Hazardous Material Handling SWMS
NSW — Hazardous Material Handling. Full task scope, hazards and controls to be authored to Phase 1 standard.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Hazardous material handling covers the receipt, storage, decanting, transfer, transport within site, and disposal of dangerous goods and hazardous chemicals — including flammable liquids, corrosives, oxidisers, toxic substances, compressed gases and reactive materials. Workers face acute risks from vapour inhalation, skin and eye contact, fire and explosion in contaminated atmospheres, spills producing slip and environmental hazards, and struck-by injuries from forklifts and drum-handling plant. Chronic risks include respiratory sensitisation, dermatitis and target-organ toxicity. Incompatible storage, poor bunding, damaged IBCs and inadequate ventilation have caused fatal incidents in NSW warehouses and manufacturing sites.
Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), section 291 defines high risk construction work, and section 299 requires a SWMS to be prepared before that work commences. This task engages section 291(l) — work in or near a contaminated or flammable atmosphere — and section 291(o) — work where there is movement of powered mobile plant. Controls follow the hierarchy in section 36, supported by the hazardous chemicals duties in Chapter 7 (sections 328–388) including register, manifest, placarding and health monitoring obligations.
Hazards identified
12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Fatal burns, blast injuries, facility loss
Acute poisoning, chemical pneumonitis, sensitisation, fatality
Fatal crush injury, amputation, fractures
Full-thickness chemical burns, permanent eye damage, blindness
Fire, chlorine/hydrogen sulfide release, multi-casualty event
Slips, environmental discharge, fire escalation, EPA breach
Silicosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer
Blast injury, asphyxiation, rapid combustion
Musculoskeletal injury, crush from dropped load
Ignition of flammable atmosphere
Escalation of minor incident to serious injury
Secondary exposure to workers and family members
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Eliminate handling where possible by ordering pre-diluted, pre-mixed or closed-transfer product; substitute high-hazard chemicals with lower-hazard alternatives verified against the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) under WHS Regulation 2025 s335.
- 2Maintain a hazardous chemicals register and manifest, and provide compliant placarding in accordance with WHS Regulation 2025 ss344–347 and AS 1216 for class labels.
- 3Store dangerous goods in bunded, segregated compounds per AS 1940 (flammable and combustible liquids), AS/NZS 3833 (mixed class storage in packages/IBCs) and AS 4332 (storage and handling of gases in cylinders), with segregation matrices displayed at the store.
- 4Engineer local exhaust ventilation and closed-transfer systems for decanting; verify airflow and design to AS 1668.2 for mechanical ventilation of contaminant control.
- 5Establish hazardous zones and control ignition sources per AS/NZS 60079.10.1 (classification of explosive gas atmospheres); use intrinsically safe equipment and bonding/earthing for all flammable liquid transfers.
- 6Separate pedestrians from powered mobile plant using barriers, designated crossings and exclusion zones; enforce a Traffic Management Plan aligned with the SafeWork NSW Code of Practice: Traffic management in workplaces and the General guide for industrial lift trucks.
- 7Provide spill containment (bunds, drip trays, absorbents), emergency eyewash and safety showers to AS 4775, and a documented emergency plan per WHS Regulation 2025 s43 including firefighting equipment appropriate to class.
- 8Deliver task-specific training covering SDS interpretation, safe decanting, PPE donning/doffing, spill response and cylinder handling; retain records under WHS Regulation 2025 s379.
- 9Implement health monitoring for scheduled hazardous chemicals (e.g. isocyanates, lead, organophosphates) per WHS Regulation 2025 ss368–378 and the SafeWork NSW Code of Practice: Health monitoring for exposure to hazardous chemicals.
- 10Conduct atmospheric monitoring in confined or poorly ventilated transfer areas against Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) published by SafeWork Australia; cease work if LEL exceeds 5% or WES exceeded.
- 11Provide chemical-resistant PPE selected against the SDS: gloves to AS/NZS 2161.10.1, eye/face protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, respiratory protection selected, used and maintained per AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716, and chemical suits to AS/NZS 3765 where splash risk exists.
- 12All workers hold CPCCWHS1001 (White Card) plus applicable dangerous goods driver and forklift HRW licences; consult workers on the SWMS under WHS Act 2011 (NSW) s47 and review the SWMS under WHS Regulation 2025 s302 on change, incident or at least annually.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Primary approved Code for identification, risk assessment, control, labelling, SDS, register and manifest duties under Chapter 7 of the WHS Regulation 2025.
Approved Code prescribing GHS-aligned labels for containers, decanted product and pipework.
Design and operational standard for bunding, separation, ventilation and spill control of flammable liquids.
Basis for hazardous area classification and selection of ignition-protected equipment.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Decanting, transfer and storage of flammable liquids and gases can create atmospheres exceeding 5% LEL, and handling of toxic or corrosive product produces contaminated atmospheres inside stores, tank farms and transfer bays.
Forklifts, drum handlers, elevated work platforms and delivery vehicles operate concurrently with workers on foot in receival, storage and dispatch areas, creating struck-by and crush risk.
Under WHS Regulation 2025 (NSW) s299 a SWMS must be prepared before HRCW commences, and under s302 it must be reviewed on change, incident or when directed by a Health and Safety Representative. Failure to control the underlying risks may constitute a Category 1 offence (reckless conduct) under WHS Act 2011 (NSW) s31 or a Category 2 offence under s32, exposing officers and PCBUs to prosecution. Refer to the current SafeWork NSW penalty schedule for indexed maximum penalties.
Who this is for
- →Warehouse and logistics PCBUs storing or dispatching dangerous goods
- →Manufacturing site managers overseeing solvent, acid or resin transfer
- →Laboratory and cleanroom operators handling reagents and compressed gases
- →Construction and demolition contractors managing fuels, adhesives and legacy hazardous materials
- →Waste and environmental services contractors decanting or bulking hazardous waste
What you receive
- ✓NSW-specific SWMS aligned to WHS Regulation 2025 sections 291, 299 and 302
- ✓Full hazard register with severity ratings and hierarchy-of-control responses
- ✓Dangerous goods class segregation matrix and storage checklist
- ✓SDS review and Workplace Exposure Standard reference table
- ✓Spill response, firefighting and emergency plan template
- ✓PPE selection guide referencing AS/NZS 1715/1716, 2161, 1337 and 3765
- ✓Section 47 worker consultation record and sign-on register
- ✓Section 302 SWMS review and version-control log
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word format with company branding fields
Worked example
A chemical distributor at Wetherill Park in Western Sydney receives 200-litre drums of xylene and IBCs of sodium hydroxide, decanting into 20-litre customer packs in a dedicated transfer bay. The SWMS identifies section 291(l) — flammable atmosphere during xylene decanting — and section 291(o) — forklift movement between the receival dock and the bay. Controls include a bunded transfer table with local exhaust ventilation designed to AS 1668.2, bonding and earthing of drum and receiver, hazardous area classification to AS/NZS 60079.10.1 with EX-rated fittings, pedestrian barriers separating the decant operator from the forklift path, class-segregated storage compliant with AS 1940 and AS/NZS 3833, and full-face respirator with organic vapour cartridge selected under AS/NZS 1715. The SWMS was consulted under WHS Act s47 with the two decant operators and the forklift driver, and is reviewed under WHS Regulation 2025 s302 on any product change or near miss.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Chapter 7 Hazardous chemicals
- Dangerous Goods (Road and Rail Transport) Act 2008 (NSW)
- Dangerous Goods (Road and Rail Transport) Regulation 2022 (NSW)
- Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW)
- Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG 7.9)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a manifest if I only store small quantities of hazardous chemicals?
A manifest is required under WHS Regulation 2025 (NSW) s347 only when placarding or manifest quantities in Schedule 11 are exceeded. However, a hazardous chemicals register (SDS index) is required regardless of quantity under s346, and this SWMS references both duties.
Is a SWMS required for routine decanting in a warehouse?
A SWMS is legally required under WHS Regulation 2025 s299 when the work meets a section 291 HRCW category. Decanting flammable liquids engages s291(l) and concurrent forklift movement engages s291(o), so a SWMS applies. For non-HRCW chemical handling, a documented risk assessment under s34 remains mandatory.
Which respirator do we specify for solvent decanting?
Respirators must be selected, fit-tested, used and maintained in accordance with AS/NZS 1715 and comply with AS/NZS 1716. Selection depends on the contaminant, its Workplace Exposure Standard and measured or estimated concentration — the SDS and an atmospheric assessment drive the choice, not a default.
How often must this SWMS be reviewed?
Under WHS Regulation 2025 s302, the SWMS must be reviewed and if necessary revised whenever the work method changes, a control fails, a notifiable incident occurs, or an HSR requests review. We recommend a scheduled annual review at minimum, with version control retained on site while the work is carried out.
Document details
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