This Cold Room and Freezer Work SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) is pre-filled for entering, working in, cleaning and maintaining walk-in cold rooms and freezers. It covers 24 activities, from the daily pre-start and pre-entry door and alarm checks to shutdown and emergency response, with the hazards, control measures and risk ratings before and after controls for each. It's written by WHS specialists, aligned to Australian WHS legislation, and fully editable in Microsoft Word.
 
Who it's for
Supermarkets, butchers and food retailers with walk-in cold rooms
Restaurants, caterers and commercial kitchens
Food manufacturers, processors and distribution centres
Refrigeration mechanics and cold room maintenance contractors
Commercial cleaners who clean cold rooms and freezers
A SWMS isn't only for construction. Plenty of businesses use one as the written risk assessment for a task, the same way others use a JSA or Safe Work Procedure.
 
Use it to
Show clients, insurers and auditors how you manage the risks
Apply for tenders, contracts and supplier panels
Get through prequalification with Avetta, Cm3 and other contractor portals
Induct new workers and train them in the task
 
What this SWMS covers
Pre-entry checks of door releases, alarms and lighting so no one is trapped inside
Isolation of evaporator fans and defrost heaters before cleaning, defrosting or repair
Receiving chilled and frozen stock, including reversing vehicles and dock edge falls
Cold weather PPE, fitness for work and work and rest rotation for cold stress
Working alone in the room, with duress alarms or radios and refrigeration noise
Cold burns and frostbite from frozen product, racking and refrigeration surfaces
Manual handling, stacking and racking, including falling stock and climbing racking
Pallet jacks and forklifts on icy floors, pedestrian strikes and carbon monoxide from LPG or diesel units
Slips on ice and condensation, knife cuts and hanging product on overhead rails
Electrical safety in a cold, wet room and refrigerant leaks from the system
Dry ice, cleaning chemicals, defrosting and replacing door seals and strip curtains
Emergency response to freezer entrapment, cold injury or refrigerant release
 
What's included
Hazards and control measures for 24 work activities
Risk ratings before and after controls, with a 5x5 risk matrix and the hierarchy of controls
PPE requirements checklist and high risk construction work checklist
Plant and equipment list, materials and maintenance checks, including weekly door release and alarm checks
Relevant Australian Standards, including AS/NZS 5149 for refrigerating systems and AS 4084.2 for racking
Licence requirements for forklift operators and refrigeration technicians
Site specific hazards section for anything unique to your job
Worker sign-off sheet and worker consultation record
 
Why use this template
Saves hours compared with writing a SWMS from a blank page
Covers the most common hazards and control measures for this work, ready to use out of the box
Fully editable, so you can add, remove or change anything to suit your site and how your team works
Helps your business stay compliant, with risk ratings, worker sign-off and consultation records already set up
 
How it works
Buy online and download straight away. You'll also get an email with your link.
Add your logo, ABN, project and site details.
Check it suits your site and task, edit anything you need to, and consult your workers before you finalise it.
Brief your team and collect signatures.
 
Common questions
Do I need a SWMS for cold room and freezer work?
Only if the work is high risk construction work, for example repair or fit-out work in an area with artificial extremes of temperature, or work near refrigerant lines. Day-to-day stock handling and cleaning in a cold room isn't construction, so a SWMS isn't mandatory there. You still have to manage risks like entrapment and cold stress, and a SWMS is a practical way to record how. Clients and prequalification portals often ask for one.
Does it cover forklifts inside the freezer?
Yes. It covers loss of traction on icy floors, pedestrians struck in narrow aisles, fogged lenses when moving between temperatures, and carbon monoxide build-up from LPG or diesel forklifts in a sealed room. Forklift operators need a current LF high risk work licence, or LO for an order picker.
Can I change it?
Yes. It's a Microsoft Word file, so you can add, remove or change any hazard, control or rating, and add your own logo and details.
Does it suit my state?
Yes. It's written to the model WHS laws and suits all states and territories, including Victoria under the OHS Act and Regulations.
What if it doesn't suit my work?
You're covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee if it isn't fit for purpose.