Cladding Removal — EWP Access SWMS
External cladding removal using EWP access covers boom lift and scissor lift positioning, ACP panel handling at height, fire-rating verification of remaining substrate, and progressive removal of non-compliant cladding from facades.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
External cladding removal using elevating work platforms (EWPs) is high-risk construction work performed at height on facades that frequently contain non-compliant aluminium composite panels (ACP) with polyethylene cores. The task combines boom or scissor lift positioning on variable ground conditions, manual handling of large panels at height, mechanical fixing release, and substrate fire-rating verification before progressive removal. Under WHS Regulation 2025 Schedule 1, work at heights above two metres and mobile plant operation on uneven ground both trigger mandatory Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) preparation before work commences. The risk profile escalates further where dropped panels could strike pedestrians, where wind loading destabilises EWPs, or where residual fire-damaged substrate is disturbed. A documented SWMS is the PCBU's primary evidence of risk assessment, consultation with workers, and control verification, and must be available on site for the duration of the work and retained for at least two years after a notifiable incident.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Fatal fall, traumatic brain injury, or multiple fractures; PCBU prosecution for Category 1 reckless conduct offence
Crushing fatality of operator and ground crew; mobile plant rollover with secondary impact on structure
Fatal head strike, struck-by injury to pedestrians; failure to manage exclusion zone breaches WHS s19 duty
Loss of panel control, EWP tip-over moment exceeded, worker ejection or panel strike injury
Respiratory irritation, potential exposure to fire-damaged contaminants; long-term respiratory sensitisation risk
Electrocution, arc flash burns, cardiac arrest; breach of WHS Reg 2025 electrical safety duties
Lumbar disc injury, shoulder rotator cuff tear, crush injuries between panel and basket rail
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where structurally feasible, remove cladding from ground using mast climbers or scaffold rather than EWP basket, eliminating fall-from-platform and outreach exposure entirely.
- 2Elimination — Cease all EWP work when wind speed at platform height exceeds manufacturer limit (typically 12.5 m/s) verified by anemometer mounted on basket rail.
- 3Substitution — Replace large-format panel removal with pre-cut segmented removal using track-mounted saw, reducing single-piece weight and wind sail area handled at height.
- 4Substitution — Use boom lift with jib articulation in lieu of straight-stick scissor lift where facade geometry requires outreach, reducing basket-edge fall exposure.
- 5Engineering — Deploy ground-bearing pressure assessment and crane mats under all EWP outriggers per AS 2550.10, with exclusion zone barricaded to 1.5x panel drop radius below work face.
- 6Engineering — Install secondary panel restraint using lanyard-tethered vacuum lifters or mechanical clamps before releasing final fixing, preventing uncontrolled panel release.
- 7Administrative — Conduct daily pre-start SWMS review and EWP logbook inspection per AS 2550.10, with documented sign-on by all workers and spotter assigned for ground-level exclusion zone control.
- 8Administrative — Verify EWP operator high-risk work licence (WP class) and issue task-specific authority to work permit citing facade zone, wind limits, and rescue plan.
- 9PPE — Twin-lanyard full-body harness with shock absorber rated to AS/NZS 1891.1 anchored to manufacturer-designated basket attachment point, never to handrail.
- 10PPE — P2 respiratory protection per AS/NZS 1716, impact-rated eye protection AS/NZS 1337.1, cut-resistant Level C gloves, and hi-vis Class D/N garments for all basket and ground crew.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates harness anchorage to EWP manufacturer designated points and rescue plan documentation before any worker enters basket at height.
Sets ground-bearing assessment, pre-start inspection, wind limits and operator competency requirements for both boom and scissor configurations.
Establishes hierarchy of control for work above two metres and requires SWMS documentation referencing fall-arrest, restraint and rescue arrangements.
Defines fire-rating verification obligations for substrate exposed during progressive cladding removal and informs hold-point inspection sequencing.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Facade cladding removal is conducted from EWP baskets typically 4–40 metres above ground, with outreach over edges directly exposing workers to fall risk.
Boom and scissor lifts are positioned on perimeter ground that often slopes for stormwater shedding or contains soft fill near facade footings, triggering mobile plant criterion.
PCBU must prepare, consult workers on, and retain the SWMS before work starts; failure attracts substantial indexed penalties under WHS Reg 2025, with current maximum following the prevailing WHS schedule, plus stop-work directions from the regulator.
Who this is for
- →Cladding rectification contractors on Class 2-9 buildings
- →Facade remediation project managers and site supervisors
- →EWP-licensed operators performing ACP removal works
- →Principal contractors managing combustible cladding programs
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
On a 12-storey residential rectification project, the facade crew arrives at the site shed for the 6:45am pre-start. The supervisor opens the Cladding Removal — EWP Access SWMS on a tablet and walks through the day's work zone: south elevation, levels 7–9, boom lift positioned on the eastern setback. He reads each hazard aloud, pausing on the wind-loading entry because the BoM forecast shows gusts to 45 km/h by 11am. The crew agrees a hold-point at 10:30am to re-check the basket anemometer against the 12.5 m/s manufacturer limit. The EWP operator confirms his WP licence, presents the logbook inspection, and the spotter walks the ground exclusion zone, repositioning two A-frame barriers to achieve the 1.5x drop-radius required by the controls section. Each worker signs onto the SWMS, noting the specific panel size (1200x3000mm ACP) being removed and confirming twin-lanyard anchorage to the basket's designated D-ring, not the handrail. At 10:20am, wind increases unexpectedly. The supervisor invokes the SWMS stop-work trigger, the crew lowers the basket, and an amendment is logged on the SWMS noting the early stand-down. Work resumes at 13:00 after re-verification, with the amended SWMS re-signed by all workers before the basket is re-elevated.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS 2550 — Cranes, hoists and winches; AS 1418 series