Timber floor laying SWMS, drafted for your job
Hardwood boards need repeated cutting and nailing near the floor, exposing layers to wood dust, nail discharge and long periods kneeling between heavy flooring packs. Tell us the job and the site: your SWMS is drafted around them, and you check it with the crew before work starts.
A$39per job
However many high-risk activities it covers.
- However many high-risk activities it covers.
- 3 for A$99
- 10 for A$249
- Yearly A$129 for 120
- Monthly A$60 for 10
You review it on site before work starts.
Your Business
Safe Work Method Statement
Version 1
Draft
Timber floor laying
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Inspect substrate and stage boards | Weak patches and heavy packs | Medium | Check the substrate and position packs clear of work routes |
| 2 | Set cutting and fixing equipment | Wood dust and nail discharge | High | Connect extraction and check nailer controls before use |
| 3 | Cut and fit floorboards | Kickback on short fillers | High | Support boards and use clamps for controlled cutting |
| 4 | Fix boards across the room | Nail punctures and kneeling strain | High | Keep hands clear and rotate low-level work |
| 5 | Clean, protect and hand over | Adhesive residue and wood dust | Medium | Vacuum the floor and protect the finished walking surface |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your timber floor laying SWMS will contain
An A4 document your crew can read on site, a PDF for the builder and a sign-on register.
- Job and site detailsYour business, the site, the principal contractor, the dates.
- High-risk construction workThe categories your job involves, ticked.
- Step-by-step methodEach step with its hazards, risk rating and controls.
- How controls are checkedWho puts each control in place, monitors and reviews it.
- PPE, plant and permitsEquipment and training the job needs.
- Emergency planAssembly point, first aid, nearest hospital to confirm on site.
- Consultation and reviewWho was consulted, when it is reviewed.
- Sign-on registerYour crew signs by QR or on paper.
High-risk construction work
High-risk work on this job
This task is not usually high-risk construction work. If your job involves any category, tick it when you start and the SWMS covers it.
State notes
Rules depend on your state
Pick your state when you start. Your state's regulator publishes the rules and guidance for this work.
Hazards and controls
What goes wrong on a timber floor laying job, and how the SWMS controls it
These rows are written for this task. Your draft adds the ones your site and method need.
- 1
Hardwood dust from cutting floorboards at the indoor saw station
High- Set a separate cutting station with suitable on-tool dust extraction
- Vacuum offcuts and dust and wear a fitted particulate respirator
- 2
Puncture injuries firing the flooring nailer beside loose boards
High- Use a suitable sequential firing tool and keep the free hand clear of the fixing line
- Disconnect the air supply before clearing jams or adjusting the nailer
- 3
Strains carrying hardwood flooring packs through narrow rooms
Medium- Use a trolley and stage smaller packs near the laying area
- Share awkward lifts and keep delivery routes clear
- 4
Knee and back strain laying timber boards along room edges
Medium- Use suitable knee supports and tools that reduce low reaching
- Rotate cutting and laying tasks and change working position
- 5
Kickback trimming narrow floorboard fillers on the mitre saw
High- Clamp boards on a supported cutting station and keep guards working
- Use a suitable cutting method for narrow pieces rather than holding them near the blade
- 6
Skin contact and slips spreading adhesive for timber floorboards
Medium- Select a suitable lower hazard adhesive and contain it inside the laying area
- Wear product-matched gloves and keep clean walking routes beside the work
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect substrate and stage boardsWeak patches and heavy packs → Check the substrate and position packs clear of work routes
- 2Set cutting and fixing equipmentWood dust and nail discharge → Connect extraction and check nailer controls before use
- 3Cut and fit floorboardsKickback on short fillers → Support boards and use clamps for controlled cutting
- 4Fix boards across the roomNail punctures and kneeling strain → Keep hands clear and rotate low-level work
- 5Clean, protect and hand overAdhesive residue and wood dust → Vacuum the floor and protect the finished walking surface
PPE for this job
- Safety boots
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Fitted particulate respirator
- Knee protection
- Handling gloves
- Product-matched chemical gloves
Your draft lists the PPE your site and method need.
After you finalise
Brief your crew and send it to your builder
Crew signs by QR
Send to my builder
PDF and register
Builder sent it back?
Make their changes and re-issue the same job free. Workers re-sign the new version.
Questions
Timber floor laying SWMS questions
- Last reviewed
- 21 October 2026
- How
- Hazard rows checked against the task; no legal line is stated unless it is logged from primary text.
- Next review
- Every six months, or when the method or rules change
Does it cover both nailed and glued timber flooring?
Yes. Describe the board type and fixing method. The draft includes nailer handling for mechanical fixing and product handling and clean access routes where adhesive is used.
Does laying the floor include sanding and coating it?
Include sanding and coating in the job details if those activities form part of the work. The draft centres on board preparation and fixing; the related sanding and finishing task addresses the finishing equipment and coating exposure.
How much does a timber floor laying SWMS cost?
One job uses 1 SWMS when you finalise: A$39 for one, however many high-risk activities it covers. AI drafting needs a SWMS pack or plan. Packs and Yearly cost less per SWMS.
Is this a template?
No. You describe the job and the site, and the SWMS is drafted for them. You edit anything, then finalise it.
Who checks the SWMS?
You do, with your crew, on site before work starts. The draft gives you a strong starting point; the person running the work makes sure it matches the site.
My builder sent it back. What now?
Open it, make the changes they asked for and re-issue it. Corrections to the same job are free.
How does my crew sign it?
Show the QR code on your phone or print the A4 sign-on sheet. Workers read and sign on their own phones without an account.
Does it work in my state?
Yes. You choose the state before drafting, and the document names the law that applies there. Victoria uses its OHS Regulations.
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