Powder Coating SWMS

Suits powder coaters, fabricators, metal finishers and workshops that apply electrostatic powder coatings. It covers planning, surface preparation, hanging and handling work pieces, booth and earthing checks, filling hoppers, spraying, curing in the oven and handling hot items, noise, and cleaning the booth and filters.

Powder coating in a workshop is not high risk construction work by itself, so a SWMS is legally required under WHS Regulation s 299 only if the work is part of high risk construction work (s 291); otherwise this document works as a written safe work procedure and task risk assessment that records the fire, explosion, electrical and chemical controls.

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

What Is Covered In Our Powder Coating SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the job and check the work pieces and powder” to “Clean the booth, change filters and pack up”. The hazards and controls include:

• Powder dust explosion and fire
• Electric shock and static from electrostatic guns
• Inhaling powder and TGIC exposure
• Skin and eye contact with powders
• Burns from ovens, racks and cured items
• Fire in the curing oven
• Hazardous pre-treatment chemicals
• Respirator selection and fit testing
• Dust build-up in ducts and filters
• Fumes from curing and gas-fired ovens
• Noise from fans and compressed air
• Manual handling of work pieces

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 trained and verified competent on the electrostatic spray gun, booth, powder recovery system and curing oven used (no high risk work licence class applies)
• Training in the SDS and hazards of the powders (including TGIC where present) and of pre-treatment chemicals
• Training in static electricity, earthing and ignition control, and in respirator fit testing, use and care
• Competent person to check the booth earthing and hazardous area classification
• Licensed electrician for repairs and testing of the booth, gun power unit, oven wiring and earthing
• Gas work licence or gas work authorisation, as the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 requires for the gas device concerned, for any work on gas-fired oven burners
• First aider briefed on chemical burns and burns first aid (special items such as calcium gluconate where hydrofluoric acid products are used)
• Site induction

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Spray Painting and Powder Coating Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant 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 the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• Confined Spaces 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): safety switches and tag-and-test duties where manufacturing work is the primary work at the workplace (ss 133 and 134)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2021 – Managing electrical risks in the workplace
• Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 (Qld): gas work on gas-fired ovens (ss 725 to 727)
• AS 3754 Safe application of powder coatings by electrostatic spraying (as named in the Spray Painting and Powder Coating code)
• AS 2268 Electrostatic paint and powder spray guns for explosive atmospheres (as named in the code)
• AS/NZS 1020 The control of undesirable static electricity (as named in the code)
• AS/NZS 1715:2009 (Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment) and AS/NZS 1716:2012 (Respiratory protective devices)

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: fit-tested respirator selected for powder dust and the SDS; safety glasses or goggles, with a face shield for pre-treatment chemicals
• Emergency arrangements for: powder fire or dust explosion, chemical splash, especially hydrofluoric acid and electric shock from the gun or booth
• 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.