Kitchen Renovation — Safe Work Method Statement
Safe Work Method Statement for residential kitchen renovations, from isolating services and stripping out the old kitchen through to installing cabinets, benchtops, splashbacks and appliances, with trade coordination in an occupied home.
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A kitchen renovation is a sequence of trades in a small space, often in a home where people are still living. It is not automatically High Risk Construction Work, but it commonly involves at least one HRCW type. In homes built before 1990, the old splashback, wall linings behind the cabinets, vinyl floor and its backing can contain asbestos. Removing the old kitchen means working near energised wiring and gas until those services are properly isolated. And taking out a wall to open up the kitchen can mean demolishing or altering a load-bearing element, which is HRCW and needs an engineer or builder to specify temporary support. Where none of these apply, a SWMS is not legally required, but it is still good practice to have one.
Services must be isolated by licensed trades. Only a licensed electrician should disconnect and make safe the cooktop, oven and circuits, and only a licensed gasfitter should disconnect and cap a gas supply. Strip-out crews should not cut cables or pipes on the assumption they are dead. Water should be isolated and lines capped before cabinets are pulled out.
Benchtops are the hazard most people underestimate. Natural stone slabs, porcelain and large timber tops are heavy and awkward, often over 100 kg for a long run, and need enough people or lifting aids. Engineered stone has been banned in Australia from 1 July 2024, so new engineered stone benchtops cannot be installed; removing or modifying an existing engineered stone benchtop is tightly controlled, so check your regulator's requirements before you cut it. Natural stone and porcelain still contain crystalline silica, so cutouts and edge work should be done in the fabricator's workshop, and any on-site cutting must be wet or with on-tool extraction.
Also plan for the occupants: keep children and pets out of the work area, keep the gas and power state clear to everyone on site, and manage dust so it does not spread through the house.
Customise this template with the house age and asbestos inspection results, who isolates electricity, gas and water and how this is confirmed, any wall removal and its structural design, benchtop material and weight with the lifting method, the order of trades, how the occupied areas are separated from the work area, and where waste is stored.
Personal Protective Equipment
High Risk Construction Work Types
- •Work that involves, or is likely to involve, disturbing asbestos
- •Work on or near energised electrical installations or services
Risk Assessment
1.Pre-start: asbestos check, occupant separation and access
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disturbing asbestos in splashbacks, linings or vinyl flooring | Catastrophic | For homes built before 1990, inspect and sample suspected materials before strip-out. If asbestos is confirmed, removal is done by a licensed removalist where over 10 m2 or friable, and to the asbestos removal code in all cases. Strip-out crew does not start until clearance is given. | Low | Builder / Asbestos Assessor |
| Occupants, children or pets entering the work area | High | Agree work hours and no-go areas with the owner. Install a lockable door or temporary barrier with dust sheeting. Keep tools and leads inside the work area. Check the area is secure at the end of each day. | Low | Builder |
2.Isolation of electricity, gas and water
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric shock from wiring to cooktop, oven, rangehood or GPOs | Catastrophic | Licensed electrician isolates and locks out circuits, tests for dead and makes safe all cables before strip-out. Isolation is tagged at the switchboard. Strip-out crew does not cut any cable. | Low | Electrician |
| Gas leak or fire from disconnected cooktop or oven | Catastrophic | Licensed gasfitter disconnects and caps the gas supply and leak tests before strip-out. No naked flames or hot work until the gasfitter confirms the line is capped. | Low | Gasfitter |
| Flooding from water lines during removal | Moderate | Plumber isolates and caps water supply to the sink and dishwasher before cabinets are removed. | Low | Plumber |
3.Strip-out of old cabinets, benchtops and appliances
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crush or back injury removing heavy benchtops and appliances | High | Remove doors, drawers and shelves first to lighten carcasses. Two-person lifts for benchtops and ovens. Use an appliance trolley. Clear a path to the skip before lifting. | Moderate | Carpenter / Labourer |
| Dust spreading through the house | Moderate | Seal doorways with plastic sheeting. Use a vacuum with an M-class filter, not dry sweeping. Wear a P2 respirator during strip-out. | Low | Builder |
4.Wall removal and structural changes (if part of the job)
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collapse from removing a load-bearing wall without support | Catastrophic | Do not remove any wall until the builder or engineer confirms whether it is load-bearing. If it is, install temporary props to the engineer's design before removal and keep them until the new beam is installed and fixed. Treat this as HRCW and add the specific steps to this SWMS. | Low | Builder / Engineer |
5.Cabinet and appliance installation
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wall cabinets falling during installation | High | Fix a temporary support batten or use cabinet jacks for overhead cabinets. Fix into studs or with rated fixings. Do not load cabinets until fully fixed. | Low | Cabinetmaker / Carpenter |
| Wood dust and noise from cutting panels on site | Moderate | Cut outside the house where possible, using saws connected to dust extraction. P2 respirator and hearing protection while cutting. | Low | Cabinetmaker |
6.Benchtop and splashback installation
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crush injury or dropped slab during benchtop placement | Catastrophic | Confirm slab weights with the supplier. Use enough people for the weight, plus slab carts or a lifting clamp. Carry stone on edge. Clear the path and check doorway widths before delivery. | Moderate | Stonemason / Installer |
| Silica dust from cutting or polishing natural stone or porcelain on site | High | Cutouts and edges done at the fabrication workshop. Any unavoidable on-site cutting or polishing done wet or with on-tool extraction to an H-class vacuum, outside, with a P2 respirator minimum. No new engineered stone to be installed. | Moderate | Stonemason / Installer |
7.Reconnection of services and clean-up
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe reconnection of gas or electrical appliances | High | Appliances connected only by a licensed electrician and gasfitter, with testing completed and compliance certificates issued before the kitchen is handed back. | Low | Electrician / Gasfitter |
| Lacerations and trips from waste and offcuts | Moderate | Remove waste to the skip daily. Keep access paths clear. Cut-resistant gloves when handling broken tiles, glass and metal. | Low | Labourer |
Relevant Codes of Practice
Worker Acknowledgement
By signing below, I confirm that I have read, understood and agree to comply with this Safe Work Method Statement.