Grease Trap Pump-Out Service SWMS
SWMS template for grease trap pump-out service. Covers Grease arrestor pump-out, trade waste handling.. 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.
Grease trap pump-out covers the periodic emptying of grease arrestors and traps at food premises — pumping out the accumulated grease, solids and trade waste to maintain the arrestor's function and meet the trade waste requirements. It is trade-waste service work whose hazards centre on the biological and chemical hazards of the trapped waste, the confined space of below-ground arrestors, the odour and gases, and the pump-out equipment and tanker. This document is written on the basis that grease trap pump-out is carried out using no-entry methods wherever possible, and that any entry into a below-ground arrestor follows the confined space controls.
Grease trap pump-out is trade-waste service work carried out in connection with the network utility's trade waste requirements and AS/NZS 3500.2. A below-ground arrestor can be a confined space that may be oxygen-deficient or contain a contaminated atmosphere, so pump-out is carried out from the surface without entry wherever possible, and any entry follows the confined spaces Code of Practice. The biological and chemical hazards of the trapped waste and the safe handling and disposal of the pumped-out waste are managed. This document coordinates the no-entry, confined-space, biological and disposal controls so the pump-out is carried out safely.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Infection and chemical exposure from contact with the trapped waste
Oxygen deficiency, contaminated atmosphere and restricted egress in the arrestor
Exposure to foul and potentially toxic gases at the arrestor
Atmospheric and engulfment hazard where entry into the arrestor is made
Exposure to splash and aerosol of the trapped waste during pump-out
Equipment, hose and tanker hazards during the pump-out
Crush and musculoskeletal injury handling heavy lids and equipment
Environmental and exposure hazard from a spill or incorrect disposal
Disruption and hygiene hazard working in operating food premises
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: pump out the grease arrestor from the surface using no-entry methods so workers do not enter the confined space at all.
- 2Administrative: where entry into a below-ground arrestor is unavoidable, apply the confined space entry permit, atmospheric testing, ventilation, standby and rescue controls to the confined spaces Code of Practice.
- 3Administrative: manage the biological hazard with hygiene controls, washing facilities, gloves and protective clothing, and prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking until decontaminated.
- 4Engineering: control the odour and gases at the arrestor with ventilation, and control the splash and aerosol during pump-out.
- 5PPE: appropriate respiratory protection where atmospheric hazards or aerosol require it, and protective clothing against the trapped waste, per AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716.
- 6Engineering: use mechanical aids for heavy arrestor lids and equipment, and manage the pump-out equipment, hoses and tanker safely.
- 7Administrative: handle and dispose of the pumped-out waste correctly to the trade waste requirements, controlling spills, and coordinate with the food premises so operations and hygiene are protected.
- 8Administrative: ensure the work is carried out and certified by an appropriately licensed plumber under the relevant state or territory plumbing licensing scheme, with the backflow, testing or other endorsement required and a compliance or test certificate issued where required.
- 9Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001) where the work is construction work, with the plumbing competencies and any backflow, confined space or testing endorsements required for the work.
- 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.
- 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: eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, 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.
Applicable Codes of Practice
The sanitary plumbing and drainage standard for the trade waste arrestor and its connection.
The trade waste requirements for the arrestor service and the disposal of the pumped-out waste.
Atmospheric testing, ventilation, entry permit and rescue controls where the work involves entry into a confined space.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
Selection, fit testing and use of respiratory protection where atmospheric or biological hazards require it for the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Where grease trap pump-out requires entry into a below-ground arrestor that may have a contaminated atmosphere, the work is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS before the work commences.
This is licensed plumbing work that, in the circumstances described, is high risk construction work — in or near a confined space — 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 to the relevant AS/NZS 3500 plumbing and drainage standards, AS/NZS 1547 for on-site wastewater, and the confined space requirements, which are called up by the relevant legislation, with the confined-space, biological and electrical controls applied as relevant. A failure in this work can cause serious injury, an atmospheric incident or harm to the water supply, 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
- →Trade-waste service operators pumping out grease arrestors.
- →Liquid-waste and pump-out contractors servicing food premises.
- →Plumbing and drainage businesses providing grease trap pump-out.
- →Food premises and PCBUs maintaining grease arrestors.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the no-entry, confined-space and biological 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 address, project name, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the grease trap pump-out hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Grease trap pump-out prompts referencing AS/NZS 3500.2 and the trade waste requirements, a no-entry-first and confined-space section, a biological-hazard and decontamination section, and a waste-disposal record.
- ✓Licensing, accreditation and test-certificate prompts for the relevant plumbing, backflow and testing scheme, and a respiratory protection selection and fit-test record per AS/NZS 1715 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 trade-waste service operator is engaged to pump out the grease arrestor at a restaurant. The arrestor is pumped out from the surface using no-entry methods so workers do not enter the confined space. Entry into the below-ground arrestor is not made; where entry were unavoidable, the confined space entry permit, atmospheric testing, ventilation, standby and rescue controls would apply. The biological and chemical hazards of the trapped grease and waste are managed with hygiene controls, washing facilities and protective clothing, and no eating or drinking until decontaminated, with respiratory protection where aerosol requires it. The odour and gases at the arrestor are controlled with ventilation, and the splash and aerosol controlled during pump-out. The heavy arrestor lid is handled using mechanical aids, and the pump-out equipment, hoses and tanker managed safely. The pumped-out waste is handled and disposed of correctly to the trade waste requirements, controlling spills, and the work coordinated with the food premises so operations and hygiene are protected. The operator retains the records.
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 provisions where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- The relevant plumbing and drainage standards AS/NZS 3500 (Parts 0–5), AS/NZS 1547 for on-site wastewater, the AS 4032 and AS 1357 valve standards, AS/NZS 2845.3 for backflow field testing, and AS 1851 for fire-system service, are called up by the state and territory plumbing and building safety legislation, together with the requirements of the relevant network utility.
- Plumbing work is licensed under each state and territory's plumbing licensing scheme, with backflow and testing accreditation required for that work, and compliance or test 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 and confined space provisions applying in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
Why are grease traps pumped out periodically?
Grease arrestors and traps accumulate grease, solids and trade waste, which must be pumped out periodically to maintain the arrestor's function and meet the trade waste requirements. A full or poorly maintained arrestor cannot intercept the trade waste, so the periodic pump-out keeps the arrestor working and the discharge compliant.
Can a grease arrestor be pumped out without entering it?
Yes — and that is the preferred approach. The arrestor is pumped out from the surface using no-entry methods so workers do not enter the confined space. Entry into a below-ground arrestor is only made where it is genuinely unavoidable, and then only under a confined space entry permit with full atmospheric, ventilation, standby and rescue controls.
What hazards apply to the trapped waste?
The trapped grease and waste carry biological and chemical hazards, so contact with them and the splash and aerosol during pump-out carry infection and exposure risk. Hygiene controls, washing facilities, protective clothing, respiratory protection where required, and prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking until decontaminated manage that hazard.
Are below-ground grease arrestors confined spaces?
A below-ground grease arrestor can be a confined space that may be oxygen-deficient or contain a contaminated atmosphere, with restricted egress. Where entry is unavoidable, the confined space entry permit, atmospheric testing, ventilation, standby and rescue controls apply, and the work is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS.
How is the pumped-out waste disposed of?
The pumped-out grease and waste are handled and disposed of correctly to the trade waste requirements, controlling spills. The waste is taken to an approved disposal point in accordance with the requirements, and the work coordinated with the food premises so operations and hygiene are protected, completing the service.