Gross Pollutant Trap Cleaning SWMS
Gross pollutant trap (GPT) cleaning covers vacuum truck deployment, confined-space entry permits, manual cleaning of catch baskets and screens, and AS 2865 confined-space compliance for stormwater treatment infrastructure.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Gross pollutant trap cleaning covers the cleaning and emptying of gross pollutant traps (GPTs) — the structures in stormwater systems that capture litter, debris, sediment and pollutants before they reach waterways — removing the accumulated material to maintain the trap's function. It is stormwater service work whose hazards centre on the confined space of below-ground traps, the contaminated material and water, the manual handling and lifting of the captured material, and the equipment used. This document is written on the basis that gross pollutant trap cleaning is carried out using no-entry methods wherever possible, with any entry following the confined space controls.
Gross pollutant trap cleaning is stormwater service work carried out in connection with AS/NZS 3500.3 and the asset owner's requirements. A below-ground trap can be a confined space that may be oxygen-deficient or have a contaminated atmosphere, so cleaning is carried out from the surface without entry wherever possible, and any entry follows the confined spaces Code of Practice. The captured material and water can be contaminated, and the material is handled and disposed of correctly. This document coordinates the no-entry, confined-space, contaminated-material and disposal controls so the trap is cleaned safely.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Oxygen deficiency, contaminated atmosphere and restricted egress in the trap
Infection and chemical exposure from the contaminated captured material
Poisoning or fire from gases accumulating in the trap
Atmospheric and engulfment hazard where entry into the trap is made
Crush and musculoskeletal injury lifting the captured material
Exposure to splash and aerosol of the contaminated material
Equipment, vacuum and lifting hazards during cleaning
Environmental and exposure hazard from a spill or incorrect disposal
Crush and run-over injury where plant and workers are not separated
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: clean and empty the gross pollutant trap from the surface using no-entry methods — vacuum, grab and surface methods — so workers do not enter the confined space at all.
- 2Administrative: where entry into the trap is unavoidable, apply the confined space entry permit, atmospheric testing, ventilation, standby and rescue controls to the confined spaces Code of Practice.
- 3Administrative: manage the contaminated-material and biological and chemical hazard with hygiene controls, washing facilities and protective clothing, and prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking until decontaminated.
- 4PPE: appropriate respiratory protection where atmospheric hazards or aerosol require it, and protective clothing against the contaminated material, per AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716.
- 5Engineering: use mechanical lifting and vacuum equipment for the captured material, controlling the manual-handling, lifting and splash hazards.
- 6Administrative: handle and dispose of the removed material correctly to the requirements, controlling spills.
- 7Engineering: maintain plant-and-pedestrian separation around the trap with a spotter, and manage the equipment and vacuum hazards.
- 8Administrative: ensure the work is carried out and certified by an appropriately licensed plumber or drainer under the relevant state or territory plumbing licensing scheme, with the relevant competencies and a compliance certificate issued where required.
- 9Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001) where the work is construction work, with the plumbing, confined space and any other competencies required for the work.
- 10Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, isolations, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
- 11Administrative: consult workers and any health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document available at the workplace.
- 12PPE: eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, hearing protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, high-visibility clothing, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
- 13Administrative: review and update this SWMS whenever the work scope changes, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, when new hazards are identified, or at minimum every 12 months.
Applicable Codes of Practice
The stormwater drainage standard for the gross pollutant trap in the stormwater system.
Atmospheric testing, ventilation, entry permit and rescue controls where the work involves entry into a confined space.
Controls for the vacuum, lifting and other plant used in cleaning the trap.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
Selection, fit testing and use of respiratory protection where atmospheric, chemical or biological hazards require it for the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Where gross pollutant trap cleaning requires entry into a below-ground trap that may have a contaminated atmosphere, the work is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS before the work commences.
This is licensed plumbing, drainage or service work that, in the circumstances described, is high risk construction work — in or near a confined space — so a SWMS must be prepared before the work commences, kept readily accessible, reviewed as necessary, and given to the principal contractor if one is appointed. The work is carried out to the relevant AS/NZS 3500 plumbing and drainage standards, AS/NZS 1547 for on-site wastewater, and the confined space and hazardous chemicals requirements, which are called up by the relevant legislation, with the confined-space, biological, chemical and environmental controls applied as relevant. A failure in this work can cause an atmospheric incident, chemical or biological exposure, or harm to the water supply or waterways, and breaches of the relevant legislation and the primary duty of care under the model WHS Act are actively enforced, with offence categories running from failure-to-comply through to reckless conduct, and the most serious breaches carrying imprisonment for individuals. Body-corporate maxima are substantial and indexed; the current maximum follows the prevailing schedule of the responsible regulator.
Who this is for
- →Stormwater service operators cleaning gross pollutant traps.
- →Liquid-waste and vacuum-service contractors servicing stormwater traps.
- →Drainage and civil businesses providing gross pollutant trap cleaning.
- →Councils, asset owners and PCBUs maintaining gross pollutant traps.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the no-entry, confined-space and contaminated-material controls.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) fully compatible with Microsoft Word 2016 and newer, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- ✓Title page with editable fields for PCBU name, ABN, site address, project name, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the gross pollutant trap cleaning hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Gross pollutant trap cleaning prompts referencing AS/NZS 3500.3, a no-entry-first and confined-space section, a contaminated-material and decontamination section, and a material-disposal and lifting record.
- ✓Licensing, competency and permit prompts for the relevant plumbing, confined space and hazardous chemicals work, and a respiratory protection selection and fit-test record per AS/NZS 1715 where relevant.
- ✓Worker consultation record per the model WHS Act consultation duty and a worker sign-on register (blank, expandable).
- ✓Applicable legislation and Codes of Practice schedule pre-populated for the model WHS jurisdiction with a state-variance reference table covering the harmonised states, plus Victoria.
- ✓Emergency procedure template and a revision log.
Worked example
A stormwater service operator is engaged to clean a below-ground gross pollutant trap. The trap is cleaned and emptied from the surface using no-entry methods — vacuum and grab — so workers do not enter the confined space. Entry into the trap is not made; where entry were unavoidable, the confined space entry permit, atmospheric testing, ventilation, standby and rescue controls would apply. The contaminated-material and biological and chemical hazard is managed with hygiene controls, washing facilities and protective clothing, and no eating or drinking until decontaminated, with respiratory protection where aerosol or atmospheric hazards require it. The captured material is removed using mechanical lifting and vacuum equipment, controlling the lifting and splash hazards. The removed material is handled and disposed of correctly to the requirements, controlling spills. Plant-and-pedestrian separation is maintained with a spotter, and the equipment and vacuum hazards managed. The trap is cleaned, and the records retained.
Related legislation
- Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — Section 291 high risk construction work and the SWMS preparation and review duties, and the confined space and hazardous chemicals provisions where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- The relevant plumbing and drainage standards AS/NZS 3500 (Parts 0–5), AS/NZS 1547 for on-site wastewater, AS/NZS 4233 for high-pressure water jetting, and the hazardous chemicals and environmental requirements, are called up by the relevant legislation, together with the relevant network utility and asset owner requirements.
- Plumbing and drainage work is licensed under each state and territory's plumbing licensing scheme, with the relevant competencies for confined space and chemical work, and compliance certification required for notifiable work; electrical work is carried out by a licensed electrician.
- Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the high risk construction work, confined space and hazardous chemicals provisions applying in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
What is a gross pollutant trap?
A gross pollutant trap (GPT) is a structure in a stormwater system that captures litter, debris, sediment and pollutants before they reach waterways. Cleaning the trap removes the accumulated material to maintain its function, so it continues to capture pollutants and protect the waterways downstream.
Can a gross pollutant trap be cleaned without entry?
Yes — and that is the preferred approach. The trap is cleaned and emptied from the surface using no-entry methods such as vacuum and grab, so workers do not enter the confined space. Entry into a below-ground trap is only made where it is genuinely unavoidable, and then only under a confined space entry permit with full atmospheric, ventilation, standby and rescue controls.
What hazards apply to the captured material?
The captured material and water can be contaminated, carrying biological and chemical hazards, so contact with it and the splash and aerosol during cleaning carry infection and exposure risk. Hygiene controls, washing facilities, protective clothing, respiratory protection where required, and prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking until decontaminated manage that hazard.
Are below-ground traps confined spaces?
A below-ground gross pollutant trap can be a confined space that may be oxygen-deficient or contain a contaminated atmosphere, with restricted egress. Where entry is unavoidable, the confined space entry permit, atmospheric testing, ventilation, standby and rescue controls apply, and the work is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS.
How is the removed material disposed of?
The removed litter, debris, sediment and pollutants are handled and disposed of correctly to the requirements, controlling spills. The material is taken to an approved disposal point in accordance with the requirements, completing the cleaning while managing the contaminated material and environmental hazards.