This Plasterboard Installation and Setting SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) is pre-filled for fixing plasterboard and fibre cement linings to walls and ceilings, then jointing, setting and sanding. It covers 32 activities, from the pre-start briefing and hazardous material check to housekeeping, handover 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
Plasterers and plasterboard fixers
Wall and ceiling lining contractors
Builders and carpenters doing internal fit-out
Commercial fit-out and shopfitting contractors
Renovation and maintenance builders
 
Use it to
Hand clients and principal contractors the SWMS they ask for
Apply for tenders and new jobs with your safety paperwork ready
Get through prequalification with Avetta, Cm3 and other contractor portals
Induct new workers and run toolbox talks on the task
 
What this SWMS covers
Pre-start briefing, permits and a hazardous material check for asbestos and lead paint
Locating and isolating services before drilling, fixing or cutting into closed walls
Exclusion zones, checking frames and battens, and working near other trades and occupants
Deliveries, board stacking, manual handling and mobile plant at the delivery point
Platform ladders, trestles, mobile scaffold, stilts and scissor lifts
Access above the ceiling line, fragile linings, PPE and fitness for work
Silica dust from drilling concrete and cutting fibre cement, with on-tool extraction
Cutting board, bead and openings, including cuts and concealed cable strikes
Lifting and fixing sheets, panel lifter use and sheeting walls above 2 metres
Fire-rated and acoustic linings, penetrations and certification
Jointing and sanding dust, carbon monoxide from heaters and noise in small rooms
Housekeeping, wash water disposal, handover and emergency response
 
What's included
Hazards and control measures for 32 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, maintenance checks and the training each worker needs
Relevant Australian Standards, including AS/NZS 2589 for gypsum linings and AS 4072.1 for service penetrations
Silica training and worker registration where the state requires it, plus respirator fit testing
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 plasterboard installation?
A SWMS is legally required when the job is high risk construction work, for example sheeting walls or ceilings where someone could fall more than 2 metres, cutting into existing linings likely to contain asbestos, or fixing near energised electrical cabling. Outside those situations a SWMS isn't mandatory, but you still have to manage the risks, and a SWMS is a sound way to record how. Head contractors and prequalification portals often ask for one either way.
Does it cover plasterers' stilts?
Yes. It has a dedicated activity for stilt use, covering falls that can cause head, wrist or spinal injury, and it lists training in the safe use of stilts.
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.