Nail Technician Acrylic and Gel Nail SWMS

For nail salons and nail technicians who apply acrylic and gel nails. It covers applying acrylic and gel nails in salons, including monomer fumes, dust, UV lamps, skin sensitisation and cuts, from client consultation through filing, mixing, application, curing, removal and clean-up. It does not cover hazardous chemicals in general; the Hazardous Chemical or Substance SWMS covers that.

Nail work 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, such as a salon fit-out, and then tick the reg 291 items that apply, for example a fall of more than 2 m.

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

What Is Covered In Our Nail Technician Acrylic and Gel Nail SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Consult the client and check hands, feet and nails” to “Clean the station, dispose of waste and finish the day”. The hazards and controls include:

• Monomer and solvent vapour in the salon
• Skin burns and sensitisation from acrylic and gel
• Nail dust from filing and drilling
• UV and LED lamp exposure
• Hot drill bits and friction burns
• Cuts from implements and blades
• Infection from broken skin and shared implements
• Fire from acetone and other solvents
• Chemical splashes in the eyes
• Electric shock from leads and lamps
• Repetitive strain and awkward posture
• Disposal of wipes, 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

• Nail technology qualification or training, or a trainee supervised by a trained nail technician, as the salon requires
• Training in the products used: mixing liquid and powder, cure times, no-touch application and getting product off the skin
• Training in reading the label and SDS for each product, and in the hazardous chemicals register
• Training in recognising and responding to skin reactions, breathing symptoms and product in the eyes
• Training in infection control: hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting, sterilising reusable implements and disposing of sharps
• Training in the safe use of nail drills, files and UV or LED lamps
• Training in posture and manual handling for seated work
• Workers trained in first aid, with first aid provided as s 42 of the WHS Regulation requires

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): Part 7.1 hazardous chemicals, ss 341 and 342 (labelling), 344 (safety data sheets), 346 (register), 351 (managing risks), 355 (ignition sources) and 357 (spills)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 49 and 50 (exposure standards and air monitoring), s 53 (flammable material at the lowest practicable quantity), s 60 (hazardous manual tasks)
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for 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
• Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Managing the risks of biological hazards at work (model code, not approved in Queensland; guidance only)
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld): s 55 (only licensed electrical workers do electrical work)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): ss 123 and 138 (where the salon’s work is service work: specified electrical equipment is connected to a safety switch or inspected and tested by a competent person at least once a year)

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
• 10 job steps for this work, each with its hazards, controls, initial and residual risk scores and the person responsible
• PPE listed for this job: gloves of the material the SDS names for the products in use, changed when contaminated or torn (thin disposable gloves may not protect against some products: check the SDS)
• Emergency arrangements for: product in the eyes, severe allergic reaction or breathing difficulty and fire from solvent or a faulty lamp
• 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.