Office Fitout & Partitioning SWMS

Office fitout and partitioning covers the installation of demountable and framed partition systems, suspended ceilings, workstations, joinery, glazed office fronts and associated services in commercial tenancies. Work is typically undertaken above 2 metres from mobile scaffolds, order pickers or step platforms, involves cutting and fixing steel stud, plasterboard, MDF and glazing, and often occurs in partially occupied buildings where other trades, tenants and cleaners share the space. The combination of working at height, powered hand tools, respirable crystalline silica dust from cutting plasterboard-and-fibre-cement systems, potential asbestos-containing material (ACM) in pre-1990 base-build fabric, and live services makes this a high-consequence activity.

Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), section 291 defines high risk construction work (HRCW) to include work with a risk of a fall of more than 2 metres. Section 299 requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be prepared before the work commences, kept available for inspection, and complied with. Controls must be applied in the hierarchy set out in section 36 of the Regulation, prioritising elimination of the fall risk before relying on fall protection or PPE.

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 possible by pre-assembling partition frames and pre-glazing at ground level, then lifting complete panels into position
2. 2Where fall risk remains, provide an EWP (order picker or scissor lift) selected and used in accordance with AS 2550.10 in preference to mobile scaffold; ladders are not to be used as a work platform for partition fixing
3. 3Mobile scaffolds erected and inspected in accordance with AS/NZS 1576.1 and AS/NZS 1576.3 by a competent person; guardrails, mid-rails and toe boards to all open sides above 2 m
4. 4Before penetrating any existing structure, obtain the base-build asbestos register and, where the tenancy pre-dates 1990 or the register is unavailable, engage a licensed asbestos assessor; any confirmed ACM removal only by a Class A/B licensed removalist per sections 419–487 of the WHS Regulation 2025
5. 5Control silica dust at source using on-tool H-class extraction (AS/NZS 60335.2.69) or wet-cutting; prohibit uncontrolled dry-cutting of fibre-cement and compressed sheet; RPE selected to AS/NZS 1715/1716 with a minimum P2 half-face where residual dust remains
6. 6De-energise and isolate circuits in the work zone under a permit to work; verify dead with a tested voltage indicator; use cable locators before core-drilling or chasing walls and floors
7. 7Establish exclusion zones around EWPs and glazing installation with hard barriers and signage; separate fitout works from occupied areas with dust-proof hoardings and negative-air where required
8. 8Two-person handling, mechanical suction lifters and glass trolleys for panels exceeding 25 kg or 2 m in any dimension; edge-protected storage racks; cut-resistant gloves to AS/NZS 2161.3
9. 9Hot works (including grinding on fire-rated systems) under a written hot work permit with a fire watch, extinguisher and 30-minute post-work watch; isolate smoke detectors through building management with reinstatement checklist
10. 10PPE issued and maintained: safety helmet (AS/NZS 1801), safety eyewear (AS/NZS 1337.1), hearing protection (AS/NZS 1270) matched to measured exposure, and safety footwear (AS/NZS 2210.3)
11. 11Housekeeping regime: end-of-task clean-down using H-class vacuums, waste segregation, and daily inspection of walkways; toolbox talks each shift covering the day's tasks and interfaces with other trades
12. 12All workers hold CPCCWHS1001 (White Card); the SWMS is developed in consultation with workers under section 47 of the WHS Act 2011 (NSW), signed by each worker before commencement, and reviewed under section 302 of the WHS Regulation 2025 whenever controls are revised, an incident occurs, or the work method changes

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A shopfitting contractor is engaged to fit out Level 12 of a commercial tower on George Street, Parramatta. Scope includes 240 lineal metres of framed partitioning to 3.6 m, a suspended plasterboard ceiling, three glazed office fronts and integration with the existing base-build sprinkler and mechanical services. The building was constructed in 1987, so the principal contractor issues the base-build asbestos register — vinyl floor tiles in the core lift lobby are identified as ACM and excluded from the works. The shopfitter's SWMS identifies the s291(a) fall-from-height HRCW trigger and specifies scissor lifts for top-track fixing rather than A-frame ladders. Plasterboard offcuts are cut with track saws fitted with H-class extraction. Prior to penetrating the slab for bottom-track fixing, circuits are isolated through the base-build electrician and a cable locator sweep is completed. The SWMS is signed on by all six workers, reviewed after week two when a change to the ceiling detail requires additional overhead work, and produced on request during a SafeWork NSW site visit.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)
• Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) — construction noise and waste
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) — after-hours work approvals
• Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2014 (NSW)
• Building Code of Australia (National Construction Code) — fire-rated construction compliance

Frequently asked questions