Hair Colouring, Bleaching and Chemical Treatment SWMS

Suits hair salons, barbershops and mobile hairdressers who mix and apply colour, bleach, perms, relaxers and smoothing treatments. It follows the service from client consultation and patch testing through mixing, application, rinsing, heated tools, manual handling and clean-up. Chemical work outside the salon service is covered by the Hazardous Chemical or Substance SWMS.

Hairdressing is not construction work, so no item is pre-ticked on the high risk construction work list in the WHS Regulation (section 291). A SWMS is required by law only for high risk construction work (section 299), so this document works as a written safe work procedure and task risk assessment. Tick an item on the form only if the work forms part of construction work.

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

What Is Covered In Our Hair Colouring, Bleaching and Chemical Treatment SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the service and check the client” to “Clean up, waste and end of day”. The hazards and controls include:

• Skin burns and sensitisation from colour and bleach
• Allergic reactions in clients
• Breathing in bleach dust and ammonia
• Fumes from perms, relaxers and keratin treatments
• Chemical splashes in the eyes
• Unlabelled or mixed-up containers
• Hot water scalds at the basin
• Slips on wet floors
• Burns from irons and dryers
• Neck, back and shoulder strain
• Repetitive hand and wrist strain
• Disposal of chemicals and sharps

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

• Hairdressing qualification, or an apprentice supervised by a qualified hairdresser, as the salon requires
• Training in the products used, including mixing ratios, development times and patch testing
• Training in reading the SDS and the product label, and in the hazardous chemicals register
• Training in recognising and responding to skin reactions and breathing problems
• Workers trained in first aid, with first aid provided as s 42 of the WHS Regulation requires
• Training in manual handling and posture

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities 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)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (12 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: nitrile gloves (not vinyl or latex) for mixing and applying colour; safety glasses or a visor when mixing and decanting; apron or chemical-resistant cape
• Emergency arrangements for: product in the eyes and severe allergic reaction or breathing difficulty
• 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 November 2026.