Fire Damper Install SWMS
Install of fire and smoke dampers in HVAC ductwork. Includes ductwork modification, damper insertion at fire-rated wall penetrations, fusible link or motorised control, fire-stop sealing, commissioning.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Installing fire and smoke dampers within HVAC ductwork is a high-consequence fire-services activity that combines ceiling-space work, ductwork modification, hot work, and entry into restricted ducted volumes. Workers cut and re-flange existing duct runs, insert the damper assembly at fire-rated wall or floor penetrations, fit fusible links or 24V actuator wiring, then reinstate the fire and smoke separation with approved fire-stop systems before commissioning the drop-test. Under WHS Regulation 2025, this work meets multiple High Risk Construction Work triggers under Schedule 1 — including work at height above two metres in ceiling voids, work in or adjacent to confined ducted spaces, and work that could impair an existing fire-rated element. A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before work commences, must be developed in consultation with the workers performing the task, and must be available at the workplace for the duration of the activity. This SWMS documents the hazards, the hierarchy of controls, the commissioning sign-off, and the legislative duties carried by the PCBU, principal contractor and licensed fire-services installer.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Spinal, head and limb fractures; potential fatality; notifiable incident under WHS Act s38 triggering regulator attendance
Asphyxiation, heat stress, entrapment; confined space breach under WHS Reg Part 4.3 attracting category 2 prosecution
Structure fire, burns, smoke inhalation; insurance void and breach of AS 1674.1 hot work permit conditions
Deep lacerations to forearms and hands requiring sutures; tendon damage and lost-time injury notification
Acute rotator-cuff tears, lumbar disc injury, chronic shoulder impingement; workers compensation claim and permanent restriction
Respiratory sensitisation, dermatitis, eye irritation; exceeds workplace exposure standards under WHS Reg s49
Electric shock, arc-flash burns, cardiac arrhythmia; breach of AS/NZS 3000 and Electrical Safety Regulations
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where building design permits, specify factory pre-fabricated duct sections with integrated dampers delivered at low level, eliminating in-ceiling cut-in and overhead welding entirely.
- 2Elimination — De-energise and lock out the BMS fire-trip circuit and actuator power supply at the distribution board before any wiring termination, verified with a tested CAT IV multimeter.
- 3Substitution — Substitute oxy-acetylene cutting with battery powered nibblers, shears or hole-saws for galvanised duct modification, removing ignition source and reducing hot work permit scope.
- 4Substitution — Replace solvent-based fire-stop sealants with water-based intumescent equivalents tested to AS 1530.4 to reduce respiratory and dermal hazard exposure.
- 5Engineering — Erect compliant mobile scaffold or scissor lift rated to AS/NZS 1576 with guardrails for ceiling access; prohibit step-ladder use above 2m for damper installation work.
- 6Engineering — Apply mechanical lifting aids (duct lifter, scissor jack, A-frame trolley) to raise damper assemblies into final position rather than overhead manual hold.
- 7Administrative — Issue hot work permit per AS 1674.1, post a dedicated fire watch with 9kg ABE extinguisher, and continue watch for 60 minutes after task completion.
- 8Administrative — Conduct confined space risk assessment, atmospheric testing (O2 19.5–23.5%, LEL <5%) and standby person communications per AS 2865 before any duct entry.
- 9Administrative — Pre-start SWMS sign-on, daily toolbox talk reviewing penetration locations, and verification that all workers hold a current Construction Induction Card.
- 10PPE — Cut-resistant Level D gloves, safety glasses to AS/NZS 1337.1, P2 respirator for insulation handling, hearing protection, hard hat, and arc-rated long sleeves for electrical termination.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates damper selection, location at fire-rated penetrations, retaining angle fixing and drop-test commissioning that this SWMS task directly performs.
Defines the post-install baseline test, tagging and documentation that the installer must hand over to the building maintenance regime on commissioning.
Triggers the duty to provide fall prevention controls for ceiling-void access above 2m and prohibits unassessed ladder use for sustained damper fit-up tasks.
Applies to entry into duct sections to position and bolt damper assemblies, requiring permit, atmospheric monitoring, standby person and rescue plan.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Ceiling-void access to cut duct, fit dampers and seal penetrations is routinely performed from scaffold or EWP above 2 metres from a stable surface.
Installers regularly enter ducted sections to position the damper sleeve, bolt retaining angles and verify blade clearance, meeting the AS 2865 confined space definition.
Terminating 24V actuator and 240V BMS fire-trip wiring constitutes work on energised services unless full isolation and verification has been completed.
PCBU must prepare the SWMS in consultation with workers, provide it before work starts, monitor compliance, and retain it for two years post-incident; penalties are substantial and indexed annually under the prevailing WHS penalty schedule.
Who this is for
- →Licensed fire-services installation contractors and apprentices
- →HVAC mechanical services subcontractors fitting dampers
- →Principal contractors on commercial fit-out and base-build projects
- →Building surveyors and certifiers auditing passive fire compliance
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 six-storey commercial fit-out, the fire-services leading hand opens the pre-start brief on Level 3 at 06:45 with three installers and the HVAC subcontractor. The SWMS is laid on the lunch-room table and each hazard line is read aloud. Today's task is installing four motorised fire dampers at the Level 3 east riser penetration, 2.6m above finished floor. The crew identify two SWMS hazards as live for the shift: ceiling-void fall risk and energised actuator wiring. Controls selected from the document are the scissor lift (already inducted and pre-started), lock-out of the BMS fire-trip circuit at the Level 3 sub-board, and a hot work permit for two short oxy cuts on the existing duct flange. Each worker signs the SWMS sign-on register and the leading hand photographs it for the site diary. At 10:30 the team discovers the southern damper sits closer than 600mm to a sprinkler branch, an unforeseen interaction. Work stops, the SWMS is re-opened at the table, a new hazard line is hand-added covering sprinkler-head impact and witnessed by all workers, an additional control (head guard and revised cut sequence) is agreed, and everyone re-signs before resuming. The amended SWMS is filed with the principal contractor's HSE coordinator before knock-off.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS 2865 — Confined spaces