Window & Glass Pane Installation SWMS

Window and glass pane installation involves the handling, lifting and fixing of heavy, fragile glazed units into building openings, often at height and frequently from scaffolds, EWPs, ladders or through unprotected wall openings. Panes may weigh 40–100 kg or more, are awkward to grip, and shatter into cutting fragments if dropped or mishandled. Installers work adjacent to floor edges, void openings and balcony penetrations, using silicone sealants, mechanical fixings and glazing suction equipment. The combination of fall exposure, dropped-object risk, manual handling of high-mass fragile loads, and laceration potential makes glazing one of the highest-risk finishing trades on residential and commercial sites.

Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), work involving a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres is high risk construction work under section 291(a), and a Safe Work Method Statement must be prepared before work commences under section 299. This SWMS applies the hierarchy of control from section 36 — eliminating falls through ground-level pre-assembly where possible, then engineering protection via edge protection, scaffolds and mechanical lifting aids, followed by administrative sequencing and PPE as the final layer.

Hazards identified

12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Eliminate at-height glazing where feasible by specifying factory-glazed window units installed within pre-framed openings at ground level, or by staging pre-glazing of curtain wall panels before lift-in.
2. 2Substitute large single panes with smaller mullioned units, or specify laminated glass in accordance with AS 1288 to reduce dropped-object severity if failure occurs.
3. 3Provide full edge protection, perimeter scaffolding compliant with AS/NZS 1576 or mobile scaffold to AS/NZS 1576.3, or mast climbers/EWPs to AS 2550.10 for external glazing — no glazing from ladders except for light single panes at low level.
4. 4Use mechanical glass lifting equipment (vacuum lifters, glass robots, spider cranes) certified and inspected before each shift; suction cups tested against pane mass with minimum 2:1 safety factor and secondary strop where practicable.
5. 5Install temporary void protection or fall-arrest anchors to AS/NZS 1891 series across window openings until glazing is complete; harnesses and lanyards inspected before use.
6. 6Exclude persons from the drop zone below external glazing using hard barricades, spotters and overhead protection; coordinate with principal contractor to sequence work when public access is restricted.
7. 7Cease external glazing when wind speed exceeds manufacturer limits for the lifting device (typically 36 km/h for suction lifters); measure wind at the work face with an anemometer, not ground level.
8. 8Manage silica risk by wet-cutting or on-tool extraction (H-class HEPA) to AS/NZS 60335.2.69 when modifying masonry reveals; manage asbestos risk by treating all pre-1990 putty and reveal materials as ACM until sampled — refer to How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice.
9. 9Provide task-specific PPE: cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 Level D minimum), safety glasses to AS/NZS 1337.1, steel-capped boots to AS/NZS 2210.3, long sleeves, and P2 respirators to AS/NZS 1716 when cutting or grinding.
10. 10Store glass vertically in A-frames or stillages, secured against toppling; transport panes with two-person carry using suction handles and edge protectors.
11. 11Ensure sealants and solvents are managed per SDS with mechanical ventilation and chemical-resistant gloves; store and dispose of rags per manufacturer requirements to prevent fire.
12. 12All workers to hold White Card (CPCCWHS1001); high risk licences held for any EWP or scaffold work above 4 m; SWMS consulted with workers per section 47 of the WHS Act and reviewed under section 302 of the WHS Regulation 2025 whenever methods, equipment or site conditions change.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A three-storey residential development in Ryde, NSW required installation of 42 double-glazed aluminium-framed windows, including four 2.4 m x 1.8 m fixed panes weighing approximately 95 kg each on the second floor. The glazing subcontractor prepared this SWMS identifying section 291(a) fall risk as the primary HRCW trigger. Controls implemented included a fully decked perimeter scaffold to AS/NZS 1576.3 with mid-rail and toeboard, a hired vacuum lifter rated to 150 kg with secondary retention strop, a two-person handling procedure, and a ground-level exclusion zone barricaded and spotted during external pane placement. Wind speed was monitored at the second-floor working platform and work ceased on the second day when gusts exceeded 30 km/h. The SWMS was consulted with the four-person crew on site under section 47 of the WHS Act, signed on daily, and reviewed under section 302 after the wind stoppage prompted a change to the sequencing method.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)
• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice (SafeWork NSW)
• Construction Work Code of Practice (SafeWork NSW)
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice (SafeWork NSW)
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice (SafeWork NSW)

Frequently asked questions