they are rated for it. Administrative
  • Wear safety boots and dry gloves. PPE
  • 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
Medium
2Check surfaces for asbestos and lead paint first
  • Disturbing asbestos
  • Lead paint dust and fumes
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
  • Test old paint for lead before you sand, scrape, cut or heat it. Eliminate
  • Use wet scraping, chemical strippers or shrouded tools with extraction instead of dry sanding. Never burn off lead paint with an open flame. Substitute
  • Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting and keep residents, children and pets out. Isolate
  • Clean up with an H-class vacuum and wet wipes. Never dry sweep. Engineering
  • Wash hands and face before eating, drinking or smoking. Change out of dusty clothes before going home. Administrative
  • Wear a P2 (or better) respirator, disposable coveralls and gloves. PPE
Medium
3Never use the pressure washer from a ladder
  • Falling from a ladder
  • High pressure water jetting
High
  • Use a platform ladder, mobile scaffold or EWP for longer jobs instead of a straight ladder. Substitute
  • Use industrial-rated ladders (AS/NZS 1892, 120 kg or more) in good condition. Remove any damaged ladder from site. Engineering
  • Set extension ladders at a 4 to 1 angle on firm, level ground, tied or footed, and reaching 1 metre above the landing. Engineering
  • Use ladders only for short, light work. Do not carry heavy or awkward loads up a ladder. Administrative
  • Keep three points of contact and your belt buckle between the stiles. Do not overreach. Administrative
  • Do not stand on the top three rungs of an extension ladder or the top step of a stepladder. Administrative
  • Check the ladder before each use: feet, rungs, stiles and locks. Administrative
  • Wear non-slip safety boots with clean soles. PPE
  • Set an exclusion zone around the jetting area. Isolate
  • Use a dead man's trigger that stops the jet when released, and check hoses and fittings before use. Engineering
  • Only trained operators use high pressure jetting gear. Administrative
  • Never point the lance at anyone or put a hand in front of it. Administrative
  • Treat any jetting injury as serious and go to hospital, even if it looks small. Administrative
  • Wear a face shield, waterproof clothing, gloves, hearing protection and safety boots. PPE
Medium
4Mix and apply cleaning chemicals as the label says
  • Hazardous chemicals
Medium
  • Choose the least harmful product that does the job, for example water-based instead of solvent-based. Substitute
  • Use chemicals in well-ventilated areas, or use fans and extraction in closed rooms. Engineering
  • Read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before use and keep a register of hazardous chemicals on site. Administrative
  • Keep chemicals in labelled containers. Never decant into drink bottles. Administrative
  • Store chemicals away from heat, food and drink, and keep products that react with each other apart. Administrative
  • Have eye wash and a spill kit nearby, and wash hands before eating. Administrative
  • Wear chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses or goggles as listed on the SDS. PPE
  • Use a respirator with the right cartridge if the SDS calls for one. PPE
Medium
5Wash down, keeping the lance away from people
  • High pressure water jetting
  • Loud noise
  • Slips and trips
High
  • High pressure water jetting: see step 3 for the full controls 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
  • If you have to shout to be heard 1 metre away, wear hearing protection. Administrative
  • Keep exposure below 85 dB(A) over 8 hours. Give hearing tests to workers who often need hearing protection. Administrative
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Eliminate
  • Run leads and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Engineering
  • Fill or cover holes, and lay boards or mats on muddy access paths. Engineering
  • Clean up offcuts, packaging and spills as you go, not at the end of the day. Administrative
  • Keep work areas, stairs and access paths well lit. Administrative
Medium
6Stop runoff entering stormwater drains and clean up
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Medium
  • 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
Low

PPE

Steel cap bootsSafety gogglesChemical-resistant gloves (nitrile)Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Work glovesHalf-face respirator (P2 or P3 filters)OverallsHard hatFace shield

Plant and equipment

Pressure cleanerExtension ladderGenerator

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 pressure washing

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 pressure washing

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Cover power points and outside lights, and keep leads off wet ground
  2. Check surfaces for asbestos and lead paint first
  3. Never use the pressure washer from a ladder
  4. Mix and apply cleaning chemicals as the label says
  5. Wash down, keeping the lance away from people
  6. Stop runoff entering stormwater drains and clean up

Hazards to watch on pressure washing

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

Step 3, 5High pressure water jettingHigh pressure water cuts through skin and injects water and dirt into the body, or the hose whips.
Step 2Lead paint dust and fumesPaint on buildings built before 1970 is likely to contain lead, and anything before 1997 may. Sanding, scraping or heating it releases dust or fumes that poison workers and families, especially children.
Step 1Electric shock from leads and power toolsDamaged leads, plugs or tools, or water near power, give the user an electric shock.
Step 2Disturbing 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.
Step 4Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.
Step 3Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: Insignificant to CatastrophicBA
Highest risk on pressure washing: Extreme before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Australia 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible 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 work on a roof?
  • Is there a skylight, clear sheet, fibro or other fragile roofing?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?
  • Will you use an EWP (scissor lift or boom lift)?

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 pressure washing?

A SWMS is required by law if pressure washing 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.

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 pressure washing?

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

More painting SWMS

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Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkAsbestos Awareness

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

Sources