Raised Access Floor Install SWMS
Install of raised access flooring for data centres / offices. Includes pedestal layout, stringer install, panel placement, cut-outs for cable / data points, ramp install at entries.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Raised access floor installation covers the installation of raised access flooring — installing the pedestals, stringers and floor panels that create a raised access floor with a void beneath, common in data centres, offices and computer rooms where services run in the void. It combines the flooring installation with the considerations of raised access flooring: the working at the open void and edge as the floor is built up, the manual handling of the panels and pedestals, the services running in the void, and the pedestal stability and panel fit. This document is written on the basis that raised access floor installation is carried out by competent installers with the void-edge, manual-handling, services and stability controls in place.
Raised access floor installation is carried out with the open void and edge managed as the floor is built up, the panels and pedestals handled safely, the services in the void coordinated, and the pedestal stability and panel fit confirmed. The void and edge, the manual handling, the services, and the stability are the considerations. This document coordinates the void-edge, manual-handling, services and stability controls so the raised access floor is installed safely.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Falls and trips into the open void and from the edge as the floor is built
Musculoskeletal injury handling the panels and pedestals
Electrical and services hazards from the services in the void
Instability and panel failure where pedestals or panels are not secure
Trips on the partially installed raised floor and openings
Knee and back injury from kneeling and bending
Skin and respiratory exposure to the pedestal adhesives
Dust, silica and lacerations from cutting panels
Coordination and hazards working in occupied or fit-out spaces
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: manage the open void and edge as the floor is built up — barriers, covers and edge protection, and protecting openings and partially installed areas against falls and trips.
- 2Engineering: use mechanical aids and team lifting for the heavy rolls, packs, bags and panels, and manage the awkward kneeling and bending postures of flooring work with knee protection, task rotation and breaks.
- 3Administrative: coordinate the services running in the void, with electrical work and any live services managed by a licensed electrician, and do not disturb live services.
- 4Engineering: confirm the pedestal stability and panel fit so the pedestals and panels are secure and the floor is stable.
- 5Administrative: manage trips on the partially installed floor and openings with housekeeping and protection, and manage the kneeling and bending postures.
- 6Administrative: manage the pedestal adhesives to their safety data sheets, and where panels are cut control any dust or respirable crystalline silica at the source.
- 7Administrative: maintain housekeeping and manage slips, trips and the work area, and coordinate with other trades and any occupants where working in an occupied or fit-out space.
- 8Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001) where the work is construction work, with the flooring, asbestos-awareness and any other competencies required for the work.
- 9Administrative: conduct a pre-start toolbox talk covering the day's work, identified hazards, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
- 10Administrative: consult workers and any health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document available at the workplace.
- 11PPE: eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, hearing protection where required, gloves appropriate to the task, knee protection for kneeling work, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
- 12Administrative: review and update this SWMS whenever the work scope changes, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, when new hazards are identified, or at minimum every 12 months.
- 13Administrative: ensure the work is carried out by competent flooring installers, with any electrical work by a licensed electrician and any asbestos removal by a licensed asbestos removalist, under the applicable requirements.
Applicable Codes of Practice
The general construction work duties where the flooring is part of construction work.
The control of the manual handling and awkward postures of flooring work, including heavy rolls, packs and panels.
Management of the coatings, adhesives, hardeners and chemicals, including safety data sheets and exposure controls.
Selection, fit testing and use of respiratory protection for wood dust, silica, asbestos, isocyanates and other airborne hazards.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the hazards of the work.
Who this is for
- →Installers laying raised access flooring.
- →Raised access and data-centre flooring contractors.
- →Flooring businesses providing raised access floors.
- →Data centres, offices and PCBUs requiring raised access floors.
- →PCBU safety managers and supervisors coordinating the void-edge, services and stability controls.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) fully compatible with Microsoft Word 2016 and newer, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- ✓Title page with editable fields for PCBU name, ABN, site address, project name, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the raised access floor installation hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Raised access floor prompts referencing the construction and hazardous manual tasks Codes of Practice, a void-edge and trip section, a services-in-void section, and a pedestal-stability and panel record.
- ✓Competency and licensing prompts for the flooring work and any asbestos removal or electrical work, and a respiratory protection selection and fit-test record per AS/NZS 1715 where relevant.
- ✓Worker consultation record per the model WHS Act consultation duty and a worker sign-on register (blank, expandable).
- ✓Applicable legislation and Codes of Practice schedule pre-populated for the model WHS jurisdiction with a state-variance reference table covering the harmonised states, plus Victoria.
- ✓Emergency procedure template and a revision log.
Worked example
An installer is engaged to install a raised access floor in a data centre. The open void and edge are managed as the floor is built up — barriers, covers and edge protection, and protecting openings and partially installed areas against falls and trips. The panels and pedestals are handled with mechanical aids and team lifting, and the kneeling and bending postures managed. The services running in the void are coordinated, with electrical work and any live services managed by a licensed electrician, and live services not disturbed. The pedestal stability and panel fit are confirmed so the pedestals and panels are secure and the floor stable. Trips on the partially installed floor and openings are managed with housekeeping and protection. The pedestal adhesives are managed to their safety data sheets, and where panels are cut any dust or respirable crystalline silica controlled at the source. The raised access floor is installed, and the records retained.
Related legislation
- Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — the asbestos provisions and licensing, the hazardous chemicals and silica provisions, and the Section 291 high risk construction work and SWMS duties where applicable, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- The asbestos Codes of Practice (managing and controlling asbestos, and safely removing asbestos), the hazardous chemicals and silica requirements, and the respiratory protection standards AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716, are called up by the relevant safety legislation, together with the construction and product requirements.
- Asbestos removal is licensed under each state and territory's asbestos licensing scheme, with friable asbestos and asbestos made friable by the removal method requiring a Class A asbestos removal licence holder; electrical work is carried out by a licensed electrician.
- Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with the asbestos, hazardous chemicals and high risk construction work provisions applying in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
What is a raised access floor?
A raised access floor is a floor system of pedestals, stringers and floor panels that creates a void beneath the floor, common in data centres, offices and computer rooms where services run in the void. Installing it combines the flooring installation with the working at the open void and edge, the panels and pedestals, the services in the void, and the pedestal stability.
What is the main hazard in raised access flooring?
The main hazard is the open void and edge as the floor is built up, with the risk of falls and trips into the void and from the edge, so the void and edge are managed with barriers, covers and edge protection, and openings and partially installed areas protected. Managing the open void and edge is the key consideration in raised access floor installation.
How are the services in the void managed?
The services running in the void are coordinated, with electrical work and any live services managed by a licensed electrician, and live services not disturbed. The services in the void are coordinated and the electrical work carried out by the appropriate licensed electrician.
Why does pedestal stability matter?
The pedestals and panels must be secure and the floor stable, because unstable pedestals or poorly fitted panels can fail, so the pedestal stability and panel fit are confirmed. Confirming the pedestal stability and panel fit ensures the raised access floor is safe and stable to walk on.
Who installs raised access floors?
Raised access floor installation is carried out by competent installers with the void-edge, manual-handling, services and stability controls, and electrical work by a licensed electrician. The raised access floor is installed with the open void managed and the pedestal stability confirmed.