Joinery SWMS and WHS templates

Safety documents for joinery work in Queensland

Most joinery risk sits in the workshop: machines, noise, dust and heavy lifting. On site, fitting out can be construction work, and section 291 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) can then apply, for example a risk of falling more than 2 m (a) or work in or near a confined space (f). A SWMS is required before such work starts (section 299).

Workshop rules to know

• Where guarding is used to control a plant risk, it must be a permanently fixed physical barrier or, if access is needed during operation, maintenance or cleaning, an interlocked physical barrier, unless that is not reasonably practicable (s 208).
• Maintenance, inspection and, if necessary, testing of plant must be done by a competent person (s 213).
• The noise a worker is exposed to must not exceed the exposure standard: 85 dB(A) averaged over eight hours or 140 dB(C) peak (ss 56 and 57).
• Manufacturing, supplying, processing or installing engineered stone benchtops, panels or slabs is prohibited unless an exemption applies (s 529D). Other crystalline silica substances must be processed under control (s 529C).

Templates to start with

• Manual Handling SWMS: sheets, carcasses and benchtops
• Hazardous Chemical or Substance SWMS: adhesives, finishes and solvents
• Cordless Power Tools SWMS: everyday site tools
• Circular Saw SWMS: cutting on the bench or on site
• Machine Guarding Toolbox Meeting Template: a short talk for the workshop
• Noise Management Policy Template: a policy for hearing protection

Related guides: dealing with wood dust and machine guarding.

Each template is an editable Word (or Excel) file: add your logo and download it straight after checkout. Filled in for your job, they help you meet your duties.