Tank & Silo Demolition SWMS
Demolition of industrial tanks (steel, concrete) and silos. Includes residue purging and cleaning, confined space entry for internal cutting where required, oxy or plasma cutting of steel, sequenced collapse, hauling off-site.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Demolition of industrial tanks and silos is one of the most hazardous activities in the Australian construction and resources sectors, combining structural collapse risk, hot work, confined space entry and residual chemical exposure in a single sequenced operation. This SWMS addresses the full demolition cycle: residue purging and cleaning, atmospheric testing, internal and external oxy-fuel or plasma cutting of steel shells, controlled section drops on concrete silos, and load-out for off-site disposal. Because the work involves structural alterations to a load-bearing structure, demolition activity, confined space entry and hot work, it is classified as High Risk Construction Work under WHS Regulation 2025 Schedule 1, triggering the mandatory preparation, consultation and on-site availability of a SWMS before works commence. PCBUs cannot rely on a generic demolition SWMS — tank and silo work demands a structure-specific document that integrates demolition sequencing with confined space and hazardous chemical controls.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Deflagration or BLEVE causing fatal burns, blast trauma and projectile injuries to cutting crew and adjacent workers
Asphyxiation, loss of consciousness, acute chemical pneumonitis or death within minutes of unprotected entry
Crush fatalities, multiple traumatic injuries and secondary structural damage to adjacent plant or services
Acute chemical burns, hydrogen sulfide poisoning, long-term carcinogenic exposure and contaminated waste liability
Fatal falls, fractures and spinal injuries when working platforms are removed progressively with the structure
Burns, secondary fires, oxy-acetylene hose failures and explosive rupture of pressurised cutting equipment
Dust deflagration, secondary explosions, severe burns and structural failure of adjoining silo cells
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where feasible, fell the entire tank or silo intact using explosive or mechanical pull-down methods to eliminate confined space entry and internal hot work altogether.
- 2Elimination — Remove all residual product, sludge and vapour by certified cleaning contractor and issue a gas-free certificate before any cutting tool is brought to site.
- 3Substitution — Replace oxy-fuel cutting with cold-cutting methods (hydraulic shears, diamond wire saw, abrasive water jet) on any vessel that has held flammable or reactive product.
- 4Substitution — Use remote-operated demolition robots or long-reach excavators with shear attachments instead of manual internal cutting wherever shell thickness permits.
- 5Engineering — Implement a demolition engineer-stamped sequence plan with calculated cut patterns, exclusion zones and tag-line controlled section drops verified before each cut.
- 6Engineering — Continuous atmospheric monitoring with calibrated four-gas detectors, mechanical ventilation delivering minimum 20 air changes per hour, and rescue tripod with retrieval winch at every confined space portal.
- 7Administrative — Issue daily hot work permits, confined space entry permits and pre-start briefings against this SWMS, with standby person, trained rescue team and emergency communications confirmed before entry.
- 8Administrative — Enforce exclusion zones equal to 1.5 times structure height, restrict personnel to essential crew during cuts, and suspend works in winds exceeding the engineer-specified threshold.
- 9PPE — Flame-resistant coveralls to AS/NZS 4824, full face shield with shade-appropriate lens, leather spats and gauntlets, P3 respiratory protection or supplied air for residue exposure.
- 10PPE — Full body harness to AS/NZS 1891.1 with twin lanyards for height work, and self-contained breathing apparatus for emergency egress from internal cutting positions.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates demolition plan, engineering survey, sequencing controls and exclusion zones for structures over 6m or with structural complexity, directly governing tank and silo works.
Governs entry permits, atmospheric testing, ventilation, standby person and rescue arrangements for any internal cutting or cleaning inside a tank or silo.
Sets hot work fire watch, combustible removal, vapour testing and hose protection requirements applicable to all oxy-fuel and plasma cutting on the demolition.
Triggers identification, SDS review, exposure assessment and disposal controls for residual hydrocarbons, H2S, heavy metals and combustible dust encountered during purging.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Tank shells, silo walls and roof structures are load-bearing elements whose progressive removal is the core scope of the demolition sequence.
Internal cleaning, atmospheric testing and shell cutting from inside the vessel constitute confined space entry under AS 2865 definitions.
Tank and silo demolition routinely occurs near energised process electrical, instrumentation and lightning protection systems requiring isolation verification.
PCBU must prepare, consult workers on, and keep the SWMS available for inspection; failure attracts substantial indexed penalties under the prevailing WHS schedule, with records retained for the project life plus statutory period.
Who this is for
- →Licensed demolition contractors handling industrial decommissioning
- →Principal contractors on refinery and bulk storage tear-downs
- →Confined space cutting crews and hot work supervisors
- →Resources sector site managers overseeing silo removal
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 grain terminal decommissioning, the demolition supervisor pulls this SWMS at the 6:30am pre-start brief in the site office before crews approach a 28-metre concrete silo cell scheduled for sectional cutting that day. Working through the hazard register with the four-person crew, the supervisor flags the combustible dust hazard identified in the document and confirms the previous shift's vacuum cleaning and damp-down record, then walks the controls matrix — confirming the gas-free certificate is current, the four-gas monitor is calibrated and bump-tested, the rescue tripod is rigged at the man-way, and the standby person has radio contact with the site emergency channel. Each worker signs onto the SWMS against their nominated task. Mid-morning, wind speed climbs above the 35km/h threshold the engineering control specifies for sectional drops. The leading hand stops work, references the SWMS administrative control on wind suspension, and reassigns the crew to ground-level shear cutting on already-felled sections until conditions ease. Before resuming overhead cuts after lunch, the supervisor reissues the hot work permit, re-tests the atmosphere at the cut line, and records the SWMS review in the site diary — demonstrating the document is a live control, not a shelf artefact, and satisfying the PCBU's consultation and review duties under WHS Regulation 2025.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS 2865 — Confined spaces