Plumbing in Aged Care Facilities SWMS

Aged care facility plumbing covers plumbing work in operating residential aged care facilities — installing, maintaining and repairing the water, sanitary, drainage and hot water systems in a setting where the occupants are elderly, frail and often mobility-impaired. The plumbing work itself is conventional, but the setting imposes heightened controls: residents are highly vulnerable to scalding, to Legionella, and to disruption of essential services, infection control is important, and the work must be coordinated around residents and clinical care. This document is written on the basis that aged care plumbing is carried out by a licensed plumber with the scalding, Legionella, service-continuity and resident-safety controls in place.

Aged care facility plumbing is carried out to the relevant parts of AS/NZS 3500, with particular attention to AS/NZS 3500.4 for heated water, under which delivered water to fixtures used for personal hygiene in a care setting must be limited to the lower scalding-prevention temperature, and Legionella controlled. The work is carried out in an occupied facility around vulnerable residents, so service continuity, infection control and resident safety are heightened controls. This document coordinates the scalding, Legionella, service-continuity, infection and resident-safety controls so the plumbing work is carried out safely in the aged care setting.

Hazards identified

9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Engineering: provide delivery-temperature control with a tempering or thermostatic mixing valve so delivered water to sanitary fixtures used for personal hygiene is limited to the required maximum to prevent scalding, while the system controls Legionella.
2. 2Administrative: control Legionella across the heated and warm water systems — storage and delivery temperatures, flushing and management — recognising the vulnerability of the residents.
3. 3Administrative: maintain essential water and sanitary services to residents, planning and staging the work and providing temporary services so residents are not left without essential services.
4. 4Administrative: coordinate the work with the operating aged care facility so occupants and operations are protected, maintaining services and access, and applying the facility's induction, permit and infection or safety controls.
5. 5Administrative: manage the biological hazard with hygiene controls, washing facilities, gloves and protective clothing, and prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking until decontaminated.
6. 6Engineering: isolate and manage hot water and stored energy before the work so it does not scald, and provide fall prevention and plant-room controls for work at height or in plant rooms.
7. 7Administrative: barricade and manage the work area for resident and staff safety, controlling trips and access around residents and mobility aids.
8. 8Administrative: ensure the work is carried out and certified by an appropriately licensed plumber or gasfitter under the relevant state or territory plumbing and gasfitting licensing scheme, with the relevant competencies and a compliance certificate issued where required.
9. 9Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001) where the work is construction work, with the plumbing, gasfitting, confined space and any other competencies required for the work.
10. 10Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, isolations, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
11. 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.
12. 12PPE: eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, hearing protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, high-visibility clothing, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
13. 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.

Applicable Codes of Practice

Worked example

A licensed plumber is engaged to carry out plumbing work in an operating residential aged care facility. Delivery-temperature control is provided with thermostatic mixing valves so delivered water to fixtures used for personal hygiene is limited to the lower care-setting temperature to prevent scalding of residents, while the system controls Legionella across the heated and warm water systems. Essential water and sanitary services to residents are maintained by planning and staging the work and providing temporary services. The work is coordinated with the operating facility so residents and clinical care are protected, applying the facility's induction, permit and infection controls. The biological hazard of sanitary and drainage work is managed with hygiene controls and washing facilities, and hot water and stored energy isolated and managed so they do not scald. The work area is barricaded and managed for resident and staff safety, controlling trips and access around residents and mobility aids, with fall prevention for any work at height. The work is completed safely, 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 — Section 291 high risk construction work and the SWMS preparation and review duties, and the confined space, excavation and electrical provisions where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
• The relevant plumbing and drainage standards AS/NZS 3500 (Parts 0–5), AS/NZS 5601.1:2022 for gas, the AS 4032 valve standards, and the hazardous chemicals and electrical requirements, are called up by the state and territory plumbing, gas and safety legislation, together with the relevant network utility, healthcare and site requirements.
• Plumbing and gasfitting work is licensed under each state and territory's plumbing and gasfitting licensing scheme, with the relevant competencies for the specialist work, and compliance certification required for notifiable work; electrical work is carried out by a licensed electrician.
• Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the high risk construction work, confined space and electrical provisions applying in place of the model instruments.

Frequently asked questions