• JSA template · ground-floor wet area

Tiling JSA template Australia

Ground-floor ensuite tiling is a JSA job when there is no fall greater than 2 m and no other high-risk construction work. Porcelain, silica, epoxy grout and a waterproofing certificate are the real hazards. The Leichhardt blog excerpt is a different bathroom on a different site — don’t clone it.

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Not the Leichhardt bathroom

The SWMS vs JSA guide uses a ground-floor bathroom tile job in Leichhardt NSW next to a first-floor roof. This page is a new-house ensuite in Ballajura, WA: porcelain, epoxy grout, a waterproofing cert to honour, wet saw on the driveway. Same trade, different ground.

If this house also gets a metal roof this week, that roof is a roofing SWMS. Don’t stretch this JSA to cover it.

Tiling a first-floor balcony, a stairwell or a pool surround over a drop, or on a site with moving plant, is high-risk construction work: use the tiling SWMS.

Filled example: ensuite, Ballajura WA

New dwelling, ground-floor ensuite only. Large-format porcelain, floor fall to a linear waste, epoxy grout in the shower. Waterproofing already certified. Saw on the driveway, not in a backyard like Leichhardt.

Job / task: Tile ground-floor ensuite — porcelain floor and walls, epoxy grout
Site: New dwelling, Ballajura WA 6066
Document: JSA · not HRCW · example only
PPE: Hi-vis, steel-caps, glasses, P2 when cutting, kneepads, chemical gloves for epoxy

Example layout. Not the Leichhardt excerpt. A JSA is not a legal substitute for a SWMS on HRCW — if this site grows a roof crew, they need their own roofing SWMS.

Step	Hazards	Controls	5×5 risk
1. Check the waterproofing certificate and protect the hallway Responsible: Leading hand	Tiling over a failed or incomplete membrane Slips on protection film in the hallway Other trades walking wet adhesive	No tiles down without the cert on site; photo the falls before adhesive Tape protection at the ensuite door; keep a dry path to the exit Sign on the door; builder told when the floor is live	InitialL3×C3 = 9 Medium ResidualL1×C3 = 3 Low
2. Cut porcelain on a wet saw on the driveway Responsible: Tiler	Lacerations from the blade and sharp porcelain Respirable crystalline silica from dry-cutting Electric shock if the saw and leads sit in slurry	Saw on a stable bench; guard on; no gloves on the rotating blade Water feed on; P2 and glasses; do not dry-cut porcelain RCD-protected lead; connections off the ground; slurry controlled, not hosed to stormwater	InitialL4×C4 = 16 Critical ResidualL2×C3 = 6 Medium
3. Lay floor with fall to the linear waste, then walls Responsible: Tiler	Kneeling and repetitive strain on a hard slab Lippage on large-format tiles Manual handling of heavy porcelain packs in a small ensuite	Kneepads; rotate with the saw; don’t sit on your heels all day Levelling clips; check fall to the waste before the adhesive skins Two-person pack lifts; stack against the hallway wall, not in the shower tray	InitialL3×C3 = 9 Medium ResidualL2×C2 = 4 Low
4. Epoxy grout the shower, clean, leave for the plumber’s mixers Responsible: Tiler	Skin and eye contact with epoxy grout Slips on wash-up water Rushing mixers onto a green floor	Chemical gloves and glasses; mix outside; wash off immediately Keep a dry exit; mop as you go Tape the ensuite until grout is ready; plumber only after you say so	InitialL3×C3 = 9 Medium ResidualL2×C2 = 4 Low

Frequently asked questions

Do tilers need a JSA template?

For ground-floor wet areas that are not HRCW, yes — principals usually want a JSA. Silica from porcelain, wet-saw electrics and kneeling are enough reason to write it down. A roof on the same site still needs its own SWMS.

Is there a free tiling JSA?

Creating an account is free and needs no card; creating and editing your own site-specific draft is free too. The $20/month subscription is only needed to download the PDF. This Ballajura ensuite is not the Leichhardt tiling excerpt and not a document you sign for a high-rise.

SWMS or JSA for tiling?

Ground-floor ensuite: JSA. Scaffold on a facade, a fall over 2 m, or ACM in old adhesive: SWMS for that work. A JSA is not a legal substitute on HRCW.

Does a WA tiling JSA count in NSW or VIC?

Generate for the state you are standing in. WA and NSW use WHS; Victoria uses the OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017. The JSA format is still not prescribed — site-specific steps are.

Check the official guidance

A SWMS sets out the high-risk construction activities, their hazards and the controls to use. Prepare it before the work starts, adapt it to the site and review it when the work or controls change. Consult the people doing the work. An AI draft or example needs review before use.

Model WHS guidance and Victorian requirements differ. Check the rules that apply to your workplace.

Generate a tiling JSA for this wet area

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