Smelter & Furnace Demolition SWMS
Demolition of industrial smelters and furnaces. Includes pre-demo refractory characterisation, residue testing (heavy metals), controlled cool-down, refractory brick removal with dust suppression, structural steel cutting, waste classification.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Demolition of industrial smelters and furnaces is among the most hazardous decommissioning work undertaken in Australia, combining residual thermal energy, crystalline silica and refractory ceramic fibre exposure, heavy-metal contaminated residues (lead, arsenic, cadmium, hexavalent chromium), and structural collapse risk during steel shell cutting. This work is classified High Risk Construction Work under WHS Regulation 2025 Schedule 1 because it involves demolition of load-bearing structures, work in confined or partially enclosed spaces, and disturbance of materials containing hazardous chemicals. A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory under WHS Regulation 2025 r299 before work commences, must be developed in consultation with workers under r47, and must remain accessible on site for the duration of the works. This SWMS addresses the full demolition sequence from pre-demolition refractory characterisation and residue sampling through controlled cool-down, refractory removal with engineered dust suppression, oxy-fuel and plasma cutting of structural steel, and classification of contaminated waste streams under the relevant state EPA waste tracking framework.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Full-thickness burns, steam explosion from water contact, ignition of cutting gases, potential fatality from thermal blast
Accelerated silicosis, lung cancer, pleural plaques — IARC Group 1 and 2B carcinogens, irreversible disease, dust diseases register notification
Acute and chronic systemic toxicity, carcinogenic exposure, blood lead elevation triggering health monitoring removal under WHS r435
Crush fatality, multi-worker entrapment, secondary collapse of attached ductwork and charge floor structures, notifiable incident
Asphyxiation within seconds, chemical pneumonitis, unconsciousness before symptoms recognised — confined space fatality risk
Flash fire, deflagration, burns, secondary structural failure, requires hot work permit and atmospheric testing under AS 1674.1
Crush injuries to hands and feet, dropped object fatality to workers below, musculoskeletal injury from sustained awkward postures
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where furnace integrity permits, specify full mechanical demolition using long-reach excavator with shear attachment from outside the structure, eliminating worker entry into the hot zone entirely.
- 2Elimination — Mandate complete cool-down verified by thermal imaging below 40°C surface temperature and 60°C internal before any cutting or breaking work commences, eliminating thermal hazard.
- 3Substitution — Replace dry pneumatic brick breaking with hydraulic splitting or diamond wire sawing using continuous water suppression to substitute high-energy dust generation with low-energy wet methods.
- 4Substitution — Substitute oxy-fuel cutting with cold cutting methods (hydraulic shears, diamond wire) on contaminated steel sections to eliminate fume generation from heavy-metal coated surfaces.
- 5Engineering — Install local exhaust ventilation with HEPA H14 filtration at all brick removal points, maintain 0.5 m/s capture velocity verified per AS/NZS 60335.2.69 and pre-shift airflow checks.
- 6Engineering — Erect independent demolition support frames and progressive bracing engineered by a structural engineer before any load-bearing element is cut, with exclusion zones at 1.5× structure height.
- 7Engineering — Continuous atmospheric monitoring inside furnace cavity for O2, CO, H2S, SO2 and LEL with alarm-linked forced ventilation per AS/NZS 2865 confined space standard.
- 8Administrative — Issue daily hot work permits, confined space entry permits, and demolition sequence sign-off by competent supervisor; conduct biological monitoring for lead exposure per WHS r394 schedule.
- 9Administrative — Pre-demolition hazardous materials survey by occupational hygienist sampling refractory, slag and flue dust for asbestos, RCF, silica and heavy metals; classify waste streams under NEPM.
- 10PPE — Powered air-purifying respirators with P3/TM3 cartridges, aluminised heat-reflective coveralls for hot zones, Type 5/6 chemical suits for residue handling, FR underlayer, impact gloves and metatarsal boots.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates demolition plan, structural engineer involvement, sequence control and exclusion zones — directly applicable to furnace shell dismantling and progressive collapse prevention.
Specifies pre-demolition survey, services isolation, structural assessment and protection of adjacent property — referenced for furnace and stack demolition methodology.
Establishes hierarchy of control duty under WHS r36 and fume control duties during oxy-fuel cutting of heavy-metal contaminated structural steel.
Applies to entry into furnace cavity for refractory removal — mandates entry permits, atmospheric testing, standby person and rescue arrangements under WHS r66-77.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Smelter shells, charge floors and tap-hole structures are load-bearing elements supporting refractory mass and process equipment, triggering Cat 5 throughout dismantling.
Workers entering furnace cavity, flue ducts and slag pots for refractory removal meet the confined space definition under AS/NZS 2865 due to restricted access and atmospheric hazards.
Disturbance of refractory ceramic fibre, crystalline silica, lead-bearing flue dust and arsenic-contaminated slag meets the hazardous chemical disturbance criterion under Schedule 1.
PCBU must prepare the SWMS in consultation with workers, retain records for two years (or for the life of any notifiable incident investigation), and provide it to the principal contractor — penalties for non-compliance under WHS Act s32 are substantial and indexed; current maximum follows the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Demolition contractors decommissioning metallurgical plant
- →Refractory specialist subcontractors and bricklayers
- →Principal contractors on smelter closure projects
- →Site supervisors and HSE managers in heavy industry
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX template — Microsoft Word compatible
- ✓State-specific WHS legislation schedule (NSW/VIC/QLD/SA/WA/TAS/NT/ACT)
- ✓Hazard register with risk ratings + hierarchy-of-control mapping
- ✓Worker sign-on register, pre-start checklist, and incident escalation flow
Worked example
On a regional copper smelter closure project, the demolition supervisor opens the pre-start brief at 6:15am with the crew of eight assembled at the reverberatory furnace. The SWMS is on the table alongside the daily hot work permit and confined space entry register. Reviewing the hazards section, the supervisor confirms with the leading hand that thermal imaging taken the previous evening showed the southern wall still at 78°C internal — above the 60°C threshold in the SWMS controls. The crew agrees to defer brick removal on that face for 24 hours and redeploy to flue duct dismantling instead, which the SWMS sequence permits. The hygienist reports overnight area monitoring showed lead in dust at 0.04 mg/m³, prompting the supervisor to escalate respiratory protection from half-face P3 to PAPR for the residue handling team, referencing the PPE control line in the SWMS. Each worker signs on against the hazard register, initialling the heavy-metal and silica entries to confirm they have been briefed on health monitoring requirements. At 10:30am, an oxy-fuel cutter notices unexpected discolouration on a steel beam suggesting residual coating; work stops, the SWMS is consulted, and the substitution control directing cold cutting is invoked — a hydraulic shear is brought in, and the change is recorded on the SWMS amendment log before work resumes.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS 2601 — Demolition of structures