Timber floor sanding and finishing SWMS, drafted for your job
Sanding timber floors creates fine wood dust, while floor finishes can give off vapours and leave oily waste that heats up in a pile. Tell us the job and the site: your SWMS is drafted around them, and you check it 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
Timber floor sanding and finishing
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where the air may be contaminated or flammable
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Inspect and clear the floor | Proud nails and loose boards | High | Punch nails, secure boards and isolate the room |
| 2 | Set extraction and sand | Airborne wood dust | High | Connect dust collection and check pickup at the drum |
| 3 | Edge and change abrasives | Rotating drum and kneeling strain | Medium | Isolate before belt changes and alternate edging tasks |
| 4 | Apply the floor finish | Vapour and ignition sources | High | Ventilate for the product and exclude ignition sources |
| 5 | Remove waste and secure access | Oily rags and piled dust | High | Separate waste streams and follow product disposal instructions |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your timber floor sanding and finishing 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 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 timber floor sanding and finishing 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
Wood dust escaping from the floor sander and edger
High- Connect maintained dust collection to the sander and edger before starting
- Separate the room from occupants and wear respiratory protection selected for wood dust
- 2
Sander sparks from nails left proud in floorboards
High- Inspect and punch down nails before sanding each floor section
- Stop if sparks appear and remove the obstruction before restarting
- 3
Finishing vapours collecting in closed rooms during floor coating
High- Choose lower hazard finishes where suitable and provide ventilation suited to the product
- Exclude ignition sources and keep occupants out while coating and drying proceed
- 4
Heating in piled sanding dust and oil-soaked finishing rags
High- Keep dust and oily rags separated and use the finish maker’s waste handling method
- Remove collected waste from the work room and do not leave it piled in dust bags
- 5
Contact with the sanding drum while changing abrasive belts
High- Disconnect power before belt changes or clearing the drum
- Keep guards fitted and test the operating controls before returning the sander to use
- 6
Knee and wrist strain edging timber floors along skirtings
Medium- Use handles and kneeling supports suited to the edging task
- Alternate edging with upright work and move the machine without twisting under load
How the job usually runs
- 1Inspect and clear the floorProud nails and loose boards → Punch nails, secure boards and isolate the room
- 2Set extraction and sandAirborne wood dust → Connect dust collection and check pickup at the drum
- 3Edge and change abrasivesRotating drum and kneeling strain → Isolate before belt changes and alternate edging tasks
- 4Apply the floor finishVapour and ignition sources → Ventilate for the product and exclude ignition sources
- 5Remove waste and secure accessOily rags and piled dust → Separate waste streams and follow product disposal instructions
PPE for this job
- Respiratory protection for wood dust
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Safety footwear
- Knee protection
- Gloves suited to floor coating
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 sanding and finishing 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 water-based and oil-based floor finishes?
Yes. Tell us the finish being used. The draft covers product selection, ventilation, ignition sources, handling wet coatings and keeping people off the floor during drying.
What should the crew do with sanding dust and oily rags?
Keep them separated and follow the finish maker’s waste instructions. The draft covers removing dust bags from the room and managing oily rags without leaving them piled together.
How much does a timber floor sanding and finishing 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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