Plasma Cutting SWMS

Suits fabricators, boilermakers, metal workers and maintenance crews who cut metal with hand-held or mechanised plasma cutters. It covers planning the cut and checking coatings, fire protection, equipment checks, supporting the work, the cut itself, fume extraction, noise, working at height or in hot conditions, and cleaning up.

Plasma cutting is not high risk construction work by itself, so WHS Regulation s 299 does not require a SWMS for it unless the cutting is part of high risk construction work (for example a fall of more than 2 metres, or work in a confined space). Otherwise the document works as a written safe work procedure and task risk assessment. Use a separate SWMS for hot work permit requirements and for oxy-fuel cutting.

New to SWMS? Read What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?

What Is Covered In Our Plasma Cutting SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the cut and check the metal, coatings and containers” to “Cool down, fire watch, clean up and pack up”. The hazards and controls include:

• Arc flash and arc eye
• Metal fume from galvanised, stainless and painted steel
• Lead paint and coated metal
• Sparks, slag and fire
• Electric shock from leads and wet conditions
• Burns from hot cut edges and the torch tip
• Hearing loss from the plasma arc
• Cutting containers and pressurised cylinders
• Pacemakers and electromagnetic fields
• Falling off-cuts and manual handling of plate
• Hose failure and compressed air
• Heat stress and working at height

High Risk Construction Work

None of the high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are pre-ticked, because this job is not high risk construction work by itself. Tick any that apply on your site.

Licences, Training and Competency

• Operator trained and verified competent on the plasma cutter and the type of cutting task (no high risk work licence class applies to plasma cutting)
• Training in the SDS and hazards of coatings and metals being cut, and in recognising lead, galvanised and stainless metal
• Training in the use, fit testing and care of respiratory protective equipment
• Fire watch person trained in the site’s fire response and fire extinguisher use
• Licensed electrician for repairs and modification of the machine’s internal wiring and fixed power supply
• First aider on site, briefed on arc eye, burns and electric shock
• General construction induction training card (white card) when the cutting is construction work on a site
• Site induction

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Welding Processes Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2021 – Managing electrical risks in the workplace
• AS 1674.1 Safety in welding and allied processes – Fire precautions
• AS 1674.2 Safety in welding and allied processes – Electrical
• AS/NZS 1338.1 Filters for eye protectors – Filters for protection against radiation generated in welding and allied operations
• AS/NZS 1716:2012 (Respiratory protective devices) and AS/NZS 1715:2009 (Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (14 A4 landscape pages). Type your business, client and job details once and they fill in on every page, with a space for your logo
• 9 job steps for this work, each with its hazards, controls, initial and residual risk scores and the person responsible
• PPE listed for this job: welding helmet or hand shield with a filter lens suited to the cutting current, over clear safety glasses; flame-resistant long-sleeve shirt and long trousers; leather gauntlet gloves
• Emergency arrangements for: fire from sparks or slag, electric shock and arc eye or burns
• Plus the parts every Work Safety QLD SWMS shares, from the s 291 checklist to the worker sign-on sheet (see the layout in our free SWMS template)

Adjust it for your site, plant and crew, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.

Checked against the Queensland laws and codes of practice listed above. Last reviewed October 2026.