Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (General) SWMS
Line/base maintenance; CASA Part 145.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) under CASA Part 145 covers line and base maintenance activities performed on fixed-wing and rotary aircraft within hangars, on aprons, and at remote line stations. The work routinely combines elevated platforms around fuselage and empennage, energised electrical systems, pressurised hydraulic and pneumatic lines, residual fuel in tanks and lines, and exposure to solvents, sealants, composite dusts, and lead-based paint primers. Because hangar fit-outs, structural repairs, and major component changes frequently meet the definition of construction work under WHS Regulation 2011 r291, and because the work involves falls over two metres, confined space entry into fuel tanks, and use of hazardous chemicals, a Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before work commences. This SWMS aligns AME tasks with both CASA Part 145 maintenance control requirements and WHS duties owed by the PCBU, ensuring engineers, apprentices, and contracted specialists work to a single, consultative, signed-on control plan.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Fractures, spinal injury, or fatality; PCBU prosecution under WHS Act s32 for failing to manage fall risk
Flash fire, explosion, hydrocarbon toxicity, asphyxiation in confined tank spaces; multiple fatalities possible
Crush injuries, amputations, fatalities to engineers working in control surface arcs or wheel wells
Occupational asthma, dermatitis, sensitisation, long-term carcinogenic effects requiring health monitoring under WHS r368
Fluid injection into tissue causing necrosis, amputation, or systemic toxicity from Skydrol phosphate esters
Musculoskeletal injury, hernias, crush injury when component slings or jacks fail mid-lift
Permanent noise-induced hearing loss exceeding the 85 dB(A) exposure standard in WHS Reg 2025 r58
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Defuel aircraft fully and inert tanks with nitrogen purge before any hot work or tank entry is authorised on the maintenance task card.
- 2Elimination — Remove energy at source by isolating hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical systems and venting accumulators before component removal commences.
- 3Substitution — Replace MEK and chromate primers with low-VOC, chromate-free equivalents listed on the Part 145 approved materials register where airframe OEM permits.
- 4Substitution — Substitute manual component lifting with certified aircraft jacks, beam hoists, and engine bootstrap kits rated to the component's verified mass.
- 5Engineering — Install fixed docking, edge-protected wing stands, and travel-restraint anchor points compliant with AS/NZS 1891.4 around all elevated AME positions.
- 6Engineering — Use local exhaust ventilation at composite sanding stations and intrinsically safe spark-free tooling within fuel tank confined space entries.
- 7Administrative — Apply CASA Part 145 maintenance control procedures including independent inspection, lockout-tagout per AS 4024, and confined space permit-to-work before tank entry.
- 8Administrative — Conduct documented pre-start briefing referencing this SWMS, verify currency of B1/B2 licences, and consult workers on residual risk before sign-on.
- 9PPE — Issue Class 5 fall arrest harnesses, A2P3 respirators for solvent work, P2 for composite dust, nitrile gauntlets, hearing protection SLC80 26 dB, and antistatic coveralls.
- 10PPE — Provide chemical splash goggles, face shields during hydraulic pressurisation, and FR clothing meeting AS/NZS 4824 for fuel system tasks.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Triggered by AME work on wings, empennage, and docking exceeding 2 metres; mandates hierarchical fall control selection and rescue planning.
Fuel tank, centre wing box, and integral cell entry meet the confined space definition; requires permit, gas testing, standby person, rescue plan.
Applies to chromate primers, isocyanates, Skydrol, Jet A-1; requires SDS register, exposure monitoring, and health surveillance under WHS r368.
Governs anchor rating, harness inspection, and travel-restraint setup on wing-walk and tailplane positions used during scheduled inspections.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Engineers routinely access wing upper surfaces, vertical stabilisers, and engine pylons from docking and stands well in excess of two metres above hangar floor.
Fuel tank, integral cell, and centre wing box entries for inspection, sealant repair, or NDT meet the confined space atmosphere and access criteria.
Aircraft tugs, GSE, scissor lifts, and tow tractors move continuously through the hangar and apron environment where AME staff are working.
The PCBU must prepare, consult workers on, and retain this SWMS for the duration of the work plus two years post-incident; penalties for non-compliance are substantial and indexed annually to the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →CASA Part 145 approved maintenance organisations
- →Licensed B1/B2 aircraft maintenance engineers and apprentices
- →Hangar facility PCBUs and ground support contractors
- →Regional airline line maintenance supervisors and quality managers
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX template — Microsoft Word compatible
- ✓State-specific WHS legislation schedule (NSW/VIC/QLD/SA/WA/TAS/NT/ACT)
- ✓Hazard register with risk ratings + hierarchy-of-control mapping
- ✓Worker sign-on register, pre-start checklist, and incident escalation flow
Worked example
At a regional turboprop base undergoing a scheduled C-check, the lead engineer opens the pre-start brief at 0630 in the hangar crib room with four B1 engineers, two apprentices, and a contracted NDT technician. The task card calls for left wing fuel tank entry to repair a weeping rib-to-skin sealant joint. The lead engineer projects this SWMS on the screen and walks the team through hazard line three — inadvertent control activation — confirming that aileron and spoiler hydraulics have been depressurised and tagged by the night shift. The team then reviews the confined space entry controls, with the standby person nominated, gas test results logged at 0% LEL and 20.9% oxygen, and the rescue tripod positioned at the over-wing access. The apprentice raises that the supplied A2P3 cartridges expired last week; the lead engineer pauses sign-on, retrieves in-date cartridges from the bonded store, and updates the PPE register. All personnel then sign the SWMS acknowledgement. Mid-task, ambient temperature in the hangar climbs and the standby person observes the entrant's communication slowing. Referring to the SWMS heat and fatigue control, the lead engineer calls a rotation, the entrant exits, hydration is taken, and a fresh entrant continues. The signed SWMS, permit, and gas test log are filed against the work pack for CASA and WHS records.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces CoP