Floor Stripping, Sealing and Polishing SWMS

For commercial floor care contractors, cleaners and facilities teams who strip old finish and apply sealers and polish on vinyl, terrazzo, sealed concrete and other hard floors. It follows the job in order, from asbestos and chemical checks through stripping, sealing and burnishing to reopening the area. Routine cleaning has its own SWMS.

Floor stripping and polishing in an existing building is not high risk construction work by itself, so WHS Regulation s 299 does not require a SWMS for it and no item is pre-ticked; the document then works as a written safe work procedure or task risk assessment. Tick the asbestos item (3) if old coverings may contain asbestos, or the flammable atmosphere item (11) if solvent products create one; a SWMS is legally required when the work is high risk construction work.

Learn More: What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?
Have you ever been asked to provide a SWMS on a project in Queensland? Read our guide to what a Safe Work Method Statement is and when you need one.

What Is Covered In Our Floor Stripping, Sealing and Polishing SWMS?

The job steps run in the order the work is done, from pre-start checks to finishing up. The hazards and controls include:

• Chemical burns from strippers and sealers
• Fumes and solvent vapours
• Fire from solvent products near ignition sources
• Slipping on wet and freshly sealed floors
• Electric shock from leads on wet floors
• Loss of control of floor machines
• Asbestos in old vinyl and adhesives
• Noise from machines and burnishers
• Strains lifting machines and drums
• Polluted rinse water entering drains

High Risk Construction Work

No high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are pre-ticked, because this work is not high risk construction work by itself. Tick the items that apply to your job, such as a fall risk of more than 2 metres or work where powered mobile plant is moving.

Licences, Training and Competency

• Training in the floor machines used (rotary floor machine, scrubber dryer, burnisher), recorded before working alone
• Chemical handling training covering SDS, labels, mixing rules, spill response and first aid for splashes
• Asbestos awareness training so workers recognise old floor coverings that may contain asbestos and stop
• Competence in using and testing a portable safety switch
• Manual task training for loading and moving machines
• First aid: first aid equipment and access to first aid facilities as the first aid assessment decides, with trained first aiders where it shows they are needed (WHS Regulation s 42)
• Licensed electrician for any fixed wiring or supply work (Electrical Safety Act 2002 s 55)
• Site induction; general construction induction training card (white card) only if the work is construction work, for example in a new building under construction

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• WHS Regulation: ss 42 (first aid), 52, 53 and 355 (ignition sources and flammable stock), 56 and 57 (noise), 60 (hazardous manual tasks), 344, 346 and 351 (hazardous chemicals), 422 (asbestos)
• 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
• How to Manage and Control Asbestos 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): cord extension sets (s 18), specified electrical equipment and safety switches (ss 138 and 139)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (13 pages), laid out on A4 landscape pages
• Business, client, job and document details typed once and filled in on every page, plus a space for your logo
• The high risk construction work checklist, worded as WHS Regulation s 291, and the construction project question (s 292)
• A worker and health and safety representative consultation record
• Qualifications, plant, PPE, hazardous chemicals, safety equipment, permits, references and emergency arrangements filled in for this work
• A 5 x 5 risk matrix, and job steps with initial and residual risk scores and the people responsible
• Implementing, monitoring and review requirements, an additional controls log, revision history and a worker sign-on sheet

Review and adjust it for your site, your plant and the way your crew does the job, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. If you have any trouble downloading this SWMS, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.