Non-Destructive Testing (UT/MT/PT/RT) SWMS
SWMS template for non-destructive testing (ut/mt/pt/rt). Covers Industrial UT/MT/PT/RT, radiation safety.. 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.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) covers ultrasonic (UT), magnetic particle (MT), dye penetrant (PT) and radiographic (RT) inspection of welds, castings, pressure vessels, structural steel and pipelines across construction, fabrication and maintenance sites. The work routinely involves ionising radiation sources (Iridium-192, Selenium-75 or X-ray generators), aerosol chemical developers and cleaners, ultraviolet inspection lamps, and access to confined spaces, scaffolds or elevated work platforms. Under WHS Regulation 2025, NDT involving sealed radioactive sources, work at heights exceeding 2 m, and exposure to hazardous chemicals constitutes High Risk Construction Work (HRCW) triggering mandatory Safe Work Method Statement preparation before work commences. The PCBU must consult workers, document hazards, and ensure controls remain in place for the duration of the task. This SWMS provides a CIH-reviewed, editable template covering radiation safety zoning, chemical handling, fall prevention and emergency response, aligned to AS/NZS 2243.4 (Ionising Radiation) and the ARPANSA Code of Practice for Radiation Protection in Industrial Radiography.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Acute radiation burns, deterministic tissue damage, stochastic cancer risk, regulatory breach of ARPANSA licence conditions and prosecution
Uncontrolled radiation field, severe localised dose to hands and torso, mandatory incident notification to radiation regulator
Fractures, traumatic head injury or fatality from impact with lower level, plant or protruding steelwork below
Respiratory irritation, central nervous system depression, dermatitis, and long-term chronic exposure effects on liver and kidneys
Photokeratitis, corneal damage, accelerated skin photoaging and increased risk of cutaneous malignancy with chronic exposure
Slip injuries, electric shock from damaged 240V leads, ingress protection failures in damp conditions causing equipment faults
Asphyxiation from oxygen deficiency, solvent vapour accumulation, entrapment, delayed emergency rescue and potential fatality
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Replace radiographic testing with phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) or time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) where weld geometry and code acceptance permit, removing the radiation source entirely.
- 2Elimination — Schedule NDT inspections at ground level during fabrication phase before steel is erected, eliminating fall-from-height exposure during in-service inspection.
- 3Substitution — Substitute solvent-based PT cleaners and developers with water-washable, low-VOC penetrant systems compliant with AS 3998 to reduce inhalation and dermal exposure.
- 4Substitution — Use lower-activity Selenium-75 sources instead of Iridium-192 for thinner sections, reducing controlled area radius and dose rate at the boundary.
- 5Engineering — Establish controlled and supervised radiation areas with calibrated survey meters, audible/visual source-position indicators, collimators, and physical barriers per ARPANSA RPS 31 requirements.
- 6Engineering — Provide local exhaust ventilation or forced-air dilution for PT spray operations in enclosed areas, and certified EWPs or scaffolds with edge protection for elevated inspections.
- 7Administrative — Issue radiation work permits, verify operator ARPANSA licensing, enforce ALARA principles, log TLD/EPD dosimetry results monthly and rotate operators to manage cumulative dose.
- 8Administrative — Conduct pre-start toolbox briefings using this SWMS, confined space permits, gas testing, standby person posting, and emergency source-retrieval drills every six months.
- 9PPE — Issue electronic personal dosimeters (EPDs), thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs), UV-rated safety glasses, nitrile chemical gloves, P2 respirators for solvent work, and full body harness with twin lanyards for heights.
- 10PPE — Provide flame-resistant coveralls, steel-capped boots with insulating soles, hearing protection in plant environments, and high-visibility garments meeting AS/NZS 4602.1 for all site NDT personnel.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Defines controlled area boundaries, dose limits, shielding requirements and operator competency for any work involving sealed radioactive sources used in industrial radiography.
Mandates source projector design, transport, storage, emergency procedures, dose constraints and licensing obligations directly applicable to RT field operations.
Triggered when NDT inspections occur above 2 m on tanks, vessels or structural steel, requiring fall prevention hierarchy and rescue planning.
Governs storage, labelling, SDS access and exposure standards for penetrants, developers, solvents and aerosol propellants used in PT and MT inspection.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
NDT inspections frequently occur on elevated weld seams, tanks, scaffolds and pipework above 2 m where fall arrest or prevention controls are required.
Ultrasonic, magnetic particle and penetrant inspection of vessel internals, tank shells and pipelines is carried out in or beside confined spaces with restricted entry and egress.
Penetrant and magnetic particle work uses flammable solvents and aerosol propellants, and refinery and shutdown inspection areas may hold a contaminated or flammable atmosphere.
PCBUs must prepare, consult workers on, and retain this SWMS for the duration of the work and for two years after any notifiable incident; penalties are substantial and indexed, with current maximums following the prevailing WHS schedule and ARPANSA licence revocation.
Who this is for
- →NDT technicians and Level 2/3 inspectors in fabrication
- →Radiation Safety Officers on oil, gas and power projects
- →Principal contractors managing shutdown inspection campaigns
- →Mechanical integrity engineers in petrochemical and mining sectors
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 regional refinery shutdown, an NDT crew is scheduled to perform radiographic testing on six elevated pipework welds at the 8-metre platform of a hydrocracker unit, followed by dye penetrant inspection of repair welds. At the 0600 pre-start brief, the lead radiographer projects this SWMS on a tablet and walks the four-person crew through each hazard line. The team identifies that the planned Ir-192 shot will require a 25-metre controlled area boundary, which overlaps with an adjacent insulation contractor's work zone. Using the controls section, they elect to substitute night-shift radiography to eliminate the conflict, brief the standby radiation monitor on barrier placement, and confirm both technicians are wearing TLDs and EPDs set to alarm at 20 µSv/h. The PT technician signs on after reviewing the solvent SDS and confirming P2 respirator fit-test currency. Mid-task, wind speed exceeds 30 km/h on the elevated platform; the supervisor pauses work, returns to the SWMS, and applies the documented stop-work trigger for heights. The team relocates to ground-level mock-up welds until conditions ease. Each control adjustment, including the schedule change and weather hold, is recorded in the SWMS amendment log and re-signed by all workers before resuming, satisfying WHS Regulation 2025 consultation and record-keeping duties.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces CoP
Frequently asked questions
Is industrial radiography high risk construction work?
The radiation is not what makes it so — ionising radiation is not one of the categories listed in section 291 of the WHS Regulation. What usually triggers section 291 on an NDT job is the access: inspecting elevated weld seams on tanks, pipework or structural steel above 2 metres is section 291(a), internal vessel and pipeline work is section 291(f) for work in or near a confined space, and refinery areas that may hold a flammable or contaminated atmosphere fall under section 291(l). Radiation runs on a separate regulatory track through state radiation legislation and licensing, and both regimes apply at the same time.
Does this replace our radiation management plan or licence?
No. Source licensing, operator licensing and the radiation management plan sit under the radiation regulator, and ARPANSA RPS 31 governs projector design, transport, storage, dose constraints and emergency procedures. This SWMS records how those controls are applied on the day: the radiation work permit, the controlled and supervised area boundaries set with calibrated survey meters, collimators and physical barriers, source-position indicators, and the ALARA rotation of operators. Dosimetry belongs on both — electronic personal dosimeters worn live on the shot, thermoluminescent badges read and logged monthly against each technician.
Can we do the job without a gamma source at all?
Often, and that is the first control in the document. Phased array ultrasonics or time-of-flight diffraction replace radiography wherever the weld geometry and the acceptance code allow, which removes the source, the controlled area and the exclusion of other trades in one move. Where a source is unavoidable, the substitution is a lower-activity Selenium-75 in place of Iridium-192 on thinner sections, shrinking the controlled area radius and the dose rate at the boundary. In the worked example a 25 metre boundary clashing with an insulation contractor is resolved by moving the shot to night shift.
What controls apply to the penetrant chemicals and the UV lamps?
Aerosol cleaners, penetrants and developers carry acetone, isopropanol and halogenated propellants, so enclosed-area spraying needs local exhaust or forced-air dilution, P2 respirators with current fit-testing, and the safety data sheets reviewed at sign-on rather than filed unread. Water-washable low-VOC penetrant systems to AS 3998 are the substitution where the acceptance criteria allow. The lamps are their own hazard: fluorescent MT and PT inspection in a darkened area is a UV-A exposure that causes photokeratitis and corneal damage, so UV-rated safety glasses are required, not general impact eyewear.
What does the document say to do if a source sticks in the projector?
A stuck source is carried as a top-rated hazard with its own response, because the field stays live and the dose to hands and torso climbs fast. The controls require emergency source-retrieval drills every six months so the crew has rehearsed it, immediate boundary enforcement by the standby monitor, and notification to the radiation regulator as a reportable event. You receive an editable Word document, bought once, with the hazard register, state legislation schedule, pre-start checklist, sign-on register and an amendment log — which is where schedule changes and weather holds get recorded and re-signed, as the worked example shows.
Document details
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