Mosaic Tile Installation SWMS

Mosaic tile installation covers small-format ceramic, glass and stone tessera fixed to pools, splashbacks and feature walls using cementitious or epoxy adhesives, with subsequent grouting and sponging-off. The work is classified as construction work under WHS Regulation 2011 and routinely meets the High Risk Construction Work threshold under r291 because of wet trades, manual handling of dense sheets, and the use of cutting tools that generate respirable crystalline silica and glass shards. A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory before work commences and must be prepared in consultation with workers under s47 of the WHS Act. This SWMS template addresses adhesive sensitisation, awkward postures inside pool shells, electric shock from wet-area tools, and silica exposure from cutting porcelain or stone mosaics. It aligns with the Code of Practice for Construction Work and the Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals Code, providing an editable, CIH-reviewed framework for principal contractors, tiling subcontractors and PCBUs across all eight Australian jurisdictions.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

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

1. 1Elimination — Specify pre-mounted mosaic sheets factory-cut to size to eliminate on-site dry cutting of porcelain and stone tessera wherever the design permits.
2. 2Elimination — Schedule mosaic installation before pool plant, balustrades or glazing is installed to remove confined-space access conditions and provide unrestricted egress.
3. 3Substitution — Substitute high-VOC solvent epoxy grouts with low-emission pre-mixed urethane or modified cement grouts complying with GreenTag or GBCA emissions criteria.
4. 4Substitution — Replace traditional Portland cement adhesives with chromate-reduced products under AS 4992 to lower allergic contact dermatitis risk among tilers.
5. 5Engineering — Use wet-cutting tile saws with continuous water feed and on-tool LEV shrouds; verify RCD protection ≤30mA on every 240V circuit per AS/NZS 3012.
6. 6Engineering — Install temporary mechanical ventilation delivering minimum 10 air changes per hour inside pool shells when applying epoxy grouts or solvent-based primers.
7. 7Administrative — Conduct daily pre-start using this SWMS, rotate tilers every 90 minutes off knees, and limit epoxy grouting tasks to four hours per shift per worker.
8. 8Administrative — Maintain SDS register, silica air monitoring records under WHS Reg s50, and health monitoring for workers exposed above half the workplace exposure standard.
9. 9PPE — Issue P2 respirators fit-tested to AS/NZS 1715, nitrile gloves rated for epoxy amines, kneeling pads to AS/NZS 4501.2, and safety eyewear to AS/NZS 1337.1.
10. 10PPE — Provide cut-resistant ANSI A4 gloves for glass mosaic handling and chemical splash aprons during grout mixing and washdown phases of the installation.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a suburban residential pool project, a two-person tiling crew arrives to install glass mosaic sheets to the waterline band and step nosings of a freshly rendered concrete shell. Before descending the ladder into the pool, the leading hand opens this SWMS on a tablet at the pool coping and walks through it line-by-line with the apprentice. They confirm the shell is dry and the pool electrics remain isolated and locked out, then identify three live hazards from the register: silica from trimming porcelain border tiles, epoxy sensitisation during grouting, and restricted egress from the deep end. Controls selected include setting up the wet saw on the lawn upwind of the shell with its water feed primed and RCD tested, staging a temporary axial fan at the shallow-end step, and limiting continuous kneeling to ninety-minute blocks rotated between adhesive trowelling and sheet alignment. Both workers sign the SWMS sign-on sheet, noting their P2 fit-test dates and nitrile glove sizes. Two hours in, the apprentice notices the fan has been moved by another trade and solvent odour is building during epoxy mixing. He pauses work, re-opens the SWMS at the ventilation control, and the leading hand reinstates the fan and extends rest breaks before grouting resumes — the dynamic review is recorded as an amendment on the cover page.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS 3958 — Ceramic tiles; AS 4654 — Waterproofing membranes

Frequently asked questions