Facade & Wall Demolition SWMS
NSW — Facade & Wall Demolition. Full task scope, hazards and controls to be authored to Phase 1 standard.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Facade and wall demolition is partial demolition in which parts of a structure are removed while others are deliberately retained — a retained facade, a party wall, or a structural core kept for redevelopment. A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory because the work is high risk construction work under the Work Health and Safety Regulation: it involves demolition of load-bearing elements, structural alterations requiring temporary support, likely asbestos disturbance, work at heights, and powered mobile plant. The defining hazard is the stability of the retained structure. Partial demolition redistributes loads and removes the lateral restraint that walls and floors once provided, so the retained element can become unstable or collapse unless engineered temporary works hold it through every stage. Adjacent-property and party-wall risks are significant — vibration damage, loss of support, and damage to shared walls — alongside falls from scaffold and floor edges, fibre release where asbestos is present, and damage to heritage fabric. This SWMS ties the work to an engineered temporary works design, staged removal with hold points, party-wall and adjacent-property protection, and completion of any licensed asbestos removal before structural work proceeds. It is supplied in eight jurisdiction editions; each cites its own Act, Regulation and regulator, and the demolition-licensing position is set out per state. It supports licensed work — it does not replace the demolition licence or authorisation.
Hazards identified
8 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Crush fatality and structural failure of the retained element
Sudden collapse of the retained facade or wall
Uncontrolled respirable fibre release and worker exposure
Fall fatality or serious injury
Structural damage to neighbouring buildings and third-party injury
Struck-by or crush fatality
Fatal or serious head and body injury
Irreversible loss of heritage value and regulatory breach
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Install engineered temporary propping and bracing to the retained structure before any load-bearing element is removed, eliminating the risk of progressive or uncontrolled collapse
- 2Substitution — Substitute mechanical demolition worked from outside the structure for personnel entry into the partial-demolition zone wherever the retained structure allows
- 3Engineering — Temporary Works Design signed by a chartered (NER/CPEng) structural engineer, with propping installed and inspected before demolition
- 4Engineering — Party-wall and adjacent-property protection, with vibration monitoring against set peak-particle-velocity limits
- 5Engineering — Edge protection, scaffold and catch decks to arrest falls and contain falling material
- 6Administrative — Pre-demolition asbestos audit by a Licensed Asbestos Assessor before selective dismantling begins
- 7Administrative — Staged removal with engineer hold points and a sequence that maintains stability at every step
- 8Administrative — Dilapidation survey and party-wall agreement with the adjacent owner before work starts
- 9PPE — Type 1 hard hat with chin strap, impact eye protection and high-visibility clothing, mandatory site-wide
- 10PPE — Fall-arrest harness and P2/P3 respiratory protection selected and fit-tested for the task
Applicable Codes of Practice
Primary code governing partial demolition, temporary works and exclusion zones
General construction duties and SWMS requirements
Asbestos register and management duties before demolition
Licensed removal and clearance where asbestos is present
Mandatory reference for partial demolition with facade retention
Design basis for temporary support and propping systems
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Dismantling proceeds on scaffold and open floor edges above 2 m.
Demolition of load-bearing elements adjacent to retained structure is the core activity.
Wall cavities are likely to contain asbestos that is disturbed.
Temporary support is essential to keep the retained structure stable throughout.
Powered mobile plant operates around the retained structure.
Who this is for
- →Licensed demolition contractors undertaking partial and facade demolition
- →Principal contractors managing redevelopment behind retained facades
- →Structural engineers (NER/CPEng) designing temporary works
- →Heritage consultants and architects coordinating facade retention
- →Party-wall surveyors engaged on adjacent-property protection
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 Wednesday morning a crew from Cornice Demolition begins selectively dismantling the rear of a heritage terrace whose street facade is being retained. The temporary works design is on site; the supervisor confirms the propping and needling to the retained facade were installed and inspected, and checks the vibration monitors set against the agreed limit for the neighbouring building. A dilapidation survey and party-wall agreement are already in place. Scaffolders work off a fully boarded external scaffold with edge protection, and anyone near an internal open edge is on fall-arrest. When a wall cavity is opened, the crew finds bonded sheet not listed in the original audit; work in that zone stops immediately and the licensed asbestos team is called to remove and clear it before dismantling continues. Material is lowered, never dropped, and the powered plant works to a traffic plan that keeps it clear of the retained facade. Each stage is taken only after the engineer confirms the retained structure remains stable, so the facade stands secure on its temporary works at the end of the day.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS 2601 The demolition of structures
- Demolition Work Code of Practice
Frequently asked questions
Is demolishing behind a retained facade high risk construction work?
Yes, on several grounds. Removing load-bearing elements is high risk construction work under WHS Regulation s291(c), and because the retained facade has to be held by temporary works the job also engages s291(e), structural alterations requiring temporary support to prevent collapse. Dismantling from scaffold and open floor edges brings in s291(a) for falls over 2 m, asbestos likely to be found in wall cavities brings in s291(d), and plant working around the retained structure brings in s291(o). Section 299 then requires a SWMS prepared, consulted on and kept on site before work begins.
What actually keeps the retained facade standing once the building behind it is gone?
Engineered temporary works — propping, bracing and needling designed and signed by a chartered structural engineer (NER or CPEng), installed and inspected before any load-bearing element comes out. Partial demolition removes the lateral restraint that floors and return walls used to provide, so the temporary works carry loads the wall was never designed to take on its own. AS 3610 is the design basis for the propping system and AS 2601 governs the partial-demolition method. The SWMS enforces staged removal with engineer hold points, so each stage proceeds only after the retained structure is confirmed stable.
Does this cover work against a neighbour's party wall?
Yes — adjacent-property risk is treated as a primary hazard rather than an afterthought. The controls require a dilapidation survey and a party-wall agreement with the adjoining owner before work starts, so pre-existing condition is documented and the scope is agreed. During demolition, vibration is monitored against set peak-particle-velocity limits, and loss of support to the shared wall is managed through the temporary works design rather than assumed away. Damage to a neighbouring building is a safety issue and a third-party liability at the same time, which is why the monitoring and hold points are explicit.
Does this suit heritage facade retention?
It is written for it. Irreversible damage to heritage fabric sits in the hazard register alongside the structural risks, because inappropriate dismantling of a listed facade is a regulatory breach as well as a loss of value. The method is selective dismantling rather than mechanical knock-down wherever the fabric matters: material is lowered rather than dropped, and plant works to a traffic plan that keeps it clear of the retained facade. Heritage consultants, architects and party-wall surveyors are among the parties the document is written for. Any heritage approval conditions sit outside the SWMS and must be met separately.
What happens if asbestos turns up in a wall cavity the audit missed?
Work in that zone stops. The controls require a pre-demolition asbestos audit by a Licensed Asbestos Assessor before selective dismantling begins, but opening a wall cavity routinely exposes material no audit could physically reach. The SWMS response is to halt dismantling in that area, call in the licensed asbestos team, and let removal and clearance finish before the crew goes back. It does not authorise the demolition crew to handle the material themselves — licensed removal runs under its own control plan and the relevant removal code of practice, which is a separate document to this SWMS.
Document details
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