Steel Fixing and Reinforcement — Safe Work Method Statement
Safe Work Method Statement for steel fixers placing and tying reinforcing bar and mesh for footings, slabs, walls, columns and beams, including crane-lifted cages, cutting and bending, and impalement protection.
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Steel fixing is High Risk Construction Work wherever a fixer could fall more than 2 metres, which includes most work on suspended slab decks, beam and column cages, walls and deep footings and pile caps. It is also HRCW where it is carried out in an area with powered mobile plant, which covers most commercial sites with cranes, concrete trucks and telehandlers working around the deck. A SWMS is required before work starts, and it needs to fit with the formwork contractor's SWMS because the two trades share the deck.
The hazards specific to steel fixing are impalement, collapse of cages, and manual handling. A fall onto an uncapped starter bar can kill even from a low height, so every exposed vertical bar end needs a cap the moment it is placed. Use impalement-rated caps or covers where someone could fall onto the bars from above. Plastic mushroom caps only protect against scratches and minor contact. Tall column and wall cages are unstable until they are tied into formwork or braced. Never climb a cage, and brace and guy it as soon as it is stood up. Prefabricated cages and bundles lifted by crane need correct slinging, which is dogging work and requires a high risk work licence for dogging. Bars, mesh and tie-wire reels are heavy and awkward, and steel fixing involves a lot of repetitive bending and twisting, so back injuries are common.
Cutting and bending bar brings its own risks: abrasive cut-off saws and grinders cause kickback, sparks and burns, and powered bar benders and cutters can crush and amputate fingers. Hot work near formwork or timber needs a fire watch. On decks, steel fixers work right at slab edges and penetrations, so edge protection and secured penetration covers must stay in place. If they have to be moved, the fixer must agree an alternative control with the principal contractor first.
No WHS licence is needed for steel fixing itself, but anyone slinging and directing crane lifts must hold the relevant high risk work licence. Bar placement, cover and laps must follow the structural drawings, and the engineer or certifier inspects the steel before the pour.
Customise this template with: the structure and level being fixed; the crane and lifting arrangement and who holds the dogging licence; the edge protection and access to the deck; the cap and cover types for bar ends; cage bracing details for walls and columns; the cutting and bending equipment used on site; the laydown area; and the hold point for engineer inspection before the pour.
Personal Protective Equipment
High Risk Construction Work Types
- •Risk of a person falling more than 2 metres
- •Work in an area with movement of powered mobile plant
Risk Assessment
1.Delivery, laydown and sorting of reinforcement
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Struck by bundles during unloading or by moving plant in the laydown area | High | Unload bundles with the truck crane, site crane or forklift using rated lifting gear, never by rolling bundles off the truck. Keep everyone clear of suspended loads. Set the laydown area on level ground on timber bearers, away from traffic routes, with a separate pedestrian path. Stack bundles no more than three high and label them by bar mark. | Low | Leading Hand / Dogger |
| Back and shoulder injuries carrying long bars and mesh | High | Move bundles to the work area by crane or telehandler, landed as close as possible to where they will be placed. Two-person carry for bars over 6 metres and for full mesh sheets. Carry bars on the shoulder with a pad, not under the arm. Keep the carry route clear of trip hazards. | Moderate | Steel Fixer |
2.Cutting and bending bar
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kickback, sparks and burns from abrasive cut-off saws and grinders | High | Prefer hydraulic bar cutters over abrasive discs. Where saws are used, support the bar on both sides of the cut and clamp it. Check the disc rating against the tool speed and keep guards fitted. Wear a face shield over safety glasses and hearing protection. Cut away from timber formwork and other workers, with a fire extinguisher on hand and a fire watch where sparks reach combustible material. | Low | Steel Fixer |
| Finger crush or amputation in powered benders and cutters | High | Only trained workers use powered benders and cutters. Keep guards and foot pedal covers in place. Keep hands clear of the bending pin and blades. Isolate the machine before clearing jams or changing pins. Do not wear loose gloves near rotating parts if the manufacturer advises against it. | Low | Steel Fixer |
3.Fixing footing, slab and deck reinforcement
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falls from the slab edge or through deck penetrations | Catastrophic | Do not start until the formwork contractor has handed over the deck with edge protection and secured penetration covers in place. Never remove edge protection or covers to fix steel. If access to the edge is needed, agree an alternative control such as an EWP with the principal contractor first. Report damaged edge protection straight away. | Moderate | Leading Hand / Principal Contractor |
| Trips and ankle injuries walking on mesh and bar mats | Moderate | Lay planks or walk boards as walkways across reinforcement mats. Step on bar intersections, not between bars. Keep tie-wire offcuts and bar chairs off walkways. Wear boots with good ankle support. | Low | Steel Fixer |
| Back strain from prolonged bending to tie bar | High | Use long-handled or powered rebar tying tools for large areas of deck and slab. Rotate workers between tying and placing every hour. Use knee pads when kneeling. Take regular breaks in hot weather. | Moderate | Steel Fixer |
4.Fixing wall and column cages
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cage collapse or toppling before it is braced | Catastrophic | Brace or guy wall and column cages as they are erected, to the design or engineer's details. Never leave a tall cage free-standing at the end of a shift. Stop work on tall cages in high winds. Keep an exclusion zone around cages being stood up. | Low | Leading Hand |
| Falls from climbing cages to fix upper bars | Catastrophic | Never climb reinforcement cages. Fix upper bars from a mobile scaffold, a fixer's platform or an EWP with guardrails. Where cages are prefabricated on the ground, fix the upper ties before lifting. | Moderate | Steel Fixer / Leading Hand |
5.Crane lifting of prefabricated cages and bundles
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Load falling or swinging during crane lifts | Catastrophic | Slinging and directing lifts is done only by a licensed dogger or rigger. Use a spreader or lifting frame for long cages, with lifting points designed so the cage does not deform. Use tag lines to control the load. Nobody stands under or in the path of the load. Lower cages onto supports and brace before unhooking. | Low | Dogger / Crane Operator |
6.Impalement protection and pre-pour handover
| Hazard / Risk | Initial Risk | Control Measures | Residual Risk | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impalement on exposed starter bars and bar ends | Catastrophic | Cap every exposed vertical bar end as soon as it is placed. Use impalement-rated caps or continuous covers where anyone could fall onto the bars from above, such as below a deck edge or next to a wall. Check caps at the end of each shift and replace missing ones. Leave caps in place until the bars are built into the next stage. | Low | Steel Fixer / Leading Hand |
| Trip and cut hazards left on the deck before the pour | Moderate | Remove tie-wire offcuts, loose bar and packaging from the deck before the engineer's inspection. Hand the deck back to the principal contractor with walkways clear and caps in place. | Low | Leading Hand |
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.