Facade Corrosion Treatment and Protective Coatings SWMS
Safe Work Method Statement for treating corroded steel on building facades and applying protective coatings — balustrades, lintels, fixings and exposed steel; hand and power tool preparation; rust converters, zinc-rich primers, epoxy and 2-pack polyurethane systems; work at height on occupied buildings, lead paint, asbestos in old sealants, isocyanates and silica.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
This Safe Work Method Statement covers the treatment of corroded steel on building facades in New South Wales: balcony balustrades, steel lintels, brackets and fixings, spandrel and frame steel, exposed structural steel and the localised concrete spalling caused by corroding reinforcement. It is written for remedial building contractors, protective coatings applicators and strata maintenance contractors working on occupied residential and commercial buildings. It covers swing stage, building maintenance unit, EWP, scaffold and rope access work, hand and power tool surface preparation, rust converters, zinc-rich and epoxy primers, two-pack polyurethane topcoats by brush, roller and airless spray, and sealants, with hold points for the asbestos register and lead paint testing, Part 7.2 lead risk work controls, isocyanate spray permits and Schedule 14 health monitoring, the crystalline silica assessment for concrete break-out, exclusion zones for occupants and the public below, and controls in hierarchy order with inherent and residual risk ratings.
Hazards identified
15 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Death or serious injury
Death or serious head and body injury
Lead poisoning of workers and contamination of occupied units
Inhalation of asbestos fibres causing mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer
Respiratory sensitisation and occupational asthma
Dermatitis, sensitisation, chemical burns and cancer risk from hexavalent chromium
Fire, explosion and burns
Silicosis and lung cancer
Falling concrete or collapse of a balustrade or lintel
Electric shock and burns
Stage instability, heat illness and coating failure
Respiratory irritation and property damage
Occupant exposure to dust, chemicals and falling objects
Vibration white finger and hearing loss
Back, shoulder and hand strain
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Lead paint and asbestos not disturbed until identified; removable balustrade panels and brackets treated at ground level; no open abrasive blasting.
- 2Substitution — Brush and roller instead of spray near occupied units; non-isocyanate, low-VOC and chromate-free products where the specification allows; wet or chemical methods instead of dry power-tool removal of lead paint.
- 3Isolation — Exclusion zones and overhead protection below the work; balconies closed; screening and drop sheets; vehicles relocated; windows and air intakes closed during spraying.
- 4Engineering — Guardrails on stages, EWPs and scaffolds; certified anchors and independent lifelines; tool lanyards and debris nets; shrouded tools with H-class or M-class extraction; RCDs.
- 5Administrative — Asbestos register and lead test hold points; Part 7.2 lead risk work controls; isocyanate spray permit; written silica assessment; weather and dew-point limits; tested rescue plan; occupant notices; health monitoring where required.
- 6PPE — Supplied-air respirator for isocyanate spraying, fit-tested P2/P3 respirators for dust and lead, chemical-resistant gloves, coveralls, eye and hearing protection, full body harness.
Applicable Codes of Practice
High risk construction work, SWMS, falling objects and public protection.
Swing stages, EWPs, scaffolds, fall arrest and rescue.
Coatings, solvents, isocyanates and primers — SDS, register, exposure and storage.
Decanting and labelling coatings and thinners.
Asbestos register and presumed asbestos in older sealants and coatings.
Needle guns, grinders and scalers.
Handling coatings, stage components and repair materials.
Portable power tools, leads and RCDs.
Coordination with the building manager, owners corporation and occupants.
First aid and chemical exposure response.
Airless spraying of two-pack isocyanate and solvent-borne coatings.
EWPs used for facade access.
Breaking out and grinding concrete around corroded reinforcement.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Facade work from swing stages, building maintenance units, EWPs, scaffolds or rope access almost always involves a fall risk of more than 2 m.
Applies where work is near energised facade lighting, outlets, signage or overhead power lines.
Applies where solvent-borne coatings are applied, especially sprayed, in enclosed balconies, stairwells or undercrofts.
Applies where the work zone or EWP is on or next to a road or driveway in use.
Applies where EWPs or forklifts move in the work area, such as a car park.
Repair and maintenance of a building facade is construction work. Where a section 291 paragraph applies — most often section 291(a) — section 299 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) requires a SWMS before the work starts, the work must be carried out in accordance with it (s300), and stopped work resumes only in accordance with it. Where the work is part of a construction project, a copy goes to the principal contractor before the work starts (s301). The SWMS is kept until the high risk construction work is completed, and for 2 years after a notifiable incident (s303). The Applies column is left for the PCBU to complete for the actual site.
Who this is for
- →Remedial building contractors repairing corroded balustrades, lintels and spalled concrete
- →Protective coatings applicators working on occupied strata and commercial buildings
- →Strata maintenance contractors and painters treating rust on facades
- →Contractors working from swing stages, building maintenance units, EWPs or rope access
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX template — Microsoft Word compatible
- ✓Hazard register with inherent and residual risk ratings and controls in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓High risk construction work table against section 291 paragraphs (a) to (r), with the Applies column left for site completion
- ✓Hold points for the asbestos register, lead paint testing, access inspection and clean-up before hand back
- ✓Lead risk work, isocyanate, chromate and crystalline silica controls and a health monitoring table
- ✓Step-by-step procedure and stop-work triggers for unsound lintels and balustrades
- ✓Coating conditions record (temperature, humidity, dew point, steel temperature)
- ✓Plant, PPE, training, permits and emergency response sections, including suspended worker rescue
- ✓Worker consultation, sign-on and review log
- ✓Prepared for the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)
Worked example
An owners corporation engages a remedial contractor to treat rusting steel balustrades and lintels on a 1960s eight-storey apartment building on the lower north shore. The supervisor obtains the asbestos register, which records asbestos in the original window mastics, and has the existing paint tested — it contains lead. The PCBU assesses the paint removal as lead risk work, notifies the regulator and arranges health monitoring, including blood lead testing, before the crew starts. Work is done from a swing stage with independent lifelines and a tested rescue plan; the footpath below is closed under a council approval. Lead paint is removed by wet scraping and shrouded needle guns on H-class extraction, with balconies screened and residents' doors closed. The mastics are left untouched. A lintel with heavy section loss is found, work stops and the engineer is called. The two-pack polyurethane topcoat is rolled, not sprayed, beside occupied units, and conditions are recorded for each coat before balconies are cleaned and handed back.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) — ss19, 20, 26A, 27, 28, 29, 35–39, 46, 47, 84
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — s289 construction work; s291 high risk construction work; ss299–303 SWMS; s317
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Part 4.4 falls (ss78–80); s81 and Schedule 3 high risk work licences
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Part 7.1 hazardous chemicals (ss344, 346, 351, 355, 357, 368 and Schedule 14); Part 7.2 lead
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — crystalline silica (ss529C–529CE)
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Chapter 8 asbestos (ss419, 422, 425, 427)
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — ss36, 38, 39, 42, 44, 48, 49, 50
- AS 2312.1; AS/NZS 4361.1; AS 4361.2; AS/NZS 1715; AS/NZS 1716; AS/NZS 1891; AS 1418.13; AS/NZS 4576; AS 2550.10
Frequently asked questions
Is facade rust repair high risk construction work?
Almost always. Repair and maintenance of a building is construction work, and work from a swing stage, EWP, scaffold or rope access where a person could fall more than 2 m is high risk construction work under section 291(a) of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW). It can also fall under section 291(k), (l), (n) or (o) depending on the site.
What if the old paint contains lead?
The document has a hold point to test existing coatings before preparation, and treats untested paint on pre-1970 buildings as lead paint. Where removal is lead risk work under Part 7.2, the regulator is notified in writing within 7 days, workers have health monitoring (including blood lead) before starting and 1 month after, then ongoing blood lead monitoring, and the work area is enclosed with extraction and hygiene controls. Dry sanding, heat guns and abrasive blasting are not used.
Does it cover spraying two-pack polyurethane?
Yes. Spraying isocyanate coatings is done only under a spray permit, with supplied-air respirators, the area screened and residents' windows and air intakes closed. Brush and roller are preferred near occupied units, and health monitoring under Schedule 14 is provided where there is a significant risk to health.
Does it cover abrasive blasting or major concrete repair?
No. Open abrasive blasting and major structural concrete repair, propping or steel replacement are outside this document and need their own SWMS. It covers hand and power tool preparation and minor patch repair of spalled concrete to the engineer's specification.
What about asbestos in old sealants?
The asbestos register is read before work starts, and any sealant, mastic, coating or panel recorded as or presumed to be asbestos is not disturbed under this document. Suspect material that is not on the register stops the work until it is sampled.
Document details
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