Demountable Partition Installation SWMS

Demountable partition installation involves erecting proprietary framed panel systems — typically aluminium or steel head/floor tracks, vertical studs, and infill panels of MDF, glazed units or acoustic laminates — to divide commercial tenancies, retail fitouts and office floorplates. Work commonly occurs at height from mobile scaffolds, step platforms or elevating work platforms to fix top tracks to concrete slabs or suspended ceilings, and involves rotary hammer drilling, powder-actuated fasteners, glazing lifts, and integration with live electrical, data and HVAC services. The hazards are compounded by fitout programme pressure, shared occupation with other trades, and the concealed nature of ceiling voids and existing wall linings that may contain crystalline silica dust or asbestos-containing materials.

Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), work carried out at a height where there is a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres is high risk construction work under section 291(a). Section 299 requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be prepared before the work commences, kept available for inspection, and complied with. Controls must follow the hierarchy in section 36, and the SWMS must be developed in consultation with workers under section 47 and reviewed under section 302 whenever controls are revised or an incident occurs.

Hazards identified

12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Eliminate work at height where practicable by pre-assembling partition modules at ground level and using proprietary systems designed for floor-level jointing before lifting into position.
2. 2Substitute powder-actuated fasteners with mechanical anchors or drilled expansion fixings where slab conditions permit, reducing projectile and noise hazards.
3. 3Before any penetration, obtain a current asbestos register under section 425 and, for pre-2004 buildings without a register, arrange a licensed hygienist inspection; suspected ACM triggers Class A/B removal to AS 2601 and the SafeWork NSW Code of Practice: How to Safely Remove Asbestos.
4. 4Control respirable crystalline silica by using on-tool H-class HEPA dust extraction and water suppression on all drilling and cutting, in accordance with the SafeWork NSW Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Respirable Crystalline Silica from Engineered Stone in the Workplace and general RCS guidance; air monitoring where the WES may be exceeded.
5. 5Engineer fall protection: use compliant mobile scaffolds to AS/NZS 1576 with guardrails on all sides, or EWPs operated by yellow-card holders to AS 2550.10; prohibit use of A-frame ladders for track fixing above 2 m.
6. 6Isolate and lock out electrical circuits in the work zone under AS/NZS 4836 before any wall or ceiling penetration; verify de-energisation with a tested voltage indicator and cable-locate services with a CAT/genny scanner before drilling.
7. 7PAT operation restricted to workers holding current manufacturer certification; tools stored, maintained and used to AS/NZS 1873; establish a 3 m exclusion zone with signage and physical barriers, and never fire into occupied adjoining tenancies.
8. 8Two-person lift or mechanical aid (panel trolley, glazing robot, suction lifter to AS/NZS 4991) mandatory for panels over 25 kg or full-height glazed leaves; edge protection gloves and safety footwear worn at all times.
9. 9Housekeeping regime: continuous removal of offcuts and packaging, delineated material laydown areas, and tool tethering when working from platforms above other trades.
10. 10PPE baseline: safety helmet to AS/NZS 1801, medium-impact eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, P2 respiratory protection (or PAPR for prolonged silica work) to AS/NZS 1716 fit-tested per AS/NZS 1715, Class 5 hearing protection to AS/NZS 1270, cut-resistant gloves and safety footwear to AS/NZS 2210.3.
11. 11All workers hold a current General Construction Induction Card (CPCCWHS1001 — White Card); the SWMS is developed in consultation with workers under section 47 of the WHS Act, signed by each worker before starting, and reviewed under section 302 whenever controls change, an incident occurs, or a new hazard is identified.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A shopfitting subcontractor in Parramatta is engaged to install 180 linear metres of demountable glazed partitioning across Level 14 of a commercial tower, converting open-plan floorplate into meeting rooms. Top tracks fix to the underside of a 3.1 m concrete soffit, requiring drilled anchors from a mobile scaffold. The building predates 2004, so an asbestos register review is completed and a licensed hygienist confirms the soffit is clear. Rotary hammer drilling is performed with H-class on-tool extraction to control silica dust, and circuits in the ceiling void are isolated and locked out under AS/NZS 4836 before penetration. Full-height 55 kg glazed leaves are moved with a suction lifter, and a two-person lift protocol applies. The SWMS is signed by each of the four installers at the pre-start, reviewed after a near-miss involving a dropped offcut on day three, and produced on request during a SafeWork NSW inspector visit.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) — primary duties (sections 19, 31, 32) and consultation (section 47)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — HRCW (section 291), SWMS (sections 299-302), falls (section 79), hazardous chemicals, and asbestos (Chapter 8)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) — for fitout approvals and Class 5/6 building compliance
• Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) — contractual context for subcontracted fitout work
• Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) — construction waste and dust management obligations
• Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2024 (NSW) — where work interfaces with electrical installations

Frequently asked questions