Die Cutting SWMS (Printing / Packaging)
Flat-bed and rotary die-cutting on converting presses and clamshell platens. Addresses finger amputation on platen closure, nip-point entanglement at feed rollers, sharp-edge laceration during die changes, noise at press speed, and lockout-tagout during jam clearance.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Die cutting on flat-bed and rotary converting equipment is one of the highest-risk operations in the Australian printing and packaging sector, combining stored mechanical energy, sharp tooling and high-speed material feed in a single work envelope. Platen presses close with forces sufficient to amputate fingers in milliseconds, while rotary die stations present continuous in-running nip points at feed and delivery rollers. Die changes expose operators to razor-edge steel rule, and jam clearance routinely tempts workers to bypass interlocks under production pressure. Under WHS Regulation 2025 Part 3.2 (Plant), a PCBU operating powered plant of this class must identify foreseeable hazards, apply the hierarchy of control, and document the safe system of work before the press is started. A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory because die cutting meets the high-risk construction/plant criteria under Schedule 1 and because plant-related crush injuries remain a leading cause of serious notifiable incidents in converting facilities.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Finger or hand amputation, degloving injury and permanent loss of function from clamshell closure on body part
Entanglement of fingers, hair, jewellery or loose clothing causing crush, avulsion and traumatic limb amputation
Deep lacerations to hands and forearms, tendon damage and bloodborne pathogen exposure during die change tasks
Unexpected platen movement causing crush injury to head, torso or limbs of worker inside the danger zone
Permanent noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus and chronic auditory fatigue requiring workers compensation claim
Musculoskeletal strain, lumbar disc injury and crush injury to feet from dropped tooling exceeding 25 kilograms
Fall injuries, sprains and secondary contact with moving plant or sharp edges on adjacent equipment
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Where production volume permits, replace manual die cutting with pre-cut stock supplied by the substrate vendor, removing the cutting hazard from the site entirely.
- 2Elimination — Remove the need to enter the platen envelope during jams by specifying automated waste extraction and matrix stripping integrated with the press feeder system.
- 3Substitution — Replace traditional sharp-rule steel dies with magnetic flexible dies on rotary stations, reducing edge exposure during tool change and storage handling.
- 4Engineering — Install Category 4 light curtains and two-hand control devices on platen presses, interlocked to AS 4024.1601 standards to prevent closure when the danger zone is occupied.
- 5Engineering — Fit fixed perimeter guarding with interlocked access gates on all rotary nip points, ensuring guards meet reach-distance requirements of AS 4024.1801.
- 6Engineering — Provide acoustic enclosures and damped delivery chutes to reduce operator noise exposure below the 85 dB(A) eight-hour exposure standard under WHS Reg 2025 r58.
- 7Administrative — Implement a documented lockout-tagout procedure for all die changes and jam clearances, with personal locks issued to each authorised operator and verified zero-energy state.
- 8Administrative — Restrict press operation to workers holding verified competency assessment, with daily pre-start inspection logged on the SWMS sign-on sheet before production commences.
- 9PPE — Provide cut-resistant gloves rated EN 388 Level D for die handling, removed before press start to prevent entanglement, plus Class 5 hearing protection.
- 10PPE — Supply safety footwear with steel toe and metatarsal guard rated to AS/NZS 2210.3, with high-visibility vests where mobile plant operates in the converting bay.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Imposes specific PCBU duties to identify plant hazards, install guarding, isolate energy sources during maintenance and maintain inspection records for powered presses.
Specifies design and performance requirements for the light curtains, interlocked access gates and fixed guarding required on die-cutting platens and rotary nips.
Provides the approved methodology for plant risk assessment, hierarchy application and isolation procedures that the SWMS must demonstrate compliance with.
Defines the measurement protocol underpinning the 85 dB(A) exposure standard triggering audiometric testing and engineering noise controls on press lines.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Die-cutter platens and rotary presses exert powered crush and shear forces capable of severing fingers on contact with the cutting zone, meeting the Schedule 1 trigger.
PCBU must consult workers during SWMS development under WHS Reg 2025 r39, retain the document for the duration of the work plus two years, and review after any incident. Penalties for Category 1 breach are substantial and indexed; current maximum follows the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Converting plant managers in commercial packaging facilities
- →Press operators and die-cutting machinists on production lines
- →Maintenance fitters performing die change and jam clearance
- →WHS coordinators auditing printing and packaging operations
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
At a mid-sized corrugated packaging plant running a flat-bed clamshell die-cutter on the night shift, the leading hand opens the pre-start brief by walking the four-person crew through this SWMS at the press. The operator confirms the light curtain self-test has passed and signs the daily inspection block on page two. During the brief, the apprentice raises that the previous shift left a partial waste matrix in the delivery — the leading hand cross-references the slip hazard line item and directs the apprentice to clear the bay before start-up, logging the corrective action on the SWMS variation page. Two hours into the run, a board jam stops the press. Rather than reaching through the guard opening, the operator applies the documented lockout sequence shown in the controls section: presses emergency stop, isolates the main disconnect, applies his personal lock and tag, bleeds pneumatic pressure, and only then enters the platen envelope wearing cut-resistant gloves to clear the jam. After clearance, the second operator independently verifies the energy-isolated state before locks are removed and production resumes. The SWMS sign-on sheet is updated with the jam event and time, creating the audit trail required if a notifiable incident review later examines isolation discipline on the line.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS 2550 — Cranes, hoists and winches; AS 1418 series