Artificial Turf Installation SWMS

Artificial turf installation involves site clearance, excavation and grading of the sub-base, delivery and manual handling of aggregate, laying of compacted road base and crusher dust, unrolling and joining large synthetic turf rolls with adhesives and seaming tape, and infilling with silica sand or rubber crumb. The work exposes installers to respirable crystalline silica during dry sub-base compaction and infill spreading, musculoskeletal injury from handling turf rolls that commonly exceed 200 kg, solvent-based adhesive vapours, UV and heat stress on exposed surfaces, plant strike from plate compactors and skid-steer loaders, and lacerations from utility knives used for trimming and seaming.

Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), section 291 defines high risk construction work (HRCW) and section 299 requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be prepared before HRCW commences. Where the work involves excavation deeper than 1.5 m, disturbance of asbestos, or use of powered mobile plant, a SWMS is mandatory. Controls follow the hierarchy in section 36 of the Regulation, supported by consultation under section 47.

Hazards identified

12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Eliminate dry cutting of infill sand and sub-base materials by specifying pre-washed, low-silica infill alternatives (rubber crumb, organic cork) where turf specification permits.
2. 2Substitute solvent-based seaming adhesives with low-VOC water-based polyurethane products where manufacturer approval allows; substitute manual roll handling with mechanical turf roll dispensers or skid-steer roll clamps for all rolls exceeding 25 kg per person.
3. 3Engineering — conduct a Dial Before You Dig (Before You Dig Australia) enquiry, hand-expose all services within 500 mm using vacuum excavation or hand tools, and follow AS 5488.1:2019 Classification of Subsurface Utility Information.
4. 4Engineering — apply on-tool water suppression to cut-off saws and integrated H-class HEPA extraction to power brushes and compactors handling silica sand, consistent with the SafeWork NSW guidance on working with silica and silica-containing products.
5. 5Engineering — establish exclusion zones around powered mobile plant per AS 2601:2001 and the mobile plant operator's blind-spot diagram; use spotters with two-way radios when reversing on constrained residential blocks.
6. 6Administrative — obtain a hazardous materials survey for pre-2004 sites before excavation and manage any discovered asbestos under the How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice; stop work and notify the PCBU on suspicion of ACM.
7. 7Administrative — implement a heat stress management procedure with fluid replacement, scheduled rest in shaded areas, and work rescheduling above 32 °C WBGT; monitor UV index and provide sun protection per Cancer Council NSW guidance.
8. 8Administrative — SDS review and health monitoring for isocyanate-exposed workers under Schedule 14 of the WHS Regulation 2025 (NSW); ensure adequate general ventilation and prohibit adhesive use in enclosed pits without mechanical ventilation.
9. 9Administrative — daily pre-start toolbox talk, plant pre-operational checks recorded on the site diary, and a documented traffic management plan compliant with AS 1742.3:2019 where work adjoins a trafficked area.
10. 10PPE — P2 respirators (fit-tested per AS/NZS 1715:2009 and conforming to AS/NZS 1716:2012) during silica sand handling; safety eyewear to AS/NZS 1337.1; cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 Level C minimum) for trimming; hearing protection to AS/NZS 1270:2002; safety footwear to AS/NZS 2210.3:2019; hi-vis to AS/NZS 4602.1:2011.
11. 11PPE — chemical-resistant nitrile gloves and eye protection during adhesive application; sunscreen SPF 50+ and long-sleeved UPF-rated clothing for outdoor work.
12. 12All workers hold a current White Card (CPCCWHS1001); the SWMS is developed in consultation with workers under section 47 of the WHS Act 2011 (NSW), signed on before commencement, and reviewed under section 302 of the WHS Regulation 2025 (NSW) when controls fail, conditions change or an incident occurs.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A fencing and landscaping PCBU in Penrith is engaged to install 180 m² of synthetic turf across a rear yard in a 1970s-era home. Pre-start, the site supervisor issues a Before You Dig Australia enquiry, identifies a shallow consumer main crossing the excavation zone, and hand-exposes the cable before machine work commences. A hazardous materials survey identifies suspect fibro fragments in the existing garden bed; work is paused, a licensed asbestos assessor is engaged, and the material is removed under the NSW asbestos Code of Practice before the sub-base is reinstated. During infill spreading on day three, a 25 kg bag of kiln-dried silica sand is opened; the SWMS requires P2 respirators (fit-tested), on-tool water suppression on the power brush, and downwind exclusion of the homeowner. A ride-on plate compactor operates within a marked 3 m exclusion zone with a dedicated spotter. The SWMS is signed by all four workers, reviewed at smoko after a near-miss with the compactor tracking near a rainwater tank, and the revised control (repositioned spotter) is initialled by each worker before work resumes.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW)
• Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW)
• Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2014 (NSW)
• Roads Act 1993 (NSW) — for works affecting road reserves and verges

Frequently asked questions