SWMS for Installation of Upper Floor Sheet Flooring for Joist Spacing up to 600mm

Before implementing this or any SWMS it must be checked and adjusted to suit a person’s individual work method, as long as hazards are identified and controlled.

You may need to add additional steps to suit particular work environments and circumstances.

The main function of the SWMS is to identify unsafe conditions and work practices and suggest adequate controls and PPE.

The sub-contractor doing the work is responsible for carrying out a particular action, as listed in this SWMS.

The supervisor is responsible to ensure that the subcontractor is competent and satisfied with the procedures listed. The supervisor is required to provide supervision, to the extent necessary, to make sure the SWMS is being followed and to take immediate corrective action if it is not.

There are three major steps that we are using in this safework method statement:

Job Step: Break the job down into steps.

Identified Hazard and Assessment: What can cause a high degree of harm?

Control Measures: What you are going to do to make this step as safe as possible, include equipment to be used where appropriate.

Job Step: Erect work platform

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Slips, trips, falls, unsecured/unstable ladders/steps or ramps

Control Measures:

  • Determine lowest point from floor to ground level.
  • Platform should be two planks wide (minimum 450mm) and located 1.2m below upper floor level. Platform should be erected so that it is parallel to the length of the floor sheets to be laid. It can be erected on trestles, stud brackets or tube and coupling. Scaffolding must comply with AS 1576
  • Where fall height from the platform reaches 2m, handrail and toe boards must be installed. If the fall height reaches 4m, scaffolding must be certified by a competent person before use. A competent person is one who has a ‘certificate of competency’ (scaffolder’s ticket) issued under Chapter 9 of OHS Regulation 2001(NSW).
  • If ground is uneven, the choice of scaffold must reflect the circumstances. For example there must be adequate adjustment on the legs of the scaffold for sites with severe sloping ground levels.

Job Step: Install floor perimeter fall protection

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Falls from the edge of floor perimeter and internal stair void

Control Measures:

Where chosen method of stair void protection can be installed before the floor sheeting operation, it must be installed at the same time as the floor perimeter protection.

With the exception of the perimeter at the working platform, install chosen method of fall protection around the remaining floor perimeters and stair void.

Stair void protection may consist of balustrade or temporary flooring. All work must be performed from ground level using ladders or trestles.

Job Step: Set up ladder accessSWMS for Installation of Upper Floor Sheet Flooring for Joist Spacing up to 600mm

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Falls, unsecured/unstable ladders

Control Measures: Set up and secure ladder access from the ground to the platform. Ladders must be secured at top and bottom to prevent dislodgement – refer to Work Cover Safety Guide ‘Portable ladders

Job Step: Establish ‘no-go-zones’

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Falling objects, head injuries

Control Measures: Position signage and barricades to delineate ‘no-go-zones below the flooring activities and warning of potential falling objects.

Job Step: Cut floor sheets

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Falls and falling objects

Control Measures:Cut sheets to length at ground level to begin coursing for laying. Cutting sheets on the floor deck should be avoided until sufficient area has been laid to re position saw stools to the floor deck.

Job Step: Pass sheet up to work platform

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Sprains, strains, slips, trips, falls

Control Measures:

  • Ensure access from sheet stack to platform is clear of hazards underfoot
  • Full size particle board sheets must be carried by two persons.
  • Ensure correct lifting and carrying techniques are used at all times. Refer to HIA SWMS 004 – ‘General lifting and carrying’

Job Step: Install first row of sheets

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Falls from and through floor joists

Control Measures:Install first row of sheeting working only from the platform. Tongue of floor sheet should face direction of laying

Job Step: Install edge protection at working platform

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Falls from floor perimeter

Control Measures:

  • Install perimeter fall protection along the remaining perimeter of the floor deck at the working platform
  • Leave access opening to pass flooring sheets to working area
  • The original working platform can be reduced in size to allow sufficient platform to provide a stage to pass floor sheets from ground to floor deck

Job Step: Install second row of floor sheeting

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Sprains and strains, falls through floor joists, trips and slips

Control Measures:

  • Set up and secure ladder access from the stage to the floor deck. Using remaining stage of original working platform, pass sheets to installer on the floor deck as needed.
  • Using the first row of sheeting as a working platform, proceed to lay the second and subsequent rows by:
    • a. Applying the flooring adhesive along the exposed joist edges. Note: During this operation, installers must maintain an awareness of potential falls between the joists. In the event that someone should fall onto the joists, with spacing up to 600mm, joists are close enough to be “grabbed” to prevent falling through.
    • Place the grooved edge of the sheet for the second row in an upright position on the joists and against the tongue edge of the sheet of the first row.
    • Slowly lower the second row sheet (which has been properly positioned) onto the adhesive on the exposed joist. Note: to effectively lower the sheet onto the adhesive, a purpose made tool will need to be used such as a hook with an extended handle long enough (approx 1m) to allow the installer to remain upright without having to lean in the direction of the open joists.
    • Bump sheet into position and nail off
  • Note: When handling floor sheets, correct lifting /carrying techniques must be used at all times.

Job Step: Install third and subsequent rows of floor sheeting

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Sprains and strains, falls through floor joists, trips and slips

Control Measures:

  • The remaining stage of the original working platform should be used for the process of passing up sheets to the floor deck
  • The installed floor area con be used to stack and distribute the remaining floor sheets
  • Sheeting should continue to be laid, working forward, towards the open joists

Note: Once sufficient area has been laid, saw stools can be re positioned to the floor deck. Off cuts must be stored for disposal at a later stage, Off cuts must not be thrown from the floor deck

Job Step: Where stair void protection is installed after floor sheeting

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Falls into stair void

Control Measures:

As soon as the floor sheeting reaches the stair void perimeter, floor laying must concentrate on laying sheets around the stair void followed by immediate installation of railed floor protection. Once fall protection around void is complete, flooring can continue as in step 10 above.

Job Step: Finishing off

Identified Hazard and Risk Assessment: Falling objects, dust in eyes, slips and trips

Control Measures:On completion clean up all off cuts and any other debris and remove it from the deck. All debris, materials, tools and equipment must be lowered, not thrown, from the deck. Eye protection must be worn to protect eyes from dust.

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