Refrigerant gas handling SWMS, drafted for your job
Refrigerant can displace air, burn skin on release or ignite where the system contains a flammable gas. Tell us the refrigerant, equipment and work area: your draft follows recovery, evacuation and charging, and the crew checks the gas identity and connections before opening the system.
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
Refrigerant gas handling
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines
- Work where the air may be contaminated or flammable
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Identify refrigerant and equipment | Unknown gas and unsuitable tools | High | Read system identification and select matching recovery equipment |
| 2 | Prepare ventilation and cylinders | Gas accumulation and unstable cylinders | High | Set air controls and restrain labelled recovery cylinders |
| 3 | Recover system refrigerant | Cold release and cylinder overfill | High | Monitor cylinder weight and control hose connections |
| 4 | Evacuate and charge system | Pressure release and flammable gas | High | Check connections and control ignition sources |
| 5 | Leak check and disconnect | Trapped refrigerant in hoses | High | Check for leaks and recover trapped gas before disconnecting |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your refrigerant gas handling 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
Categories this task often involves
You tick the ones your job involves. Each ticked category gets its own steps and controls, in your state's wording.
- Work on or near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines
- Work where the air may be contaminated or flammable
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 refrigerant gas handling 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
Refrigerant gas collecting in plantrooms and low areas
Extreme- Ventilate the work area and assess air conditions before opening the system
- Stop for gas alarms and leave the affected area using the planned exit
- 2
Cold burns from liquid refrigerant at charging hose connections
High- Use suitable low-release fittings and isolate before disconnecting hoses
- Keep skin clear of discharge and wear cold-resistant gloves with face protection
- 3
Flammable refrigerant igniting beside recovery and charging equipment
Extreme- Identify the refrigerant and remove ignition sources from the handling area
- Use recovery equipment and tools suited to that refrigerant
- 4
Recovery cylinder rupture from overfilling or heating
Extreme- Use a suitable labelled cylinder and monitor recovery weight
- Keep cylinders upright, restrained and protected from heat
- 5
Refrigerant hose blowback from damaged or mismatched fittings
High- Check hose condition, connection type and equipment suitability before use
- Isolate and release trapped pressure by the recovery method before opening fittings
- 6
Toxic breakdown fumes from refrigerant heated during pipe repairs
High- Recover refrigerant and prepare pipework before applying heat
- Keep the work ventilated and separate hot work from refrigerant handling
How the job usually runs
- 1Identify refrigerant and equipmentUnknown gas and unsuitable tools → Read system identification and select matching recovery equipment
- 2Prepare ventilation and cylindersGas accumulation and unstable cylinders → Set air controls and restrain labelled recovery cylinders
- 3Recover system refrigerantCold release and cylinder overfill → Monitor cylinder weight and control hose connections
- 4Evacuate and charge systemPressure release and flammable gas → Check connections and control ignition sources
- 5Leak check and disconnectTrapped refrigerant in hoses → Check for leaks and recover trapped gas before disconnecting
PPE for this job
- Cold-resistant gloves
- Safety goggles
- Face shield
- Long work clothing
- Safety boots
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
Refrigerant gas handling 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 the draft cover flammable refrigerants as well?
Yes. Name the refrigerant when you describe the job. The draft covers gas identification, suitable recovery equipment, ventilation and removing ignition sources before recovery or charging begins.
Can it cover recovering gas before an air conditioner repair?
Yes. The draft covers selecting and restraining the recovery cylinder, monitoring the fill, controlling hose connections and preparing the pipework before any repair involving heat.
How much does a refrigerant gas handling 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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