Press Brake Operation SWMS (Mechanical / Hydraulic)

Press brake operation involves bending sheet metal between an upper punch and lower die using mechanical, hydraulic, or servo-electric drives capable of generating 40 to 1000 tonnes of crush force at the closing point. The die closing zone, back-gauge travel path, and tooling change sequence each present catastrophic crush and amputation hazards that have caused multiple Australian fatalities in fabrication workshops. Under WHS Regulation 2025 Part 3.2 (Plant), press brakes are classified as plant requiring documented risk assessment, guarding compliance with AS 4024.1601, and operator competency verification. A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory because the work involves powered mobile plant under section 291 category of the WHS Regulations, where uncontrolled ram descent can amputate fingers or hands within milliseconds. This SWMS captures the elimination, engineering, and administrative controls required before, during, and after each bending operation, and forms the legal record of consultation with workers under section 47 of the Act.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Where geometry permits, replace manual bending with robotic press brake cells or pre-formed roll-formed sections to remove the operator from the die closing zone entirely.
2. 2Elimination — Eliminate behind-machine retrieval by programming back-gauge to advance offcuts forward to the operator side after each cycle completion.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute heavy segmented tooling with lightweight precision-ground tooling under 15 kilograms per segment to reduce manual handling load during die changes.
4. 4Engineering — Install and verify Type 4 light curtains compliant with AS 4024.1601 with muting only during the non-hazardous mute zone phase of the bending cycle.
5. 5Engineering — Maintain certified two-hand anti-tie-down control with maximum 0.5 second concurrent activation window and dedicated dual-channel safety relay monitoring.
6. 6Engineering — Fit mechanical scotch blocks or hydraulic safety blocks rated to full ram weight before any tooling change, inspection, or reach into the die area.
7. 7Administrative — Lockout-tagout the main isolator and pneumatic supply during all tooling changes following the site LOTO procedure with personal danger tags applied by each worker.
8. 8Administrative — Operators must hold documented competency on the specific press brake model; pre-start checks of guards, e-stops, and light curtains recorded on the daily inspection log.
9. 9Administrative — Position operators in the safe-standing zone forward of the die centreline with a minimum 600 mm clearance, and use bend-followers or material supports for sheets exceeding 1.5 metres.
10. 10PPE — Wear AS/NZS 1337.1 medium-impact safety eyewear, AS/NZS 2210.3 steel-cap footwear, snug-fitting cotton drill sleeves (no gloves at the point of operation), and AS/NZS 1270 Class 4 hearing protection.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

At a regional steel fabrication workshop producing structural brackets, the leading hand runs a pre-start brief at 06:50 before a four-hour run of 6 mm plate bending on a 250-tonne hydraulic press brake. The SWMS is laid open at the operator station. Working through the hazard register, the team confirms the die closing zone, back-gauge entrapment, and tooling ejection hazards apply to today's job. The operator demonstrates the light curtain function test — a test rod broken at three points across the curtain stops a dry-cycle ram within the verified 14 mm stopping distance recorded on yesterday's log. The two-hand control timing is checked against the AS 4024.1601 0.5-second window. Because today's part requires a 1.8-metre fold, a second worker is rostered as a bend-follower and both sign on to the SWMS, noting the whip-up hazard control. Mid-shift, the operator identifies that an offcut has lodged behind the back-gauge. Rather than reach in, they refer to the SWMS administrative control, apply their personal lockout tag to the isolator, insert the hydraulic safety block, and only then retrieve the offcut. The supervisor countersigns the LOTO entry. The signed SWMS becomes the legal record of consultation and control verification for that shift.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS 2550 — Cranes, hoists and winches; AS 1418 series

Frequently asked questions