Plasterboard Wall and Ceiling Lining — Safe Work Method Statement
Safe Work Method Statement for hanging, fixing, setting and sanding plasterboard wall and ceiling linings in new homes, extensions and commercial fit-outs, including sheet handling, ceiling lifts, working platforms and removal of old linings.
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Wall and ceiling lining is not High Risk Construction Work by itself, but two HRCW triggers come up on most jobs. The first is a fall of more than 2 metres: lining raked or cathedral ceilings, stairwells, voids and commercial ceilings above about 3.5 metres usually means working from a mobile scaffold, trestle platform or EWP where the platform edge is high enough for a fall over 2 metres. The second is asbestos: in renovation work, the old linings, cornices and eaves being removed or cut into in homes built before 1990 may be asbestos cement sheet, and textured ceilings from that era can contain asbestos. Where neither applies, a SWMS is not legally required, but most builders and principal contractors will still ask for one.
The injuries that actually happen on lining jobs are mostly manual handling and falls from low platforms. A 13 mm sheet at 1200 x 3600 can weigh over 30 kg, and pushing sheets overhead into a ceiling by hand is a common cause of shoulder and back injury. Plan for ceiling lifts (sheet jacks), two-person carries, and deliveries placed as close as possible to the room where the sheets go. Falls from trestles, planks and stepladders at 1 to 2 metres cause serious injuries even though they are below the HRCW threshold, so platforms need to be stable, fully decked and the right height for the job.
Setting and sanding create fine dust. Jointing compounds are a respiratory irritant and some contain crystalline silica, so check the SDS. Use a sander connected to an extraction vacuum or wet-sponge finishing where you can, and wear at least a P2 respirator when dry sanding. Fixing into walls and ceilings also means drilling, screwing and cutting near existing cables and pipes, so confirm where services run and get circuits isolated by an electrician where you will be cutting into existing linings.
No specific licence is needed to hang plasterboard, but anyone operating a boom-type EWP with a boom length of 11 metres or more needs a high risk work licence, and the people erecting a scaffold from which a person or object could fall more than 4 metres need a scaffolding licence. Some states license wall and ceiling lining as a building trade for residential work, so check your state or territory regulator.
Customise this template with the building age and asbestos register or inspection result, the ceiling heights and the access equipment for each area, sheet sizes and delivery location, the extraction equipment for sanding, which circuits are isolated and by whom, and the other trades working in the same area.
Personal Protective Equipment
High Risk Construction Work Types
- •Risk of a person falling more than 2 metres
- •Work that involves, or is likely to involve, disturbing asbestos
Risk Assessment
1.Pre-start checks: asbestos, services and access
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disturbing asbestos when removing or cutting into old linings, cornices or textured ceilings | Catastrophic | For buildings built before 1990, check the asbestos register or get the material inspected and tested before any removal or cutting. Do not cut, break or sand suspected asbestos sheet. Non-friable removal of more than 10 m2 must be done by a licensed removalist; any removal is done to the asbestos removal code, not by the lining crew as general strip-out. | Low | Builder / Site Supervisor |
| Contact with live cables when cutting or fixing into existing walls and ceilings | High | Ask the electrician to identify and isolate circuits in the work area before existing linings are cut or removed. Use a cable detector before drilling or cutting. Cut openings with a hand saw or shallow-set oscillating tool, not a deep plunge cut. Treat all cables as live until confirmed isolated and tagged. | Low | Electrician / Plasterer |
2.Delivery, storage and carrying of plasterboard sheets
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back and shoulder injury carrying full-size sheets | High | Arrange delivery with a crane truck or loader direct to each floor or room where possible. Use sheet trolleys or carts on level floors. Two people carry sheets longer than 2.4 m or heavier than about 20 kg. Do not carry sheets up stairs alone. Rotate tasks across the day. | Moderate | Plasterer / Leading Hand |
| Stacked sheets falling or floor overloaded | Moderate | Stack sheets flat on level bearers, not leaning against walls or frames. Keep stacks clear of doorways and access paths. Confirm with the builder that upper floors and suspended slabs can take the stack weight before loading. | Low | Plasterer / Builder |
3.Setting up working platforms and access equipment
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall from trestles, planks or stepladders | High | Use plasterers trestles or a mobile scaffold with a fully decked platform at least 450 mm wide. Planks overlap and secured, no gaps. Platform at a height that lets you work without overreaching. Stepladders only for short tasks with three points of contact; never stand on the top two steps. | Low | Plasterer |
| Fall of more than 2 m in stairwells, voids or high ceilings | Catastrophic | Use a mobile scaffold with guardrails, midrails and toeboards, wheels locked, erected to the manufacturer's instructions and AS/NZS 4576 guidance, or an EWP operated by a trained (and where required licensed) operator. Install edge protection or cover stairwell voids before lining begins. Do not bridge planks over stairwells. | Low | Site Supervisor / Scaffolder |
4.Hanging and fixing ceiling sheets
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Musculoskeletal injury pushing sheets overhead by hand | High | Use a ceiling lift (sheet jack) for all ceiling sheets. Lock the lift wheels and winch once at height. Never stand under a sheet held only by a lift. Where a lift cannot be used, two people with props or a dead man support the sheet while it is fixed. | Moderate | Plasterer |
| Eye injury from debris and dust falling during overhead fixing | Moderate | Wear safety glasses when fixing overhead. Clear the ceiling framing of offcuts before lifting sheets. Keep screws in a pouch, not loose on the platform. | Low | Plasterer |
5.Cutting and fixing wall sheets
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacerations from utility knives and saws | Moderate | Use retractable knives and replace blades often. Cut away from the body on a stable surface. Use a jab saw or router with a guide for service openings. Keep hands clear of the cut line. | Low | Plasterer |
| Sheets falling while being positioned on walls | Moderate | Use a sheet lifter (foot lever) to raise and hold sheets. Do not leave sheets leaning unfixed against frames. Fix top sheets first with a second worker holding. | Low | Plasterer |
6.Setting, cornice installation and sanding
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inhalation of fine dust when sanding joints | High | Use a pole or orbital sander connected to a vacuum with an M- or H-class filter, or wet-sponge finish. P2 respirator minimum during dry sanding. Close off the room from other trades and keep doors shut. Clean with a vacuum, never dry sweep or blow down with compressed air. | Low | Plasterer |
| Skin irritation from setting compounds and cornice cement | Moderate | Read the SDS for each compound. Mix powders with low dust pouring, in a ventilated area. Wear gloves and wash skin promptly after contact. | Low | Plasterer |
7.Clean-up and waste removal
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slips and trips on offcuts and wet compound | Moderate | Clear offcuts to a skip or waste bag at the end of each room. Keep stairs and access paths clear at all times. Clean up wet compound spills immediately. | Low | Plasterer |
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.