Bird Control & Netting Install SWMS
Install of bird-deterrent systems — netting, spikes, electric track, gel pads. Cleanup of bird droppings (PPE for histoplasmosis risk), install of stainless cable supports, net cutting and tensioning at height.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Bird control and netting installation involves erecting deterrent systems — knotted polyethylene netting, stainless steel spikes, low-voltage electric track and polymer gel pads — across building facades, parapets, signage, loading docks and rooflines to exclude pest birds such as pigeons, starlings and Indian mynas. The work routinely combines elevated access (EWPs, rope access, scaffold or ladders above 2 metres), hot/cold cutting and tensioning of stainless cables, drilling into masonry and steel, and pre-clean removal of accumulated guano. Bird droppings are a section 291 biological hazard carrying Histoplasma capsulatum, Cryptococcus neoformans and Chlamydia psittaci, exposing workers to respiratory and zoonotic disease. Because the scope captures work at heights exceeding 2 m and exposure to a hazardous biological substance, the task meets the High Risk Construction Work threshold under WHS Regulation 2025 section 291, making a documented, worker-consulted SWMS mandatory before work commences and reviewable on site.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Acute or chronic histoplasmosis, pulmonary fibrosis, disseminated infection in immunocompromised workers and notifiable occupational disease claim
Fatal or catastrophic impact injury, traumatic brain injury, multi-fracture trauma and SafeWork notifiable incident under s38
Electric shock, secondary fall from elevated position, cardiac arrhythmia and arc-flash burns to hands and forearms
Deep hand lacerations, tendon damage, corneal foreign body penetration and permanent partial vision loss
Dermatitis, secondary bacterial infection, allergic reactions and ongoing infestation of worker clothing and transport vehicles
Lumbar strain, rotator cuff injury, dropped-object strike to persons below and chronic musculoskeletal disorder claims
Occupational asthma, dermal sensitisation, chemical burns and breach of hazardous chemical register obligations under Chapter 7
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where active nests contain eggs or chicks, defer installation and engage a licensed wildlife handler under state biodiversity legislation before any deterrent work proceeds.
- 2Elimination — Specify pre-fabricated, ground-assembled net panels with factory-swaged cable terminations to remove on-roof cutting and tensioning where building geometry permits.
- 3Substitution — Replace dry sweeping of guano with low-pressure wet misting using a registered enzymatic biocide to suppress spore aerosolisation per enHealth Guidelines.
- 4Substitution — Use battery-powered crimping and tensioning tools instead of mains-fed equipment to eliminate trailing leads across elevated work platforms.
- 5Engineering — Erect Class P1 containment sheeting around guano cleanup zones with HEPA-filtered negative air units exhausting away from public and HVAC intakes.
- 6Engineering — Operate from EWPs rated to AS 2550.10 with twin-lanyard fall-restraint anchors; prohibit ladder use for any net tensioning task above 2 m.
- 7Administrative — Conduct daily pre-start using this SWMS, isolate and lock out electric deterrent chargers under an energy isolation permit before any track handling.
- 8Administrative — Implement a guano exposure register, decontamination protocol and dedicated change-out area; launder contaminated PPE separately and prohibit take-home clothing.
- 9PPE — P2/P3 disposable respirator fit-tested to AS/NZS 1715, disposable Type 5/6 coveralls, nitrile-over-cotton gloves, sealed eye protection and bootcovers for all guano contact tasks.
- 10PPE — Cut-resistant Level D gloves to AS/NZS 2161.3 for cable handling, full-body harness to AS/NZS 1891.1 with shock-absorbing lanyard, and Class 1 hi-vis at all elevated zones.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Triggers fall prevention hierarchy, edge protection and EWP selection duties for net tensioning above 2 m on facades and parapets.
Mandates fit-testing, cartridge selection and respiratory program governance for P2/P3 use during guano disturbance and biocide application.
Establishes the s38 hierarchy of control duty informing every elimination, engineering and PPE entry in this SWMS.
Specifies wetting agents, containment, biocide selection and waste classification for handling Histoplasma-contaminated guano during pre-clean operations.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Net tensioning, cable anchoring and spike installation occur on parapets, roof edges and facades routinely above 2 m from grade or floor below.
Cleanup of guano-loaded ceiling voids, roof cavities, lift shafts and signage interiors meets confined space criteria with biological atmospheric hazards present.
PCBU must prepare, consult workers on and retain this SWMS for the duration of the work and two years post-incident; penalties for non-compliance are substantial and indexed, with the current maximum following the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Licensed pest technicians installing commercial bird deterrents
- →Facade access contractors subcontracted to bird-proofing scopes
- →Facilities managers commissioning warehouse and shopping centre proofing
- →Local government building maintenance teams treating heritage facades
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
A two-person crew arrives at a regional shopping centre loading dock to install 180 m² of 50 mm knotted netting across a colonnaded eave at 6.4 m, following six months of pigeon roosting that has left an estimated 40 mm guano layer along the steel purlins. At the pre-start meeting the supervisor opens this SWMS on a tablet and walks the technician through each hazard in order. The histoplasmosis hazard drives the first decision: dry sweeping is eliminated, a low-pressure misting pack with enzymatic biocide is rigged, and both workers fit-test P3 half-faces against the AS/NZS 1715 record kept in the vehicle. The fall hazard requires the ladder originally planned to be substituted for a 10 m diesel knuckle boom; both technicians sign the EWP logbook and clip twin lanyards to the basket anchor. During tensioning the SWMS prompts the leading hand to identify an unmarked low-voltage track running the adjacent parapet — work pauses, the building's electrical contractor isolates the charger under permit, and the SWMS is annotated with the isolation tag number before resuming. At completion both workers sign off, contaminated coveralls are bagged for off-site laundering, and the annotated SWMS is uploaded to the principal contractor's records portal.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces CoP
Frequently asked questions
Is bird netting installation high risk construction work?
Where the installation is construction work on a structure — drilling into masonry and steel, fixing cable, track and net across facades, parapets and rooflines — then yes, on two counts. Net tensioning, cable anchoring and spike installation happen above 2 metres from grade or the floor below, which is WHS Regulation 2025 s291(a). Pre-clean of guano-loaded ceiling voids, roof cavities, lift shafts and signage interiors engages s291(f) for confined spaces. Section 299 then requires the SWMS before work commences, prepared in consultation with the technicians, and available on site for review.
What is the actual health risk from the guano, and how is it controlled?
Accumulated droppings carry Histoplasma capsulatum, Cryptococcus neoformans and Chlamydia psittaci, and the exposure route is aerosolised dust. Dry sweeping and pressure cleaning are therefore eliminated in favour of low-pressure wet misting with a registered enzymatic biocide following the enHealth Guidelines, inside Class P1 containment sheeting with HEPA-filtered negative air units exhausting away from the public and away from HVAC intakes. Technicians wear fit-tested P2 or P3 respirators, Type 5/6 coveralls and bootcovers. A guano exposure register, a dedicated change-out area, separate laundering and a ban on take-home clothing complete it — bird mites travel home in work clothes and vehicles.
What happens if the nests still have eggs or chicks in them?
Work stops before it starts. The first elimination control defers the installation entirely and requires a licensed wildlife handler to be engaged under state biodiversity legislation before any deterrent work proceeds. This is a legal hold point rather than a courtesy — many species encountered on Australian buildings are protected, and netting an active nest can breach wildlife legislation independently of any WHS duty. Build the nest inspection into the site assessment before quoting, because discovering it on installation day means a deferred job. Record the inspection result and any wildlife handler details in the SWMS.
Can we tension the nets from a ladder?
No. The controls explicitly prohibit ladder use for any net tensioning task above 2 metres, and require EWPs rated to AS 2550.10 with twin-lanyard fall-restraint anchors and harnesses to AS/NZS 1891.1. The worked example follows that logic, substituting a planned ladder for a 10 metre knuckle boom before work starts. Two other plant controls matter on the same task: low-voltage electric deterrent track must be isolated and locked out under an energy isolation permit before any track handling, and cut-resistant Level D gloves to AS/NZS 2161.3 are required for tensioned stainless cable, which recoils when cut.
What do I receive and how is it used on the day?
One editable Word document, bought once, with a state legislation schedule for NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT or ACT, the hazard register with risk ratings, hierarchy-of-control mapping, a worker sign-on register, a pre-start checklist and an incident escalation flow. It is designed to be worked through at the pre-start and annotated during the job — in the worked example an unmarked live deterrent track is found mid-task, the charger is isolated under permit, and the isolation tag number is written onto the SWMS before work resumes. Add your access method, containment setup, biocide details and fit-test records before use.
Document details
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