Aluminium Window Door Frame Installation Safe Work Method Statement

Commercial aluminium frame installation differs significantly from residential work creating additional safety challenges requiring comprehensive SWMS. Scale is substantially larger—commercial shopfront systems often feature floor-to-ceiling glazing spanning 3-5 metres with individual glass panels weighing 100-200kg compared to residential windows typically under 50kg. This weight difference necessitates mechanical handling aids including glass suction lifters and installation robots that are optional for residential work. Work location creates challenges as commercial installations often occur in operational shopping centres requiring coordination with centre management, working outside trading hours, and establishing exclusion zones protecting the public. Access requirements are more complex with shopfront installation potentially requiring scaffolding, mobile elevated work platforms, or building maintenance units for upper floor applications. Working at height regulations apply more strictly with heights above 2 metres requiring specific controls. Weatherproofing standards are higher with commercial buildings requiring engineered sealing systems, pressure-equalized drainage, and structural calculations for wind load resistance. Fire rating requirements are common in commercial applications with fire-rated doorsets requiring certified components and installation. Coordination with other trades is intensive with electricians installing automated door operators and access control systems, requiring careful sequencing to maintain safety. Insurance and liability considerations are elevated with work in public spaces creating third-party injury risks. These factors combine to require more sophisticated safety planning than residential frame installation.

Glass suction lifter selection and maintenance is critical for preventing catastrophic panel drops during handling. Selection criteria include ensuring lifter is rated to minimum 200% of heaviest glass panel weight providing safety margin, verifying lifter design is appropriate for glass type (flat lifters for standard float glass, angled lifters for sloped installations), and confirming vacuum pump capacity is adequate for panel size. Quality lifters include visual vacuum gauges showing real-time vacuum levels and audible alarms warning if vacuum drops. Daily pre-use testing must include visual inspection of suction pads checking for tears, cracks, or contamination that prevents seal, testing vacuum pump operation confirming it develops manufacturer-specified vacuum level, checking vacuum gauge accuracy, and conducting lift test on sample panel maintaining vacuum for 30 seconds before using on actual installation glass. During use, operators must clean glass surface thoroughly before applying suction pads removing any dust, moisture, or contamination, position pads on flat glass areas avoiding defects or printed areas, activate vacuum and verify gauge reading meets specification before lifting glass weight, and monitor gauge continuously during entire handling operation immediately lowering glass if vacuum drops. Maintenance requirements include replacing suction pads at manufacturer recommended intervals typically every 12 months regardless of condition, servicing vacuum pumps including filter replacement and seal inspection, storing lifters in clean dry environment preventing pad contamination, and maintaining service records documenting inspection dates and component replacements. Warning signs requiring immediate equipment removal from service include vacuum developing slower than normal, vacuum not reaching specified level, visible pad damage or distortion, vacuum dropping during testing, and gauge not reading correctly. Never attempt to use lifters showing any defects—have equipment professionally serviced before returning to use.

Fire-rated doors in commercial shop fitting must comply with strict regulatory requirements protecting building occupants during fire emergencies. Australian Standard AS 1905.1 specifies fire resistance testing methods with doors rated as FRL -/30/- (30-minute fire resistance integrity only) or -/60/- (60-minute) commonly required. Building Code of Australia specifies where fire doors are mandatory including fire-isolated exits, separating different fire compartments, smoke barrier doors, and openings in fire walls. Installation requirements mandate that entire doorset including frame, door leaf, hardware, seals, and glass if present must be certified as an assembly—mixing components from different manufacturers voids certification. Hinges must meet fire rating with adequate quantity (typically 3 hinges for 30-minute doors, 4 hinges for 60-minute), closers must be specified for fire door use and adjusted to ensure positive closure from any open position, latches must engage fully preventing door remaining slightly open, and intumescent seals must be correctly positioned to seal gaps when exposed to heat. Installation compliance includes installing doorsets exactly per manufacturer instructions without modification, maintaining specified frame-to-opening gaps (typically 10-15mm), and using only approved fixing methods and fastener types. Critical requirements prohibit holdopen devices unless they are fire safety certified automatic release types connected to fire alarm system, propping fire doors open using non-approved methods, and painting or coating over intumescent seals which prevents proper operation. After installation, certification plates must be affixed showing door rating, manufacturer, and certification number. Documentation requirements include maintaining installation certificates, certification documentation for all components, and as-installed drawings showing fire door locations. Ongoing maintenance must ensure doors close fully and latch without requiring excessive force, intumescent seals remain intact and properly positioned, and hardware operates correctly. Building owners face prosecution for non-compliant fire door installation or maintenance as these doors are critical life safety systems. Shop fitters must ensure complete familiarity with fire door requirements before commencing installation and obtain all necessary certification documentation for client handover.

Multi-trade coordination is essential for safe and efficient aluminium frame installation in commercial environments where electrical, glazing, painting, and other trades work concurrently. Safety coordination requires daily toolbox meetings even if brief covering work sequences for the day, identifying any conflicts between trades, agreeing on shared work space usage, and reviewing hazards created by each trade that affect others. Communication protocols must include establishing clear communication methods particularly when trades work in separated areas, exchanging supervisor contact details for all trades, agreeing on emergency communication procedures, and briefing all workers on coordination plans. Work sequencing should separate potentially hazardous activities with frame installation scheduled when overhead electrical or mechanical work is not occurring above installers, glazing work coordinated to avoid workers below during glass handling, and heavy frame delivery scheduled when other trades are not working in immediate area. Shared space management includes agreeing on material storage locations preventing congestion and double-handling, coordinating access equipment placement ensuring scaffolds and platforms do not block other trade access, establishing clear walkways and access routes preventing trip hazards, and designating waste collection points preventing debris accumulation. Electrical coordination is critical with frame installers ensuring electrical work for automatic doors and access control systems coordinated with licensed electricians, confirming power isolation before working near electrical equipment, and verifying electrical rough-in locations align with frame positions before installation. Hoarding and protection requirements include establishing who is responsible for public barrier maintenance, coordinating temporary weather protection if building is not enclosed, and protecting completed work from other trade damage. The site supervisor or principal contractor must maintain overall coordination but individual trades must actively participate in coordination meetings and communicate proactively about any issues affecting other trades. Documentation of coordination activities should include attendance records from toolbox meetings, agreed work sequences, and any incidents or near-misses resulting from coordination issues to support continuous improvement.

After-hours shop fitting in operational shopping centres creates unique safety and operational challenges requiring specific planning and controls. Access and egress requirements include obtaining security clearance and access cards before work commences, understanding emergency evacuation procedures and assembly points specific to centre, knowing locations of all emergency exits from work area, maintaining unobstructed egress routes from work area to emergency exits, coordinating with security regarding work commencement and completion times, and signing in/out with security enabling emergency roll call. Noise management addresses potential sleep disturbance in adjacent residential areas often near shopping centres requiring restricting high-noise activities (grinding, drilling, loud power tools) to specified hours, using sound barriers around particularly noisy work areas, giving advance notice to centre management of exceptionally noisy work, and being prepared to suspend noisy work if complaints are received. Fire safety includes familiarising with fire alarm systems and not silencing alarms without authority, understanding sprinkler systems and not disrupting or blocking sprinkler heads, maintaining clearance to fire exits and hose reels, ensuring no blockage of smoke detector sensors, hot work requiring formal permits with fire watch and extinguishers present, and knowing procedure if fire alarm activates during work. Lighting considerations require adequate work area illumination as centre general lighting may be reduced after hours, providing portable lighting if main lighting insufficient, ensuring emergency exit path lighting operational, and avoiding creating dark areas where trips and falls could occur. Fatigue management addresses increased injury risk from night shift work requiring adequate rest breaks scheduled throughout shift, task rotation to vary physical demands, limiting consecutive night shifts, providing adequate meal breaks, and ensuring workers are fit for work and not impaired by fatigue. The shopping centre management typically provides specific site rules covering these and other requirements as conditions of site access. Shop fitters must ensure all workers attend centre-specific induction training and comply with centre rules. Failure to comply may result in access being revoked affecting project schedule and client relationships. Planning after-hours work requires early coordination with centre management understanding all requirements and building them into work scheduling and safety planning.