MIG Welding SWMS

Suits fabricators, boilermakers, mechanical and maintenance contractors and builders who weld steel and aluminium with a MIG machine in a workshop, on a site or in the field. It follows the job from the hot work permit, machine and electrical set-up, shielding gas cylinders and wire feeder through preparing the metal, welding, grinding and finishing to fire watch and pack-up. Welding in general, stick welding, oxy-acetylene welding and TIG welding are covered by separate SWMS.

MIG welding is not on the high risk construction work list in the WHS Regulation by itself, so no high risk item is ticked; a SWMS is legally required when the welding is construction work that also meets a listed item, such as a fall risk over 2 metres, work in or near a confined space, a flammable or contaminated atmosphere, energised services or powered mobile plant (sections 291 and 299), and you can tick those items on the form. Otherwise this document works as a written safe work procedure and task risk assessment.

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 MIG Welding SWMS?

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

• Spatter and sparks igniting combustible material
• Fire after welding has finished
• Electric shock from the live torch wire and welding cables
• Shielding gas cylinders falling or leaking
• Argon and carbon dioxide displacing oxygen in low areas
• Pinch and stab injuries from the wire feeder and wire
• Arc flash and burns to welders and bystanders
• Welding fume, ozone and toxic gases from coatings
• Aluminium and stainless steel fume, dust and reflected ultraviolet light
• Lead paint and chlorinated solvent residue on the metal
• Noise, flying particles and dust from grinding
• Falls, confined spaces and heat illness

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

• Welding competency for gas metal arc welding (MIG) on the materials, wire and joint types used, shown by a trade qualification or a verification of competency by the employer
• Training in the hazards of welding fume, radiation, hot work fire and shielding gas, and in the correct use of the extraction, screens and PPE provided
• General construction induction training card (white card) when welding on a construction site, and site induction including hot work permit rules
• Schedule 3 of the WHS Regulation has no high risk work licence class for welding; a licence is needed only for other plant used on the job (for example a forklift truck, or a boom-type elevating work platform with a boom length of 11 m or more) where Schedule 3 requires one
• Fire watch person briefed on the hot work permit and trained to use the fire extinguisher
• Training in the safe handling of gas cylinders, regulators, hoses and leak checks
• Respirator training for any worker who must wear one: individual fitting, fit checks before each use, care and storage
• Licensed electrician for repairs to the electrical parts of the welder, wire feeder and leads
• Medical advice before a worker with a pacemaker or other implanted medical device is exposed to arc welding fields
• Information about the health risks of lead for any worker who may weld, cut or clean metal coated with lead paint, before the work starts

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
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces 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)
• 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 60974.1 Arc welding equipment – Welding power sources
• AS 4332 The storage and handling of gases in cylinders
• AS/NZS 1338.1 Filters for eye protectors – Filters for protection against radiation generated in welding and allied operations
• AS/NZS 3957 Light-transmitting screens and curtains for welding 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 (18 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.