Stone Benchtop Install (Post-Fab) SWMS
SWMS template for stone benchtop install (post-fab). Covers Engineered/natural stone slab install on site (post-2024 ban scope).. 8-state AU coverage, CIH-reviewed editable DOCX, available as an instant download.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Installing engineered or natural stone benchtops on site after off-site fabrication remains High Risk Construction Work under WHS Regulation 2011 r291, even following the 1 July 2024 prohibition on uncontrolled engineered stone processing. Post-fab install still involves heavy two-person manual handling of slabs typically exceeding 80kg, residual respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure during on-site trimming of cut-outs, dry-fitting adjustments, and seam grinding, plus sharp edges from polished stone. A documented Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before work commences and must be available at the workplace, signed by all workers, and reviewed when conditions change. This SWMS template addresses the residual silica exposure pathway permitted under the engineered stone framework (installation only, no dry processing), the structural lift-and-place sequence, and integration with the kitchen carcase, splashback, and plumbing trades operating in confined domestic and commercial kitchen footprints.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Acute lumbar disc herniation, crush injuries to hands and feet, dropped slab fracturing toes or shattering on impact
Accelerated silicosis, lung cancer, autoimmune disease; irreversible and notifiable under jurisdictional silica registers
Deep lacerations to forearms and palms requiring sutures, tendon damage, infection risk from stone dust contamination
Fatal crush injury, catastrophic damage to fitted joinery, secondary injury to adjacent trades in shared workspace
Respiratory sensitisation, occupational asthma, dermatitis, eye irritation; acute exposure exceeds WES short-term limit
Cumulative musculoskeletal disorder, shoulder impingement, chronic lower back injury reducing trade longevity
Falls onto sharp slab edges or unfinished cabinetry, fractured wrists, head strikes against bench corners
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Specify full off-site fabrication including all cut-outs, mitres, and polishing so zero stone cutting occurs on site, eliminating RCS generation at the source.
- 2Elimination — Use vacuum lifters or mechanical slab carts for any slab over 40kg to remove manual lifting from the hazard pathway entirely where access permits.
- 3Substitution — Replace dry trimming with wet-cut diamond tooling using integrated water suppression for any unavoidable on-site adjustment to suppress respirable dust at point of generation.
- 4Substitution — Use low-VOC two-part polyester seam adhesives in cartridge form instead of bulk MMA where colour-match permits, reducing vapour exposure.
- 5Engineering — Deploy H-class HEPA on-tool extraction connected to any grinder or polisher used on site, with airflow verified before each shift per AS/NZS 60335.2.69.
- 6Engineering — Position A-frame trolleys on level floor protection with mechanical slab clamps and webbing restraints to prevent toppling during staging.
- 7Administrative — Conduct documented two-person lift plan at pre-start identifying lift path, rest points, hand positions, and abort triggers; rotate tasks every 45 minutes.
- 8Administrative — Issue silica health monitoring records and exposure register entries per jurisdictional Code of Practice; exclude non-essential trades from kitchen during any cutting.
- 9PPE — Cut-resistant Level D gloves (AS/NZS 2161.3), steel-toe boots (AS/NZS 2210.3), safety glasses (AS/NZS 1337.1) for all slab handling.
- 10PPE — P2 half-face respirator with fit-test record (AS/NZS 1715/1716) mandatory during any on-site cutting, grinding, or cleanup of stone dust or slurry.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Sets the WES of 0.05 mg/m³ 8-hour TWA, mandates air monitoring for installation tasks generating dust, and requires health monitoring.
Defines mandatory filtration class for on-tool extraction connected to grinders and polishers used during seam dressing or cut-out trimming.
Triggers risk assessment duty for two-person slab lifts and awkward postures during over-cabinet placement; requires consultation and control review.
Mandates quantitative fit-testing, facial hair policy, and cartridge change schedules for P2 RPE worn during any on-site stone cutting.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Not directly triggered by install; included only where on-site core drilling uses powder-actuated tools — most stone installs do not engage this category.
Heavy stone slabs handled and positioned vertically share the toppling hazard profile; PCBUs apply equivalent restraint and lift-plan duties under r291.
PCBU must prepare, consult workers on, and retain the SWMS for two years (or until incident closure). Penalties for non-compliance are substantial and indexed; current maximum follows the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Stone benchtop installers and stonemason fitters
- →Kitchen renovation builders and joinery subcontractors
- →Principal contractors on residential and commercial fit-outs
- →WHS coordinators managing post-2024 silica 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 two-storey townhouse fit-out, a stonemason crew of two arrives to install a 3.2m engineered stone island top weighing 142kg plus L-shaped perimeter pieces. The leading hand opens this SWMS at the pre-start brief on the tailgate, walks both installers and the site supervisor through the seven hazards, and confirms the two-person lift plan covers the stair access, the kitchen entry threshold, and the placement sequence over the island carcase. They identify that the original fabrication drawing missed a 4mm tap hole adjustment — meaning on-site cutting is now required, escalating the silica hazard. The SWMS triggers the engineering control: they retrieve the H-class vacuum, attach it to the angle grinder, verify suction, and don P2 respirators with current fit-test cards before the cut. All four workers and the supervisor sign the SWMS sign-on register. During the slab lift, the second installer signals a hand-position adjustment at the doorway pinch point; the leading hand calls a controlled set-down on the A-frame, the team re-grips per the lift plan, and the SWMS is annotated with the field amendment. After placement, the SWMS is left in the site box for the plumber and electrician arriving the next day to review before connecting services around the stone.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- Crystalline Silica — National Strategy + CoP