Flexographic Printing SWMS
Narrow-web and wide-web flexographic press operations — anilox roller handling, doctor-blade change, plate mounting, solvent-ink exposure, web-break response and dryer-tunnel hot-work exclusion.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Flexographic printing operations expose press crews to a converging set of high-risk hazards: rotating anilox and impression rollers operating at web speeds exceeding 400 metres per minute, sharp doctor blades under spring tension, Class 3 flammable solvent inks (ethyl acetate, ethanol, n-propyl acetate), and dryer tunnels operating between 60°C and 90°C with forced-air recirculation. Under the Model WHS Regulations 2025 Chapter 4 Part 4.5 (Plant) and Part 7.1 (Hazardous Chemicals), any PCBU operating a flexographic press must document the specific controls applied to plant guarding, chemical exposure, and ignition-source management before work commences. A Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory because flexo work routinely triggers Schedule 3 high-risk construction-adjacent work involving powered mobile plant and hazardous chemicals stored above manifest quantities. This SWMS captures the engineering interlocks, solvent-handling sequences, and emergency web-break response procedures required to discharge the primary duty of care under section 19 of the WHS Act.
Hazards identified
7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Crush amputation of fingers or hand, degloving injuries, permanent loss of grip function and notifiable incident under s38
Deep tendon lacerations to fingers and palms requiring microsurgery and extended return-to-work restrictions
Flash fire or vapour-cloud deflagration causing burns, structural damage and Class 3.1 dangerous-goods notifiable event
Entanglement with impression cylinder, full-body draw-in injuries, fatality risk during unplanned recovery actions
Occupational contact dermatitis, defatting of skin, systemic absorption of glycol ether co-solvents over chronic exposure
Lumbar disc injury, crush injury to feet from dropped roller, long-term musculoskeletal disorder claims
Permanent noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus, and workers' compensation liability under s58 audiometric duty
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Remove the need for in-running reach by specifying presses with automatic web-threading and inline splice tables; eliminate manual blade contact via cassette-style doctor-blade systems.
- 2Elimination — Procure pre-mixed solvent inks delivered in closed-loop IBCs to remove decanting and reduce open-vessel vapour generation at the press deck entirely.
- 3Substitution — Substitute high-VOC ethyl acetate inks with water-based or low-migration UV-flexo inks where substrate and end-use permit, reducing Class 3.1 inventory below manifest threshold.
- 4Substitution — Replace solvent wash-up with enclosed automatic anilox cleaning systems using bicarbonate blasting or ultrasonic baths to eliminate manual rag-and-solvent exposure.
- 5Engineering — Maintain Category 3 interlocked guards on all nip points per AS 4024.1501 with dual-channel monitoring; verify stop time under 0.5 seconds at quarterly intervals.
- 6Engineering — Install LEV hoods at ink trays and dryer extraction ducted to atmosphere via solvent-rated fans, maintaining face velocity 0.5 m/s and intrinsically safe Zone 1 rating within 1 m of ink stations.
- 7Engineering — Provide overhead jib crane or roller-handling trolley rated to 150 kg for anilox changeover with tapered cradles preventing roll-off during transfer.
- 8Administrative — Implement lockout-tagout per AS 4024.1603 before any blade change, sleeve mount, or in-press intervention; permits signed by press operator and shift supervisor with isolation verified.
- 9Administrative — Conduct documented pre-start SWMS sign-on each shift covering web-break response sequence, solvent spill kit location, and dryer-tunnel hot-work exclusion zone of 3 metres.
- 10PPE — Issue Type A chemical-splash goggles, nitrile gauntlets (0.38 mm minimum) tested to EN 374 for ethyl acetate, Class 5 hearing protection, and antistatic safety footwear per AS/NZS 2210.3.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Mandates guarding category, stop-time verification and interlock performance level for the rotating nip points and doctor-blade chambers on flexo presses.
Triggers manifest, placarding, SDS register and atmospheric monitoring duties for ethyl acetate and ethanol inventories exceeding 250 L on site.
Defines Zone 1 and Zone 2 hazardous-area boundaries around solvent ink stations dictating electrical equipment selection and ignition-source exclusion radius.
Requires noise assessment, audiometric testing and engineering controls where dryer fans and vacuum pumps exceed the 85 dB(A) exposure standard.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Flexographic presses are powered industrial plant with mobile carriages, automatic web-handling, and reel-stand transports moving rolls exceeding 500 kg across the production floor.
Solvent-based inks contain ethyl acetate and ethanol classified GHS Category 2 flammable liquids, with on-press inventories routinely exceeding placarding thresholds under Schedule 11.
PCBU must consult workers on control selection under s47, retain the SWMS for two years from work cessation, and produce it on inspector request — penalties are substantial and indexed; current maximum follows the prevailing WHS schedule.
Who this is for
- →Press operators in narrow-web label converting
- →Production supervisors at flexible packaging plants
- →WHS managers in corrugated and folding-carton printing
- →Maintenance fitters servicing flexographic press lines
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 flexible-packaging converter running an eight-colour central-impression flexo press on a metallised film job, the shift supervisor convenes the 6:00 am pre-start brief at the press deck. The SWMS is opened on the line-side tablet and projected onto the supervisor's screen. The crew reviews the seven listed hazards, with particular attention paid to the web-break recovery procedure because the previous shift logged two breaks on the same substrate. The lead operator confirms the lockout-tagout permit book is on the deck and that the chambered doctor-blade cassette tool has been inspected. During the brief, an apprentice raises that the ethyl acetate IBC is reading low — the supervisor pauses the sign-on, references the SWMS control requiring IBC changeover under LEV with the press in safe state, and schedules the swap for the upcoming colour change rather than mid-run. Each crew member signs the SWMS register electronically with their HRWL number. Two hours into the run, a web break occurs in the dryer tunnel. The operator follows the documented sequence: e-stop, isolate, dump dryer heat, wait for tunnel temperature below 40°C confirmed on the HMI, then enter with a second person observing. The SWMS is re-opened, the deviation noted in the field-amendment log, and the recovery completed without incident. The document functioned as both training reference and live decision tool.
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 (model)
- WHS Regulation 2025
- AS 2550 — Cranes, hoists and winches; AS 1418 series