Welding in Confined Spaces SWMS

Suits fabricators, boilermakers and maintenance contractors who weld inside tanks, vessels, pits, ducts and similar enclosed spaces. It adds the welding hazards to the confined space entry system, from the permit and isolation through atmosphere testing, welding, breaks, rescue and close-out.

A SWMS is legally required under WHS Regulation s 299 when the welding is construction work, such as repair or fabrication on a structure, carried out in or near a confined space (s 291(f)) or in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere (s 291(l)); both items are ticked because the space itself can hold flammable vapour or contaminants and welding adds fume and gas. Manufacturing plant is not construction work (s 289(3)(a)), and then this works as a written safe work procedure and task risk assessment. It does not replace the written risk assessment and entry permit that Part 4.3 of the WHS Regulation requires, and general confined space entry should use a separate confined spaces SWMS.

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

What Is Covered In Our Welding in Confined Spaces SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the weld and prepare the risk assessment and permits” to “Finish, cool down, fire watch and close the permit”. The hazards and controls include:

• Welding fume and gases breathed in a small space
• Shielding gas displacing oxygen
• Fire and explosion from sparks and vapour
• Connected plant starting or releasing contents
• Electric shock in wet and conductive spaces
• Gas leaks from hoses and cylinders
• Arc radiation and burns
• Heat stress and awkward postures
• A welder collapsing unseen
• Unplanned rescue by untrained helpers
• Re-entry after breaks into a changed atmosphere
• A person left inside at close-out

High Risk Construction Work

These high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are already ticked because they are part of this work. Tick any others that apply to your job:

• Is carried out in or near a confined space
• Is carried out in an area that may have a contaminated or flammable atmosphere

Licences, Training and Competency

• Welders competent in the welding process in use and experienced in confined space work (no high risk work licence class applies to welding)
• Confined space training for welders, the standby person, the fire watch and rescuers, with records kept for 2 years (WHS Regulation s 76)
• Competent person to prepare the written risk assessment and issue the confined space entry permit (WHS Regulation ss 66 and 67)
• Rescue team or rescuers trained and rehearsed in confined space rescue, with breathing apparatus training
• Training in the use of gas detectors, ventilation equipment and air-supplied respiratory equipment
• Fire watch trained in the use of extinguishers and the hot work permit
• Licensed electrician for any electrical isolation and for the supply to the work
• Medical advice for welders with a pacemaker or other implanted device before they work near a welding arc
• General construction induction training card (white card) when the work is construction work
• Site induction

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021
• Welding Processes Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace 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
• 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 equipment on construction sites (s 140)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2021 – Managing electrical risks in the workplace
• AS 1674.1 Safety in welding and allied processes – Fire precautions (further guidance named in the Welding Processes Code of Practice 2021)
• AS 1674.2 Safety in welding and allied processes – Electrical (further guidance named in the Welding Processes Code of Practice 2021)
• AS/NZS 1715 Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment (further guidance named in the Confined Spaces and Welding Processes Codes of Practice 2021)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (15 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: welding helmet with the correct filter shade, or an air-fed welding helmet; air-supplied respiratory equipment where the air cannot be made safe
• Emergency arrangements for: welder collapsed, overcome or on fire in the space, gas alarm, smell of gas or fire in the space and electric shock
• 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.