Chimney & Fireplace Masonry SWMS

Chimney and fireplace masonry involves constructing, rebuilding, repointing or demolishing brick or stone chimneys, flues and fireboxes, typically on pitched roofs or within occupied dwellings. The work combines exposure to falls from height at ridge level, manual handling of heavy masonry units and lintels, hot-work when installing flue liners, and disturbance of existing structures that may contain lead-based paint, asbestos cement flue components or crystalline silica in mortar and firebrick. Partial demolition of a chimney stack above roof line frequently requires temporary propping of the remaining structure and load transfer through the roof framing, creating a real risk of collapse if sequencing is wrong.

Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), this work is high risk construction work under section 291 — specifically falls greater than 2 metres (291(a)) and structural alteration requiring temporary support (291(e)). Section 299 therefore requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be prepared before work commences, kept available for inspection, and complied with. Controls follow the hierarchy in section 36: eliminate work at height where practicable via scaffolds and edge protection, engineer temporary support before disturbing load paths, and use administrative and PPE controls to manage residual silica, dust and manual handling risks.

Hazards identified

12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Eliminate work at height where practicable by prefabricating flue and cap assemblies at ground level and lifting into position with a crane or telehandler.
2. 2Substitute mechanical cutting with wet-cut masonry saws and diamond core drilling with integrated water suppression to eliminate dry cutting of silica-containing materials.
3. 3Erect a compliant perimeter scaffold to AS/NZS 1576 series and AS/NZS 4576 with a working platform within 300 mm of the chimney and edge protection to all open sides before roof access commences.
4. 4Engineer temporary support for partial chimney demolition or lintel replacement using acrow props, needle beams or engineer-designed propping; retain a structural engineer's certificate for section 291(e) alteration work.
5. 5Before disturbing any pre-1990 chimney fabric, obtain an asbestos register or arrange sampling under the How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice; licensed removal per section 458 if ACM is confirmed.
6. 6Implement on-tool water suppression or H-class M-class LEV extraction on all grinders, saws and chasers per the Working with Silica and Silica Containing Products Code of Practice; air monitoring where the workplace exposure standard may be exceeded.
7. 7Establish a ground exclusion zone with hard barricades and signage below the work area; use enclosed rubbish chutes or lowered kibbles rather than throwing debris.
8. 8Roof access via ladder complying with AS/NZS 1892.1 secured top and bottom, or via internal manhole with fall protection; roof anchors installed to AS/NZS 5532 where a harness system is used as a last resort.
9. 9Hot work permit system with fire watch for 60 minutes post-work, dry-chemical extinguisher on the platform, and combustibles removed or covered with fire blankets within 3 m of the ignition source.
10. 10Manual handling controls — mechanical hoist or wheel-barrow-mounted brick elevator to roof platform, two-person lifts for lintels over 20 kg, and job rotation to limit sustained overhead work.
11. 11Minimum P2 respirators for silica tasks (upgraded to PAPR for extended cutting), Tyvek coveralls, cut-resistant gloves, safety glasses to AS/NZS 1337.1, hard hat to AS/NZS 1801 and Type 3 fall arrest harness to AS/NZS 1891.1 where used.
12. 12All workers hold CPCCWHS1001 (White Card); SWMS consulted with workers under section 47 of the WHS Act, signed before work starts, and reviewed under section 302 whenever controls change, an incident occurs, or the work method is varied.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A bricklaying subcontractor in Katoomba is engaged to demolish the upper 1.8 m of a deteriorated chimney stack on a two-storey 1920s weatherboard cottage and rebuild it in matching recycled brick with a new stainless flue liner. Roof height at the stack is 6.4 m. Because the work involves both a fall risk greater than 2 m (section 291(a)) and structural alteration requiring temporary propping of the remaining stack and roof penetration (section 291(e)), a SWMS is prepared and signed by all workers before mobilisation. A modular scaffold with a working platform 400 mm below the chimney cap is erected, an asbestos inspection confirms the original cement flue liner is chrysotile-containing and is removed by a Class B licensed removalist, and brick cutting is performed on a ground-level wet saw. The SWMS is reviewed on day three when weather forces a change to internal hearth works, satisfying section 302.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)
• Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) — construction and demolition waste
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) — heritage and complying development
• Dangerous Goods (Road and Rail Transport) Act 2008 (NSW) — asbestos and hazardous waste transport
• Heritage Act 1977 (NSW) — where the dwelling is on the State Heritage Register

Frequently asked questions