CNC Plasma Table Cutting SWMS
SWMS template for cnc plasma table cutting. Covers Plasma cut profiles, fume extraction, HVAC.. 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.
CNC plasma table cutting combines high-amperage electrical arcs, ionised gas at temperatures exceeding 20,000°C, automated gantry motion and the rapid generation of metallic fume, ultraviolet radiation and fine particulate. The work is routinely performed in fabrication workshops, structural steel yards and sheet metal shops across Australia, and falls within the scope of plant operation under WHS Regulation 2011 r203–r214 and hazardous chemical exposure under r35. Because the process simultaneously generates respirable hexavalent chromium (when cutting stainless), manganese fume, ozone, intense UV-C radiation and creates an automated pinch/crush interface, a documented Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before any operator powers up the table. This SWMS template addresses profile cutting, downdraft and side-draft fume extraction performance, HVAC make-up air balance, consumable changeover and program proving — providing a state-neutral, CIH-reviewed control framework PCBUs can issue, sign on and audit.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Metal fume fever, chemical pneumonitis, occupational asthma and IARC Group 1 carcinogen exposure leading to lung cancer
Photokeratitis, corneal burns, accelerated cataract formation and erythemal skin burns within seconds of unshielded exposure
Crush, shear and entanglement injuries from torch head, gantry beam or stepper-driven Y-axis carriage striking limbs
Deep partial-thickness burns to hands, forearms and lower legs; secondary ignition of combustibles within three metres
Pulmonary oedema, reduced lung function and respiratory tract inflammation exceeding the 0.1 ppm peak workplace exposure standard
Operator breathing zone concentrations exceed WES, extraction underperforms, and contaminants migrate to adjacent work areas
Ventricular fibrillation, deep tissue burns at contact points and arc-flash injury during consumable changeover with live circuit
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where feasible, substitute thin-gauge profile work to waterjet or fibre laser to remove plasma arc, UV and fume generation entirely from the process.
- 2Elimination — Remove combustibles, solvents and oily rags from a three-metre exclusion zone around the cutting bed before any program run commences.
- 3Substitution — Use nitrogen or oxygen-shielded high-definition plasma in place of compressed air to reduce nitrogen oxide and hexavalent chromium generation on stainless work.
- 4Engineering — Operate a downdraft cutting bed with sectional zone damping interlocked to the torch position, delivering minimum 1.0 m/s capture velocity at the kerf.
- 5Engineering — Install HEPA-filtered cartridge extraction unit ducted to atmosphere via AS 1668.2 compliant stack with balanced HVAC make-up air supply.
- 6Engineering — Fit Category 4 light curtains or fixed perimeter guarding around the gantry envelope, interlocked to torch fire and motion per AS 4024.1.
- 7Administrative — Verify program on dry-run at 10% feed before live cut; complete pre-start checklist covering consumables, water level, extraction amps and HVAC flow.
- 8Administrative — Restrict access to trained operators holding documented competency; sign on this SWMS at pre-start and after any program, material or consumable change.
- 9PPE — Issue AS/NZS 1338.1 shade 8–11 auto-darkening helmet, AS/NZS 1337.1 side shields, FR cotton long sleeves, leather gauntlets and AS/NZS 2210.3 boots.
- 10PPE — Where extraction capture is non-compliant or thin stainless is cut, escalate to AS/NZS 1716 PAPR with P3 cartridge until engineering controls are restored.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates hot work permit, three-metre combustible exclusion zone and fire watch — directly applicable to plasma cutting slag ejection.
Governs RPE selection where engineering controls cannot maintain breathing zone fume below WES — triggers PAPR for stainless cutting.
Specifies make-up air, capture velocity and discharge requirements for local exhaust ventilation systems serving plasma cutting cells.
Defines PCBU duties for fume control, UV shielding, ozone management and operator training applicable to all arc-based cutting including plasma.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Plasma fume, ozone and nitrogen oxides can accumulate where extraction underperforms or work is performed inside fabricated assemblies acting as confined volumes.
Automated gantry motion, high-frequency arc starter and 400 V DC pilot arc circuit present crush, electrical and thermal energy release hazards to operators.
PCBU must consult workers, document the SWMS, retain it for the duration of the work plus two years after a notifiable incident, and produce on inspector request; penalties for non-compliance are substantial and indexed annually under the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Fabrication shop owners running CNC plasma cells
- →Structural steel detailers operating profile cutting beds
- →Sheet metal supervisors managing automated cutting operations
- →WHS managers in heavy engineering and mining fabrication
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
At a regional structural steel fabrication shop, a leading hand runs the morning pre-start before cutting a 12 mm stainless gusset nest on the CNC plasma table. He opens this SWMS on the workshop tablet and walks the two operators through it line by line. The fume hazard row prompts him to confirm the downdraft extraction amperage is reading within band and the HVAC roller door damper is open — today the reading is low, so he escalates the PPE control to PAPR with P3 cartridges before the cut starts. The UV hazard row triggers a check that the perimeter welding screens are positioned to shield the despatch bay forklift driver. Both operators sign on the SWMS, noting today's material is stainless (hexavalent chromium pathway) rather than the mild steel they cut yesterday. Midway through the run, the cartridge filter differential pressure alarm sounds. The supervisor stops the gantry, returns to the SWMS engineering control row, and follows the documented escalation: isolate, change cartridge, re-verify capture velocity at the kerf with a vane anemometer, then resume. The signed SWMS, the filter change log and the anemometer reading are filed together — providing the audit trail an inspector would expect under WHS Regulation 2011 r299.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS/NZS 4024 — Safety of machinery