HVAC installation SWMS template
Split and ducted system installation including refrigerant handling.
HVAC installation combines three risk streams that rarely appear together elsewhere: refrigerants under pressure (with licensing to match), work in ceiling spaces where heat and live wiring wait, and an electrical connection at the end of every job. The SWMS has to cover the whole sequence, not just the mechanical fit.
This template covers split and ducted system installation: setting units, running pipework and ducting, pressure testing, charging the refrigerant circuit and commissioning. It assumes the refrigerant handling licence and electrical licensing questions are settled before work starts — and puts them in the document so a principal contractor can see it.
What this SWMS covers
The typical scope of work the document describes, step by step. The builder lets you add, remove and reword steps so the sequence matches your actual job.
- 1Arrive and inspect site
- 2Isolate power
- 3Set up access equipment
- 4Install indoor and outdoor units
- 5Run pipework and ducting
- 6Pressure test with nitrogen
- 7Charge and test refrigerant circuit
- 8Commission and hand over
Hazards and example controls
The controls below are starting points ordered by the hierarchy of control — the builder helps you adapt them to the site and add your own.
Refrigerant release and pressurised lines
- ARCtick-licensed technician for all refrigerant handling
- Pressure test with nitrogen, never oxygen or air
- Recover refrigerant — venting is illegal and traceable
Heat stress and injury in ceiling spaces
- Schedule ceiling work early in the day in hot months
- Walk on joists or crawl boards only; mark fragile ceilings below
- Check for live wiring and vermin before entering
Electric shock at the isolator and connection
- Isolate and tag the circuit before mounting units
- Licensed electrical worker for the final connection
- Test before touch on any existing wiring encountered
Manual handling of outdoor units and roof lifts
- Two-person lift or mechanical aid for condensers
- Crane or hoist for rooftop units — no manual roof carries
High risk construction work
- Work near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines
- Work near energised electrical installations
Refrigerant lines put HVAC work in the 'work near chemical, fuel or refrigerant lines' category, and the electrical connection adds the energised-electrical category. Rooftop condenser installs add the fall category. Three categories on an ordinary domestic split install is normal — the SWMS should name all that apply.
All 18 high-risk categories explainedCommon questions
- Do I need a licence to install a split system?
- Two, usually: an ARCtick refrigerant handling licence for the refrigeration circuit, and a licensed electrician for the fixed wiring connection. An unlicensed 'install now, gas later' arrangement still requires the SWMS to show who does which part.
- Is a ceiling space a confined space?
- Generally no — most ceiling spaces do not meet the confined space definition. They still carry their own hazards worth a SWMS entry: heat, live wiring, fragile ceilings below, and insulation dust. Treat 45°C summer ceiling work as the serious hazard it is.
- Why nitrogen for pressure testing?
- Because compressed air or oxygen in a refrigerant circuit can detonate when it meets oil under pressure. Dry nitrogen is inert and moisture-free. The SWMS should name the test medium explicitly — it is the kind of detail auditors look for on mechanical work.
Build your hvac SWMS now
Start from this template and answer a few questions about the job — state, site, crew, method. Preview the whole document free; pay only when you download the PDF.
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Before you start
Users are responsible for reviewing and adapting the SWMS to the actual worksite, work methods and applicable regulatory requirements before work begins.