General cleaning SWMS, drafted for your job
Routine cleaning moves people across wet floors and through occupied rooms, with chemical bottles, dusty waste and trailing vacuum leads close to the work. Give us the job details and site layout. The draft follows that setup, and your crew checks the steps on site 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
General cleaning
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Inspect rooms and waste | Unknown residue and hidden sharps | High | Identify unusual waste before routine cleaning begins |
| 2 | Set the cleaning area | Occupants crossing wet floors | High | Close each section and leave a dry access route |
| 3 | Prepare products and equipment | Chemical mixing and damaged leads | High | Check labels and equipment before use |
| 4 | Clean and collect waste | Dust and bag punctures | High | Use damp methods and tools for hidden sharps |
| 5 | Dry and reopen surfaces | Wet residue and trailing leads | High | Check floors and remove equipment before reopening access |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your general cleaning 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 general cleaning 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
People slipping across freshly mopped access routes
Medium- Close the cleaning section and keep a dry route around it
- Reopen the floor after checking it is dry and clear of residue
- 2
Chemical splashes while diluting cleaners at the trolley
Medium- Use less hazardous ready-to-use products where suitable
- Keep products labelled and separate; follow product mixing directions without combining cleaners
- 3
Dust clouds from sweeping building residue indoors
High- Use suitable filtered vacuum equipment or damp cleaning instead of dry sweeping
- Stop and identify unknown dust before disturbing it
- 4
Needles and broken glass hidden in cleaning bags
High- Use litter tools to collect sharps into a rigid container
- Do not reach into bins or compress waste bags by hand
- 5
Back strain moving full bins and cleaning machines
Medium- Use wheeled bins and equipment sized for the access route
- Empty bins before they become awkward and use team handling for difficult loads
- 6
Trips over vacuum leads across occupied doorways
Medium- Use battery equipment where suitable or route leads away from walkways
- Clean one controlled section at a time and keep trolley parking clear of exits
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect rooms and wasteUnknown residue and hidden sharps → Identify unusual waste before routine cleaning begins
- 2Set the cleaning areaOccupants crossing wet floors → Close each section and leave a dry access route
- 3Prepare products and equipmentChemical mixing and damaged leads → Check labels and equipment before use
- 4Clean and collect wasteDust and bag punctures → Use damp methods and tools for hidden sharps
- 5Dry and reopen surfacesWet residue and trailing leads → Check floors and remove equipment before reopening access
PPE for this job
- Slip-resistant safety footwear
- Chemical-resistant gloves
- Safety glasses
- Work clothing
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
General cleaning 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 cleaning while people are still inside?
Yes. Describe the rooms and how occupants move through them. The draft covers cleaning in sections, dry bypass routes and keeping equipment and wet floors away from shared access.
What if the cleaners find needles in a bin?
Stop routine handling of that waste. The draft covers using litter tools and a rigid sharps container, separating the area and keeping hands out of bags and bins.
How much does a general cleaning 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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