WAH — Metal Roofing SWMS
Metal roof sheet installation, ridge capping, and flashing on commercial and residential pitched roofs.
SWMS variants reference your state's WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
This SWMS covers metal roof sheet installation on commercial, industrial, and residential construction — Colorbond and Zincalume trapezoidal profiles, concealed-fix standing seam, tray-deck, and ridge, barge, valley, and parapet flashings. It is scoped for licensed roofers, sheeters, and their direct-supervision apprentices engaged on Class 1 through Class 10 building work. The dominant hazard set on metal roofing is the combination of a fragile or slippery work surface, a large sheet acting as a sail in wind, and a sharp cut edge on every piece handled. Unlike roof plumbing where the task dwells at the eave, metal sheeting moves the worker progressively across the full roof plane, extending fall exposure to the entire work shift. All work above 2 metres triggers Category 3 high-risk construction work under Schedule 1 of the WHS Regulation 2025, and Section 299 mandates a SWMS before work commences. This document is CIH-authored against the WHS Regulation 2025 baseline and AS 1562.1 for design and installation of sheet-roof and wall cladding.
Hazards identified
12 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Worker blown off roof edge or pulled off ridge line by 6 m sheet caught by gust above 35 km/h; fatal fall even on low-pitch roofs.
Loss of footing on factory-fresh coating, particularly in early morning dew; uncontrolled slide to unprotected edge.
Fall through fragile Suntuf or polycarbonate laid as part of the roof pattern; strike onto purlins or truss chord below.
Hand and forearm lacerations from the sheared edge; eye injury from flying swarf when cutting with angle grinder.
Post-install corrosion; immediate cut injury to follow-on trades walking on ungathered swarf on the sheet surface.
Worker steps onto sheet edge not yet tek-screwed; sheet tilts and worker falls to structure below.
Flash burn equivalent to welder's flash from reflected UV; heat stress and heat stroke at roof surface temperatures exceeding 60°C.
Electrocution or arc flash when a 6 m sheet is raised near an LV service drop or transmission line; conductive metal path direct to ground through worker.
Occupational hearing loss from sustained exposure above 85 dB(A) over 8 hours; tinnitus from impact tools.
Acute lumbar injury and loss of balance from single-worker carry across purlin line; shoulder strain from overhead pass-up.
Finger crush between sheet and flashing as 20 m run expands or contracts at laying time; pinch injury during ridge capping fix.
Fall at the apex or edge of the sheet run during the highest-risk activity — flashing fix at the perimeter of a completed roof.
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Eliminate the fall risk at the perimeter by erecting perimeter guardrail or catch-platform scaffolding before the first sheet is placed, compliant with AS/NZS 1576.1 and the Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces (SafeWork Australia, 2011).
- 2Install safety mesh to AS/NZS 4389 underneath the sheet layup where the roof structure allows — this converts a fall-through event into a caught-in-mesh event with the sheet pattern as the secondary catch.
- 3Wind-speed work stop — suspend sheet handling when sustained wind at roof height exceeds 35 km/h; full stop above 50 km/h. Measure at roof height with a handheld anemometer, not at ground level.
- 4Sheets are not walked on until mechanically fixed — each sheet receives its full tek-screw pattern per AS 1562.1 before the worker steps onto it. No foot traffic on a single-clip-held sheet.
- 5Fragile-material mapping before lay-up — translucent polycarbonate and Suntuf sheets are marked on the roof plan, guarded with a fall-through cover, and fixed only from mesh or from an adjacent fixed sheet.
- 6Travel-restraint system per AS/NZS 1891.1 for low-pitch work where perimeter guardrail is not reasonably practicable — anchor-point lanyard length set to physically prevent reaching the edge.
- 7Harness-based fall arrest is a last-resort control only; where used, the SWMS requires a rescue plan, trained rescuer, rescue kit on site, and anchor certification to AS/NZS 1891.4. Suspension time tracked by radio check at 5-minute intervals.
- 8Cut sheets at ground level wherever possible — deliver pre-cut from the roll-former or fabricator to the point of fix. Where rip-cut on roof is unavoidable, use a sheet nibbler rather than an abrasive disc to control swarf and fire risk.
- 9Swarf management — magnetic sweep of the roof plane at end of each day, sheets not left with metal filings on the painted surface. Swarf contamination of Colorbond voids the paint warranty per BlueScope technical bulletin.
- 10Overhead power line clearance — 3 m minimum from LV lines and 6.4 m from transmission per SafeWork NSW; de-energise through the network operator where clearance cannot be maintained during sheet handling.
- 11PPE baseline: cut-5 rated gloves (AS/NZS 2161.3), Grade II eyewear (AS/NZS 1337.1), grip-rated safety footwear (AS/NZS 2210.3), long-sleeve high-visibility shirt, UV-rated cap under hard hat, and Class 4 hearing protection (AS/NZS 1270) when running tek-gun or nibbler.
- 12Heat-stress controls per the Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities (SafeWork Australia, 2021) — rotation breaks at 60-minute intervals when ambient above 32°C, shaded rest area at ground level, and 250 ml electrolyte replacement per hour.
- 13All metal-roofing workers hold a valid White Card (CPCCWHS1001); HRWL ticket for any operator on the EWP (WP class for boom lift above 11 m boom) or scaffold (SB/SI as applicable).
- 14Daily pre-start inspection of harness, lanyards, anchor points, and roof access ladders per AS/NZS 1891.4 user check. Tag-out any component with UV fade, cut, or fall-event history.
- 15Daily toolbox talk covering weather window, sheet schedule, and changed conditions; recorded on the worker sign-on register with each crew member's acknowledgement.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Governs the hierarchy-of-control approach applied to metal-roofing fall protection — elimination, edge protection, travel restraint, fall arrest.
Applies specifically to Class 1a metal-roofing work in residential construction, including minimum edge-protection specification.
Establishes SWMS preparation and HRCW categorisation duties; metal roofing is construction work under the Code definition.
Binding guidance for controlling tek-gun and nibbler noise exposure during sheeting.
Applies to the carry and lift of 6-9 m sheets across the roof plane and up ladders.
Technical standard for screw pattern, overlap, sheet-fix sequence, and weather-tightness for metal roofing.
Design and maintenance standard for harness components and roof anchor points referenced in the SWMS controls.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Metal-roofing work moves the worker across the full roof plane for the entire shift; the fall exposure is continuous throughout sheet layup, flashing fix, and ridge capping. Eave, ridge, and valley work all present unprotected-edge exposure.
Tek-gun, nibbler, crimper, and angle grinder are powered tools used continuously on the roof; an articulating boom or scissor lift is commonly used to access ridge and facade trim.
Because metal roofing triggers both Category 3 and Category 13 HRCW, Section 299 of the WHS Regulation 2025 requires the SWMS to be prepared before work commences, kept on site for inspection, reviewed if the work changes, and provided to the Principal Contractor on request. Section 300 maximum penalty for failure to prepare or maintain is $36,000 for a body corporate and $7,200 for an individual. In the event of a fall fatality, Section 31 Category 1 reckless conduct carries 5 years imprisonment for individuals and penalties to $3.46 million for a body corporate.
Who this is for
- →Licensed metal roofers and sheeters engaged on commercial or residential cladding.
- →Sheeting apprentices working under direct visual supervision.
- →Contracting PCBUs tendering for Class 1 to Class 9 metal-roof packages.
- →Self-employed roof sheeters operating as a PCBU with their own HRCW SWMS obligation.
- →Site supervisors and Principal Contractor WHS leads reviewing subcontractor documentation.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx, Word 2016 or newer compatible).
- ✓Title page with PCBU, ABN, site, project, and revision date fields.
- ✓Signed approval block for PCBU, Principal Contractor, and nominated supervisor.
- ✓Hazard register with the 12 metal-roofing hazards above, each with inherent risk, controls, and residual risk on a 5x5 matrix.
- ✓Weather-hold decision flowchart for wind-speed work stops keyed to sheet length.
- ✓Fall-arrest rescue plan template with suspension-time monitoring checklist.
- ✓Worker sign-on register, consultation record, and state-variance schedule for VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT.
- ✓Emergency-contacts page and evacuation procedure template.
- ✓Review-and-update log for tracking revisions against scope or regulatory change.
Worked example
A four-person sheeting crew — one licensed roofer, two qualified sheeters, and one apprentice — is contracted to lay 780 m² of 0.48 BMT Colorbond trapezoidal sheet on a new industrial warehouse in Wetherill Park. Ridge height is 9.4 m. Before work commences the lead roofer completes this SWMS: a perimeter guardrail scaffold is erected to the eave; safety mesh to AS/NZS 4389 is laid across the purlins before any sheet; 9 m sheets are hoisted by the Principal Contractor's telehandler with a banksman, never manually. On day 3 the on-site anemometer reads 42 km/h at ridge height; the lead roofer invokes the wind-speed hold on the SWMS and the crew stands down for 2 hours. The SWMS is acknowledged by all four workers at daily pre-start and a new version filed when the crimping subcontractor arrives for the standing-seam ridge run.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) — Section 19 primary duty of care; Section 27 officer due diligence; Section 47 worker consultation.
- WHS Regulation 2025 (NSW) — r. 78-80 (managing risk of falls), r. 298-300 (SWMS for HRCW), r. 309 (high-risk work licences).
- Electricity Supply Act 1995 (NSW) — Section 44 approach distances to overhead conductors.
- Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) — management of Zincalume and paint-coating runoff to stormwater.
- Building Code of Australia (National Construction Code, Volume 1) — Part F1 roof and external walls for weather-tightness.
Frequently asked questions
Does this SWMS cover standing-seam concealed-fix roofing?
Yes — the controls apply equally to trapezoidal tek-fixed sheet and to concealed-fix standing seam. The crimping process and the clip-fix sequence are covered in the controls section, including the requirement that sheets are not walked on until mechanically secured per AS 1562.1.
What wind-speed limit stops work?
The SWMS specifies a 35 km/h sustained-wind suspension point for sheet handling and a 50 km/h full work stop. These thresholds are measured at roof height, not at ground level. A 6 m Colorbond sheet presents 4 m² of sail area and becomes unmanageable above these thresholds.
Do I need a HRWL for the EWP used to reach the ridge?
If the boom lift has a boom length of 11 m or more measured from the turntable, the operator must hold a WP class High Risk Work Licence per WHS Regulation 2025 r. 309. A scissor lift or boom under 11 m requires manufacturer familiarisation and a formal competency sign-off, but no HRWL.
Is safety mesh always required?
Safety mesh to AS/NZS 4389 is not mandatory in every jurisdiction, but the Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces identifies it as a primary fall-through control that should be used where reasonably practicable. In practice, safety mesh is required on most commercial projects by the Principal Contractor.
Does the Victorian OHS regime apply the same hierarchy?
Yes — the WorkSafe Victoria Compliance Code: Prevention of Falls in General Construction applies the same hierarchy of control. The SWMS can be used in Victoria by updating the legislation schedule to OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017 references, and citing the Victorian Compliance Code in place of the SafeWork Australia Code.
Document details
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