Panel / Surface Preparation & Masking SWMS
Preparation of vehicle panels for refinishing — sanding, feather-edging, degreasing, masking, and dust extraction and housekeeping.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Surface preparation generates more airborne dust than any other task in a panel shop, and the composition of that dust is frequently misjudged. Sanding dust from fillers and primers contains respirable crystalline silica; on older vehicles it can contain lead from historic coatings; and sanding partially cured 2K liberates unreacted isocyanate. This Safe Work Method Statement covers sanding and feather-edging, degreasing and masking, and dust extraction and housekeeping — requiring on-tool extraction as the primary control, wet sanding where the process allows, and a lead test on pre-1970s vehicles before dry abrasion begins.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Silicosis; lead poisoning; respiratory sensitisation
Laceration; eye injury
Contamination of stormwater
Irritation; dermatitis
Fire
Waste contamination
Silica and lead exposure to workers not performing the task
Inhalation exposure during maintenance; fire in ducting
Land contamination; lead in the waste stream
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1On-tool extraction connected and functioning
- 2P2 respirator
- 3wet sanding where the process allows
- 4test for lead on pre-1970s vehicles and apply lead controls if positive
- 5Guards fitted
- 6eye protection
- 7secure loose clothing and hair
- 8Capture dust at source
- 9bund wash-water
- 10no discharge to stormwater
- 11Ventilation during wipe-down
- 12nitrile gloves
- 13Sealed metal rag bin
- 14eliminate ignition sources
- 15Dangerous-goods waste stream for contaminated rags
- 16Never dry-sweep and never blow down with compressed air
- 17vacuum with an H-class unit
- 18P2 respirator during filter service
- 19empty collection bags sealed
- 20Isolate extraction plant before filter service
- 21inspect ducting for blockage and static bonding
- 22Dispose of collected dust as controlled waste where lead is present
- 23keep disposal records
Applicable Codes of Practice
Primary approved code for this work — booth and mixing-room design, ventilation, RPE selection, isocyanate handling and health-monitoring triggers.
Hazardous chemicals register, SDS, labelling, storage segregation and the risk-management process for paints, hardeners and solvents.
Definitive national guidance on isocyanate sensitisation, air-supplied RPE, exposure standards and respiratory health surveillance.
Applies to compressor, spray gun, air-tool and panel-work noise where the 85 dB(A) LAeq,8h exposure standard may be exceeded.
Ventilation, lighting, eyewash and emergency shower provision, and amenities for workers handling hazardous chemicals.
The hierarchy of control this SWMS is structured around — elimination and substitution before engineering, administration and PPE.
Design, airflow, classification and maintenance requirements for the booth and mixing room this SWMS relies on as its primary engineering control.
Fit-testing, facial-seal and maintenance requirements — the basis for the air-supplied respirator program.
Performance standard the air-fed hood and A2P2 respirators must be certified to.
Dangerous-goods store design, quantities, bunding and separation for paints, thinners and solvents.
Who this is for
- →Panel preparation technicians and apprentices
- →Panel and paint workshops
- →Restoration shops working on older vehicles
- →WHS managers with silica and lead duties
What you receive
- ✓Fully editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) SWMS — populate company, ABN, site and worker fields directly
- ✓Task-by-task risk assessment across occupational health, safety and environment, with severity × likelihood scoring before and after controls
- ✓Controls written to the hierarchy of control — elimination and substitution first, PPE last
- ✓High risk construction work classification with the specific s. 291 category and why it is triggered
- ✓Isocyanate health-monitoring and air-monitoring requirements stated as legal duties, not optional extras
- ✓PPE schedule referencing AS/NZS 1715 and 1716, including air-supplied respirator requirements
- ✓Training and competency register covering fit-testing, SDS interpretation and isocyanate awareness
- ✓Emergency procedures for chemical splash, inhalation, sensitisation episode, solvent fire and spill
- ✓Worker sign-on register and review/sign-off block ready for immediate site use
Worked example
A restoration shop dry-sanded a 1960s vehicle without testing the existing coating. Subsequent blood-lead testing of the two workers involved returned elevated results, triggering notification and removal from lead-risk work. A simple lead test before abrasion — now written into the SWMS — would have redirected the job to a controlled removal method.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) — primary duty of care, s.19
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Chapter 3 Risk Management
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Part 7.1 Hazardous Chemicals (register, SDS, labelling, storage)
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Part 7.1 health monitoring provisions; Schedule 14 lists isocyanates
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — s. 291 High Risk Construction Work and the SWMS duty
- Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) — air emission and waste disposal duties
Frequently asked questions
Is there really silica in body filler dust?
Yes. Polyester fillers and primers commonly contain silica and talc, so sanding them generates respirable crystalline silica. It is the same health hazard the construction industry manages for engineered stone, and it warrants on-tool extraction and P2 respiratory protection rather than a nuisance dust mask.
Is this SWMS specific to NSW?
Yes. It cites the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) and SafeWork NSW guidance. The same document is available for every other state and territory — the legislative references are swapped for that jurisdiction.
Do I legally need a SWMS for spray painting in a workshop?
A SWMS is legally mandatory under s. 291 only for high risk construction work. Fixed-workshop spraying is generally not construction work — but you still have a duty under the WHS Regulation to document how you control a hazardous-chemical risk of this severity, and the Spray Painting and Powder Coating Code of Practice is the benchmark you will be measured against. The moment you spray on a construction site, or in a contaminated or flammable atmosphere, the SWMS becomes mandatory.
Is isocyanate health monitoring really compulsory?
Yes, where there is ongoing use of isocyanates and a significant risk of exposure. Isocyanates are listed in Schedule 14 of the WHS Regulation, which triggers the health-monitoring duty — baseline and periodic respiratory function testing and medical assessment by a registered medical practitioner. It is one of the most commonly missed obligations in Australian panel shops.
Will a cartridge respirator do instead of an air-fed hood?
Not for continuous two-pack spraying. Negative-pressure cartridge respirators are not accepted as adequate protection against isocyanate spray mist — the accepted control is an air-supplied (air-fed) respirator. Air monitoring is how you demonstrate that the RPE you have selected is actually adequate for your process.
How do I know if my booth ventilation is good enough?
Airflow should be verified against the booth specification before each shift, the LEV inspected and tested on a documented schedule under AS/NZS 4114, and the whole control set validated with personal air monitoring. A booth that passed its annual service can still fall below specification as filters load between changes.
Can I edit the document?
Yes — it is a fully editable DOCX written as a site-specific template. You complete the company, ABN, site, plant and worker sign-on fields, and adjust the tasks to match your actual process before use.
Who wrote it?
It is authored by an occupational hygiene team led by a Certified Occupational Hygienist (CIH), which is why the exposure, ventilation and monitoring content goes considerably further than a generic template.