Line Marking SWMS
Safe Work Method Statement covering the key hazards and control measures for line marking.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Road line marking covers the application of line marking to roads and car parks — applying painted or thermoplastic line marking and pavement markings, often on or adjacent to live roads. The defining hazards are the road traffic where the marking is on a live road, the hot thermoplastic material which burns, the marking materials and fumes, and the marking plant. This document is written on the basis that road line marking is carried out with the traffic, thermoplastic, material and plant controls in place.
Road line marking is carried out in connection with the traffic and hazardous chemicals requirements, with the road traffic managed, the hot thermoplastic material managed against burns, the marking materials and fumes managed, and the marking plant operated safely. Because the work is on or adjacent to a road in use by traffic, it is high risk construction work. The traffic, the thermoplastic, the materials, and the plant are the considerations. This document coordinates the traffic, thermoplastic, material and plant controls so the road line marking is carried out safely.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Being struck by road traffic on or adjacent to a live road
Burns from the hot thermoplastic line-marking material
Skin and respiratory exposure to the marking materials and fumes
Injury from the marking plant and equipment
Musculoskeletal injury from kneeling and manual handling
Being struck working in live traffic lanes
Fire from solvent and paint flammability
Injury to and from pedestrians and the public
Burns from the hot equipment and applicator
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: manage the road traffic with a traffic management plan and traffic guidance scheme, accredited traffic controllers, signage, barriers and speed reduction, separating the workers and plant from the live traffic, because working on or near a live road is a serious hazard.
- 2PPE: protect against burns from hot thermoplastic line-marking material, which is applied hot, with heat-resistant gloves and protective clothing, and manage the fumes.
- 3Administrative: manage the paints, line-marking materials, sealers, solvents and fuels to their safety data sheets, with ventilation, skin protection and ignition-source control where flammable.
- 4Engineering: use the marking plant and equipment safely, and manage the hot equipment and applicator.
- 5Administrative: manage the kneeling and manual handling with technique and aids.
- 6Engineering: manage working in live traffic lanes with the traffic management, exclusion and high-visibility clothing.
- 7Administrative: manage the pedestrians and the public, and the solvent and paint flammability with ignition-source control.
- 8Administrative: because the work is on, in or adjacent to a road or traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians, prepare a SWMS for the high risk construction work before it commences, with the traffic management implemented.
- 9Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001), with the plant tickets, traffic control accreditation, confined space, and other competencies required for the work.
- 10Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, the traffic and plant movements, 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: high-visibility clothing to AS/NZS 4602.1, eye protection, hearing protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, 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.
- 14Administrative: confirm the work is completed safely, the excavation, plant and area are left in a safe condition, and the site is secured.
Applicable Codes of Practice
The separation of workers and plant from live road traffic, traffic guidance schemes and traffic control.
Management of the bitumen, paints, solvents and fuels, including safety data sheets and exposure controls.
The general construction work duties for the civil road work, including the SWMS and principal contractor duties.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
The control of the manual handling and awkward postures of the work, including pipes, barriers and materials.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Line marking is carried out on or adjacent to a road in use by traffic other than pedestrians, which is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS and a traffic management plan before the work commences.
This is civil construction work that, in the circumstances described, is high risk construction work — involving on, in or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor in use by traffic other than pedestrians — 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 in connection with the relevant construction, excavation, traffic, plant and other requirements, with the controls for the specific hazards applied. A failure in this work can cause a fatal trench collapse, traffic, plant, fall, gas or other serious injury, 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
- →Line marking crews and operators.
- →Line marking and road services contractors.
- →Civil, road services and line marking businesses.
- →Councils and PCBUs requiring line marking.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the traffic, thermoplastic and 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 or project address, work description, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the road line marking hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Line marking prompts referencing the traffic and hazardous chemicals Codes of Practice, a traffic-management section, a hot-thermoplastic and burns section, and a materials and live-lane record.
- ✓Licensing and competency prompts for the plant, traffic control, confined space and other work, and a plant pre-operational and inspection checklist 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 line marking crew is engaged to apply line marking to a road. The road traffic is managed with a traffic management plan and traffic guidance scheme, accredited traffic controllers, signage, barriers and speed reduction, separating the workers from the live traffic, and because the work is on a live road a SWMS is prepared for the high risk construction work. The hot thermoplastic line-marking material is managed against burns with heat-resistant gloves and protective clothing, and the fumes managed. The marking materials and fumes are managed to their safety data sheets, with the solvent and paint flammability controlled. The marking plant and equipment, and the hot applicator, are used safely. The kneeling and manual handling are managed with technique and aids. Working in live traffic lanes is managed with the traffic management, exclusion and high-visibility clothing. The pedestrians and public are managed. The line marking is completed, the area secured, 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 — the construction work, excavation, plant, traffic, confined spaces and falls provisions, and the Section 291 high risk construction work and SWMS duties, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- The construction work, excavation work, confined spaces and falls Codes of Practice, the traffic management guidance, and the relevant standards such as AS 5100 for bridges and AS 4678 for retaining structures, are called up by the relevant safety legislation for the civil road work.
- Essential services information is obtained through Before You Dig Australia for underground assets and the Look Up and Live information for overhead assets before excavating; plant operation, traffic control and confined space work require the relevant licences, accreditations and competencies.
- Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the construction, excavation, plant and high risk construction work provisions applying in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
Why is line marking high risk construction work?
Line marking is carried out on or adjacent to a road in use by traffic other than pedestrians, which is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS and a traffic management plan before the work commences. The traffic-corridor category is the defining high risk construction work trigger for line marking.
What is the thermoplastic hazard?
Thermoplastic line-marking material is applied hot and can cause burns, so it is managed with heat-resistant gloves and protective clothing, and the fumes managed. The hot thermoplastic material is a key hazard where thermoplastic marking is applied.
How is the road traffic managed during line marking?
The road traffic is managed with a traffic management plan and traffic guidance scheme, accredited traffic controllers, signage, barriers and speed reduction, separating the workers from the live traffic, with high-visibility clothing. Managing the road traffic is the defining control in line marking on live roads.
Are the marking materials hazardous?
The marking paints and materials can cause skin and respiratory exposure and some are flammable, so they are managed to their safety data sheets with ventilation, skin protection and ignition-source control. The marking materials and fumes are managed alongside the traffic and thermoplastic hazards.
Who carries out line marking?
Road line marking is carried out by competent line marking crews in connection with the traffic and hazardous chemicals requirements, with the traffic, thermoplastic, material and plant controls, and a SWMS for the high risk construction work. The line marking is applied with the traffic and materials managed.