R01
Confined spaces & CO₂
Tanks, vats and pits during ferment are confined spaces with an atmosphere that can kill without warning. I set up entry procedures, atmospheric testing and rescue plans that hold up under a real vintage, not just on paper.
Sector 02 · Winery & Cellar Operations
Winery safety, from crush to bottling, and especially through vintage.
A working cellar is one of the more deceptively dangerous sites I visit. Fermentation gives off CO₂ that can put someone down inside a tank in seconds. Your headcount can triple for vintage, most of them new. And the plant, the chemicals and the pace all peak at exactly the same time. Here's what I focus on.
R02
The vintage surge
When your crew triples overnight, inductions and supervision are where things slip. I build fast, winery-specific inductions so casuals are safe from their first shift, not their first near-miss.
R03
Chemical handling
SO₂, caustic, additives and cleaning agents, each with its own storage and handling rules. I get your SDS, registers and procedures in order before an inspector or an incident does it for you.
R04
Mobile plant & guarding
Forklifts, crushers, presses and augers moving through tight, wet, busy spaces. I assess traffic, guarding and isolation so the plant doesn't become the hazard.
R05
Hot and Cold work, heights & wet-area electrical
Catwalks, tank tops, welding, drilling into EPS Coolroom panels and electrical around water all on one site. I map the high-consequence tasks and put SWMS around the ones that matter.
R06
Production, bottling & cask lines
High speed filling, capping and labelling, glass breakage, noise, and cases lifted the same way all shift. I check guarding and isolation along the line, the forklift and pedestrian traffic around it, and the cask and bag-in-box fill.
Common questions
Questions I get asked
- Why is CO2 dangerous in a winery?
- Fermentation gives off carbon dioxide and it collects in tanks, vats and pits. It displaces oxygen and gives no useful warning. Someone can be overcome inside a tank in seconds, and the second casualty is often the person who climbs in after them.
- Is a wine tank a confined space?
- Yes. A tank, vat or pit that people enter, that is not designed for continuous occupancy and that can hold a harmful atmosphere, meets the confined space definition. That brings entry permits, atmospheric testing, a standby person and a rescue plan.
- What should be in place before vintage starts?
- A pre-season site walk, a confined space and CO2 review, an induction pack for casual staff, an updated SDS and chemical register, and SOP's/WI's/SWMS for the high-risk cellar tasks. Getting these done before the pace picks up is the whole point.
- How do I induct casual vintage staff quickly?
- Keep it short, specific to your cellar, and delivered before the first shift. Cover CO2 and tank entry, the chemicals on site, mobile plant and traffic, and who to tell when something goes wrong.
- Which chemicals need to be on a register?
- Any hazardous chemical you store or use, which in a cellar usually means SO2, caustic, acids, additives and cleaning agents. The register lists them against current safety data sheets, and the storage and handling controls follow from that.
Written by
Jim Rimmer · WHS Specialist
I'm Jim Rimmer, a WHS specialist with more than 32 years leading safety across agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, mining and logistics.
More about Jim Rimmer and his backgroundGoing into vintage covered
Before your busiest, riskiest month, I'll typically run:
- a pre-season site walk
- confined-space & CO₂ review
- a casual induction pack
- updated SDS & chemical register
- SOP's/WI's/SWMS for the high-risk cellar tasks