Furnace & Heating Installation SWMS

Furnace and heating installation covers the delivery, positioning, connection and commissioning of gas-fired furnaces, ducted heating units, hydronic boilers and associated flue, gas and electrical services in residential, commercial and industrial settings. The work commonly involves manual handling of heavy plant into confined roof spaces, sub-floors and plant rooms, connecting to live or newly charged gas piping, brazing and hot-work on copper lines, cutting or drilling through building fabric that may contain asbestos or crystalline silica, and commissioning combustion equipment where CO, LPG or natural gas leaks, hot surfaces and pressurised flues create acute exposure risk.

Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), section 291 classifies work in or near a confined space (f), work on or near pressurised gas distribution mains or piping (i), and work in artificial extremes of temperature (p) as high risk construction work. Section 299 requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be prepared before that work commences, and section 302 requires it to be reviewed and revised where controls are inadequate. Controls are selected under the hierarchy in section 36, supported by gas licensing under the Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2017 (NSW).

Hazards identified

12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Eliminate confined space entry where possible by pre-assembling manifolds, flue sections and control panels outside the space and craning modules into position on skids.
2. 2Substitute oxy-acetylene brazing with press-fit or mechanical gas fittings certified to AS 4041 and AS/NZS 5601.1 where the appliance manufacturer permits, reducing hot work ignition risk.
3. 3Engineer gas isolation by fitting lockable emergency shut-off valves upstream of the work area, purging piping with inert gas to AS/NZS 5601.1 before disconnection, and pressure-testing with soapy water or electronic gas detector before recommissioning.
4. 4Engineer confined space safety through mechanical ventilation, continuous 4-gas atmospheric monitoring (O2, LEL, CO, H2S) to AS/NZS 2865, permit-to-work, tripod retrieval and a trained standby person outside the space.
5. 5Engineer hot-work fire controls: 1.5 m radius clearance, non-combustible screens, charged fire extinguisher (9 L water and CO2), and a documented 60-minute fire watch to AS 1674.1 after brazing.
6. 6Control silica dust at flue penetrations using tool-integrated water suppression or on-tool H-class extraction to comply with the section-26A Code of Practice: Managing the risks of respirable crystalline silica from engineered stone in the workplace and general silica duty under Regulation 2025 sections 49-50.
7. 7Assume asbestos presence in pre-2004 plant lagging; require a licensed asbestos assessor report before disturbance and engage a Class B (or Class A for friable) licensed removalist under Regulation 2025 Chapter 8.
8. 8Administrative: only Certificate III qualified Type A gas fitters holding a current NSW gas fitting licence issued under the Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2017 (NSW) perform gas work; electrical work by licensed electricians under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW).
9. 9Administrative: heat management through work-rest cycles per the section-26A Code of Practice: Managing the risks of heat in the workplace, cool water access, and locking out and cooling combustion equipment before internal work.
10. 10PPE: FR-rated coveralls (AS/NZS 4824), P2 respirator (AS/NZS 1716) or PAPR for asbestos/silica tasks, heat-resistant gauntlets, safety glasses to AS/NZS 1337, and hearing protection to AS/NZS 1270.
11. 11Fall protection: edge protection, harness anchored to a certified point per AS/NZS 1891 series when installing rooftop flues, and covers or crawl boards over fragile ceilings.
12. 12All workers hold CPCCWHS1001 (White Card); the SWMS is consulted on with workers under section 47 of the WHS Act 2011 (NSW), signed prior to work, and reviewed under section 302 of the Regulation 2025 whenever controls change, an incident occurs, or a new hazard is identified.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A mechanical services contractor is replacing a 250 kW natural-gas fired boiler in the basement plant room of a commercial building in Parramatta. The existing boiler is a 1998 unit with suspected asbestos-containing rope gaskets and millboard behind the burner plate. Access is via a single doorway; the plant room is classified as a confined space under AS/NZS 2865. The SWMS documents pre-entry atmospheric testing, mechanical purge ventilation, licensed Class B asbestos removal of gaskets before decommissioning, isolation and lockout of the 100 kPa gas supply at the meter with a nitrogen purge to AS/NZS 5601.1, a hot work permit for silver-brazing the new copper header, and a fire watch. Two Type A gas fitters and a licensed electrician are consulted under section 47 and sign on before work. Following a minor CO alarm during commissioning, the SWMS is reviewed under section 302, flue draft is recalibrated, and continuous CO monitoring is added for the remaining commissioning phase.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)
• Gas and Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2017 (NSW)
• Gas Supply Act 1996 (NSW)
• Electricity (Consumer Safety) Act 2004 (NSW)
• Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW)

Frequently asked questions