Painting and decorating SWMS, drafted for your job
A paint job mixes solvents and sanding dust with ladders and trestles, all worked over furniture, gardens and other trades. 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
Painting and decorating
Site Your site address
Law Your state
High-risk construction work
- Work where someone could fall from height
Job steps, hazards and controls
| 1 | Set up the room and sheets | Trips; trapped vapours | Medium | Sheet flat; windows open and fans on |
| 2 | Prep and sand the surfaces | Sanding dust; old coatings | High | Wet sand or extraction; P2 on |
| 3 | Cut in from ladders | Over-reach; ladder slips | High | Level feet; move the ladder, do not lean |
| 4 | Roll or spray the coats | Overspray; vapours | Medium | Mask and sheet; respirator for spraying |
| 5 | Clean up and store solvents | Rag fire; spills | Medium | Tins shut; rags flat or in a sealed bin |
Illustrative first page. Yours carries your business name only.
What you get
What your painting and decorating 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
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 painting and decorating 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
Solvent vapours building up in closed rooms while spraying or rolling
High- Open the room up and run fans before and during spraying
- Reach for water-based products; keep solvent work short with breaks outside
- Wear a respirator with the right cartridge for spraying or solvent work
- 2
Falls from ladders, trestles and planks while cutting in at height
High- Work off a scaffold or EWP for large exterior walls instead of a long ladder
- Level and tie the ladder and keep three points of contact
- Move the ladder rather than reaching for the last section
- 3
Sanding dust and suspect old coatings during surface prep
High- Wet sand or use extraction sanders and keep dry sanding to a minimum
- Treat suspect old paint as hazardous: keep it wet and extract the dust
- P2 respirator on for sanding and for cleaning up afterwards
- 4
Paint, thinners and strippers on skin and in eyes
Medium- Gloves and glasses for stripping, thinning and spraying
- Wash splashes off straight away and keep solvents away from cuts
- 5
Trips on drop sheets, rollers and extension poles across the floor
Medium- Tape or tuck sheets flat and keep the walk path clear of gear
- Pack rollers, pots and poles back to the kit, not onto the floor
- 6
Overspray drifting onto people, cars and gardens
Medium- Mask and sheet everything nearby and check the wind before spraying outside
- Keep bystanders out of the spray area while the gun is running
- 7
Flammable thinners and used rags catching a spark or self-heating in a bin
Medium- Keep solvent tins shut and away from ignition and hot work
- Lay used rags flat to dry or store them in a sealed metal bin
How the job usually runs
- 1Set up the room and sheetsTrips; trapped vapours → Sheet flat; windows open and fans on
- 2Prep and sand the surfacesSanding dust; old coatings → Wet sand or extraction; P2 on
- 3Cut in from laddersOver-reach; ladder slips → Level feet; move the ladder, do not lean
- 4Roll or spray the coatsOverspray; vapours → Mask and sheet; respirator for spraying
- 5Clean up and store solventsRag fire; spills → Tins shut; rags flat or in a sealed bin
PPE for this job
- P2 respirator for sanding
- Organic vapour respirator for spraying
- Chemical-resistant gloves
- Safety glasses
- Overalls or coveralls
- 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
Painting and decorating 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 SWMS cover spraying as well as brush and roller?
Yes. Tell us how you are applying and the draft adjusts: spraying adds masking, overspray and vapour extraction controls, while brush and roller work keeps the solvent and skin controls.
What if the old paint might contain lead?
The draft treats suspect coatings as hazardous: wet methods, extraction and a P2 respirator keep the dust down. Confirmed lead work is a bigger job and suits its own removal scope.
Is exterior work at height covered?
Yes. Describe the access when you start, whether ladders, trestles or a scaffold, and the draft adds the matching setup and fall controls for each face of the building.
How much does a painting and decorating 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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