Structural glazing SWMS, drafted for your job
Structural glazing places large glass units at exposed building edges, where a lost vacuum grip or incomplete temporary restraint can drop a panel onto people below. Describe the job and site so your SWMS is drafted around them, then check the controls 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
Structural glazing
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where someone could fall from height
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Review façade installation details | Open bays and unverified support | Extreme | Confirm restraints, lifting points and guarded access |
| 2 | Inspect glass and lifting frame | Damaged glass and vacuum seal loss | Extreme | Check surfaces, pads and warning systems before pickup |
| 3 | Lift and position units | Wind movement and falling glass | Extreme | Close the area below and follow agreed lift signals |
| 4 | Fix and bond glazing | Unsupported panels and unsuitable bonding surfaces | Extreme | Install restraints and follow the specified silicone preparation process |
| 5 | Release supports and hand over | Incomplete cure and loose connections | Extreme | Complete bond and connection checks before releasing temporary restraint |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your structural glazing 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 someone could fall from height
- Work where powered mobile plant is moving
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 structural glazing 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
Falls through open façade bays while positioning structural glass
Extreme- Use guarded access platforms and protect adjoining open bays before installation
- Plan any remaining fall exposure with suitable anchors and a workable rescue arrangement
- 2
Structural glass units dropping from a vacuum lifting frame
Extreme- Match the lifting frame and pad arrangement to the glass and inspect contact surfaces
- Test the grip close to supports and stop if vacuum warnings or seal problems appear
- 3
Wind turning suspended curtain wall glass against installers
High- Plan glass lifts around the equipment and façade installation weather limits
- Keep installers clear of the panel path and stop when the unit cannot be controlled
- 4
Structural glass shifting before temporary fixings carry the load
Extreme- Install the specified temporary restraints before releasing lifting equipment
- Check frame connections and supports at the release hold point
- 5
Structural silicone failing to hold glass after temporary support removal
Extreme- Use the specified compatible bonding system and prepare surfaces to its instructions
- Retain supports through curing and have bond checks completed before releasing restraint
- 6
Sharp structural glass edges cutting hands during final alignment
High- Use positioning tools and keep hands away from loaded panel edges
- Isolate damaged units and use glass-handling gloves and arm protection
How the job usually runs
- 1Review façade installation detailsOpen bays and unverified support → Confirm restraints, lifting points and guarded access
- 2Inspect glass and lifting frameDamaged glass and vacuum seal loss → Check surfaces, pads and warning systems before pickup
- 3Lift and position unitsWind movement and falling glass → Close the area below and follow agreed lift signals
- 4Fix and bond glazingUnsupported panels and unsuitable bonding surfaces → Install restraints and follow the specified silicone preparation process
- 5Release supports and hand overIncomplete cure and loose connections → Complete bond and connection checks before releasing temporary restraint
PPE for this job
- Glass-handling gloves
- Cut-resistant arm protection
- Safety helmet
- Safety boots
- Eye protection
- Fall protection equipment where selected
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
Structural glazing 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
How does the SWMS address structural silicone glazing?
Describe the glass system, bonding products and temporary support details. Include surface preparation, product compatibility, curing conditions and the check that releases temporary restraint; these should follow the project glazing design.
When can a glass unit be released from the lifting frame?
Keep the lifting frame attached until the specified mechanical fixings or temporary restraints are installed and checked. Identify who confirms that hold point and how installers remain protected at the open façade bay.
How much does a structural glazing 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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