Portable Carpet and Upholstery Extraction SWMS

For carpet and upholstery cleaners, cleaning companies and facility teams who use portable hot water extractors and spot machines in homes, offices and venues. It follows the job in order, from planning and loading the machine through power and water set-up, pre-treating, extraction, upholstery, wastewater, drying and pack-up. Truck-mounted units need their own SWMS.

Cleaning carpet and upholstery is not listed in the meaning of construction work, so the high risk construction work list in the WHS Regulation (section 291) does not apply, no item is pre-ticked and section 299 does not require a SWMS for it; the document works as a written safe work procedure and task risk assessment. Some clients and principal contractors still ask for a SWMS, and this one is built for that.

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

What Is Covered In Our Portable Carpet and Upholstery Extraction SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the job and check the site” to “Pack up, clean the machine and leave site”. The hazards and controls include:

• Skin and eye burns from cleaning chemicals
• Toxic gas from mixing products
• Electric shock from leads and wet plugs
• Slips on wet carpet and hard floors
• Scalds from hot water and hot hoses
• Strains lifting heavy machines and tanks
• Trips on hoses, leads and air movers
• Noise from vacuum motors
• Mould and bacteria in recovery tanks
• Damp carpet left in reach of children and pets
• Chemicals leaking in the vehicle

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 training from the machine maker, supplier or employer, recorded before working alone
• Chemical handling training covering SDS, labels, mixing rules and spills
• Trained to use and test a portable safety switch
• Manual task training for lifting, loading and carrying machines
• First aid training for the crew, including treatment of chemical splashes and scalds
• Site induction for each client or building

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): s 60 (hazardous manual tasks), ss 56 and 57 (noise), ss 344, 346 and 351 (safety data sheets, register and chemical risk)
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace 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): ss 17, 18 (unsafe equipment, cords and flexible cables), ss 138 and 139 (specified electrical equipment and safety switches)
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Managing the risks of biological hazards at work (guidance)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (13 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: chemical-resistant gloves; safety glasses or goggles; non-slip waterproof footwear; long sleeves or an apron for splashes
• Emergency arrangements for: chemical in eyes or on skin, electric shock and scald
• 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.