Waxing and Hair Removal SWMS

Suits beauty salons, day spas and beauty therapists who offer waxing and other hair removal. It covers waxing and hair removal in salons, including hot wax burns, skin infections, chemicals and hygiene, from client consultation and consent through wax application and removal, aftercare, cleaning between clients and the end of the day. Laser, intense pulsed light and electrolysis are not covered.

Waxing and hair removal 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. Local government and public health requirements for personal appearance services sit outside the WHS Regulation and are not covered.

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

What Is Covered In Our Waxing and Hair Removal SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Consult the client, check the skin and gain consent” to “Finish the day: switch off, record and report”. The hazards and controls include:

• Hot wax burns to clients and workers
• Skin sensitisation and allergic reactions
• Skin tears, bruising and bleeding
• Skin infections passed between clients and workers
• Contact with blood and body substances
• Cross-contamination from shared implements and wax pots
• Chemical burns from creams, cleansers and removers
• Flammable cleansers and overheated wax heaters
• Electric shock from heaters and leads
• Sexual harassment and aggression in private treatment rooms
• Slips on wax and oil spills
• Neck, back and wrist strain

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

• Beauty therapy qualification or training in waxing, or a trainee supervised by a trained therapist, as the salon requires
• Training in the products used: wax types, the maker’s temperature and application instructions, patch tests and contraindications
• Training in infection control: hand hygiene, single-use items, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and reusable implements, and what to do after a skin break or contact with blood
• Training in reading the label and SDS for each product, and in the hazardous chemicals register
• Training in recognising skin reactions, burns and fainting, and in first aid for burns
• Training in the salon’s consent, privacy and client behaviour procedures, including what to do if a client acts inappropriately (WHS Regulation s 55C)
• Training in posture and manual handling for treatment couch work
• Information, training and instruction suited to the work (s 39), and workers trained in first aid, with first aid provided as s 42 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) and 357 (spills)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 52 and 53 (ignition sources and flammable material), s 60 (hazardous manual tasks), s 48 (remote or isolated work)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 55C, 55G and 55H (sexual harassment and sex or gender-based harassment; prevention plan)
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) ss 36 and 38, and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 699 (notifying a serious burn or a work-related infection)
• 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
• Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022
• 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): s 138 (service work such as a salon: 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: single-use gloves of a material that suits the worker and the products (nitrile where latex is a concern), changed between clients and when torn or contaminated
• Emergency arrangements for: hot wax burn and severe allergic reaction, fainting 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.