Shopfitting - General SWMS

Shopfitting encompasses the fit-out of retail tenancies, food outlets, banks and commercial premises — installing joinery, shelving, counters, suspended ceilings, lighting tracks, glazed shopfronts, signage and services. Work typically occurs in occupied centres or partially trafficked construction zones, with compressed programmes, night shifts and multiple trades interfacing in tight spaces. The hazards are diverse: falls from stepladders, mobile scaffolds and ceiling access platforms; power tool injuries; manual handling of heavy cabinetry and stone benchtops; electrical live work near existing services; respirable crystalline silica from engineered stone and MDF dust; and struck-by incidents from suspended loads and forklifts moving fit-out materials.

Under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), section 291 defines high risk construction work (HRCW), and section 299 requires a Safe Work Method Statement to be prepared before HRCW commences. Shopfitting routinely triggers section 291(a) — work involving a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres — through ceiling grid, signage, high-level joinery and shopfront glazing installation. Controls are applied through the hierarchy in section 36, with consultation under section 47 and review under section 302.

Hazards identified

12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Eliminate at-height cutting by pre-fabricating joinery, ceiling components and signage off-site so installation at height is limited to fixing only
2. 2Substitute engineered stone with lower-silica alternatives (porcelain, natural timber, laminate) where the client brief allows; where stone is retained, require supplier pre-fabrication with all cut-outs completed off-site
3. 3Provide edge-protected mobile scaffolds compliant with AS/NZS 1576 and elevating work platforms (AS 2550.10) for all work above 2 m; prohibit use of stepladders as a working platform above 2 m in accordance with the SafeWork NSW Managing the risk of falls at workplaces Code of Practice
4. 4Isolate electrical circuits before penetrations, verify de-energised with a tested voltage indicator, and use cable/service locators plus reference to as-built drawings prior to any drilling into walls, floors or ceilings
5. 5Obtain a compliant asbestos register from the building owner (section 425) before strip-out; where materials are suspect, engage a licensed asbestos assessor and, if required, a Class A or Class B licensed removalist under section 485
6. 6Use on-tool water suppression or H-class HEPA-filtered local exhaust ventilation (AS/NZS 60335.2.69) on all cutting, grinding and drilling of stone, masonry and dust-generating timber products; enforce the workplace exposure standard of 0.05 mg/m³ 8-hour TWA for respirable crystalline silica
7. 7Portable electrical equipment tested and tagged to AS/NZS 3760; supply protected by 30 mA RCDs; leads elevated or covered to prevent damage and trip hazards
8. 8Two-person lifts, mechanical aids (panel lifters, stone dollies, suction cups) and documented team lift plans for loads exceeding 25 kg or awkward geometry; segregate installation zones from public and other trades using hard barriers and signage
9. 9Hot work permit and fire watch for any grinding, soldering or heat-gun work; adhesives and solvents used only with mechanical ventilation and SDS-driven controls; store flammables per AS 1940
10. 10PPE issued and fit-tested per AS/NZS 1715/1716: P2 respirators for dust tasks, cut-resistant gloves for glass and stone handling, safety eyewear (AS/NZS 1337.1), Class 5 hearing protection, and safety footwear (AS/NZS 2210.3)
11. 11All workers hold CPCCWHS1001 (White Card); SWMS reviewed with the crew under section 47 consultation, signed prior to work, and reviewed under section 302 following any incident, control failure or change in work method

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

A shopfitting subcontractor was engaged to fit out a 240 m² fashion tenancy at Westfield Bondi Junction on a six-week night-shift programme. The scope included strip-out of the previous tenant's joinery, installation of a suspended ceiling grid at 3.6 m, LED track lighting, a mirrored change-room wall, engineered stone counter and an illuminated shopfront sign. The SWMS identified section 291(a) fall risk for ceiling, lighting and signage installation and mandated a certified mobile scaffold with mid-rails and toe-boards in place of stepladders. Engineered stone was pre-fabricated by the supplier with all cut-outs completed off-site; a single on-site scribing cut was performed using a water-fed track saw with H-class extraction. The centre's asbestos register confirmed no ACM in the tenancy demise. Electrical isolation permits were obtained from centre management before any wall penetrations. Consultation was conducted at the pre-start each shift under section 47, and the SWMS was reviewed under section 302 after a near-miss involving a dropped ceiling tile.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Part 6.3 (Construction work) and Part 8.1 (Asbestos)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) — fit-out approvals and CDC pathway
• Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) — construction noise and waste
• Electricity Supply Act 1995 (NSW) and Service and Installation Rules of NSW
• Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW)

Frequently asked questions