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General building · United Kingdom

Method statement for garden annexe construction

By SiteSortedBuilt from HSE guidance and CDM 2015 · How we write and check theseUpdated

You must assess the risks of garden annexe construction and record the significant findings if you employ 5 or more people. On CDM sites the principal contractor will ask for RAMS before you start.

RAMS cover the hazards, who could be harmed and how, the controls and the safe sequence of work, and the crew is briefed and signs. The main hazards are falling from height, falling from a roof edge, hitting underground services and being hit by mobile plant.

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RAMS example: garden annexe construction

This is a complete RAMS for garden annexe construction, with 5 job steps. Open it in the builder to add your site, crew and signatures, change anything, and download a PDF. Or download the free Word template below and fill it in by hand.

Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS)
Build a garden annexe · General building · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Set up fencing and keep the main house occupants away from the work
  • Public entering the work area
  • Working in an occupied home or building
Public, Children, Workers, Residents, StaffHigh (12)
  • Fence off the site with secure temporary fencing and lock the gates when you leave. Isolate
  • Give pedestrians a safe, marked path around the work, with ramps for prams and wheelchairs. Isolate
  • Use hoarding, covered walkways or catch fans where work is above public areas. Control (engineering)
  • Put signs at each entry: site name, contact number and "No unauthorised entry". Control (procedures)
  • Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower plant, remove ladders and lock tools away. Control (procedures)
  • Use a spotter when moving plant or materials across public paths. Control (procedures)
  • Plan noisy, dusty or risky work for when the building is empty. Eliminate
  • Close off the work area with barriers, plastic sheeting or locked doors, and put up signs. Isolate
  • Keep fire exits and paths clear at all times. Control (procedures)
  • Tell occupants before you turn off power, water or gas, and before noisy or dusty work. Control (procedures)
  • Lock away tools, chemicals and materials each day, out of reach of children. Control (procedures)
  • Clean up dust and debris at the end of each day. Control (procedures)
Low (4)
2Excavate and pour the slab
  • Hitting underground services
  • Being hit by mobile plant
  • Wet concrete and cement burns
Workers, Public, VisitorsVery high (15)
  • Keep machine buckets well clear of marked services and use a spotter. Isolate
  • Do a CAT and Genny scan before digging and mark services on the ground. Control (engineering)
  • Hand dig trial holes to find services before machine digging (safe digging practice). Control (engineering)
  • Get utility plans before digging and check them against what you see on site. Control (procedures)
  • Keep plans or locate tickets on site and check them again if the work area grows. Control (procedures)
  • Separate people and plant with barriers, exclusion zones and marked walkways. Isolate
  • Use plant with working reversing alarms, cameras and lights. Control (engineering)
  • Have a traffic management plan showing plant routes, loading areas and pedestrian paths. Control (procedures)
  • Use a spotter when reversing or working near people. Control (procedures)
  • Make eye contact with the operator before going near. Stay out of the swing radius. Control (procedures)
  • Use long-handled tools and pumps to cut down contact. Control (engineering)
  • Wash concrete off skin straight away with clean water. Control (procedures)
  • Have clean water and eye wash where concrete or mortar is mixed and used. Control (procedures)
  • Do a COSHH assessment for cement, lime and mortar, and check hands regularly for early signs of dermatitis. Control (procedures)
  • Wear waterproof gloves, long sleeves and waterproof boots with trousers worn over the top. PPE
  • Wear safety glasses or goggles to stop splashes. PPE
Medium (5)
3Frame and roof with edge protection
  • Falling from height
  • Falling from a roof edge
  • Nail gun injuries
Workers, People below, People nearbyVery high (20)
  • Do the work from the ground where you can, for example pre-assemble on the ground or use extension poles. Eliminate
  • Install guardrails or edge protection on all open edges before work starts. Isolate
  • Use a scaffold, mobile tower or MEWP instead of working off a ladder. Control (engineering)
  • Where edge protection is not practical, use a fall restraint or fall arrest system on a rated anchor point. Control (engineering)
  • Have a rescue plan so a worker hanging in a harness can be brought down within minutes. Control (procedures)
  • Do what you can from the ground or from a scaffold at the gutter line, for example pre-assemble parts on the ground. Eliminate
  • Install edge protection or guardrails on all open roof edges before work starts. Isolate
  • Use a perimeter scaffold with handrails and toe boards along the eaves where practical. Control (engineering)
  • Where guardrails cannot be fitted, use fall restraint on certified roof anchors so workers cannot reach the edge. Control (engineering)
  • Use one safe, controlled access point and keep others off the roof. Control (procedures)
  • Use a nail gun with a sequential (single shot) trigger, not a contact or bump trigger. Reduce / substitute
  • Disconnect the air or battery before clearing jams, adjusting or moving between work areas. Control (engineering)
  • Keep your free hand at least 30 cm from the nailing point. Control (procedures)
  • Never point the gun at anyone or carry it with your finger on the trigger. Control (procedures)
  • Train new users before they use a nail gun, and check for pipes, cables and metal behind the surface. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
4Connect services by competent trades: a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas and a qualified electrician for electrics
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Gas and fuel lines
  • Trench or excavation collapse
Workers, Occupants, PublicVery high (15)
  • Isolate the power before any work. Do not work live. Eliminate
  • Lock out and tag the isolation point with your own personal lock and danger tag. Isolate
  • Prove dead at the point of work with an approved voltage indicator (GS38), and prove the tester before and after. Control (engineering)
  • Only competent, qualified electricians do electrical work, following a safe isolation procedure. Control (procedures)
  • Check for back feeds from solar, batteries and generators that can keep a circuit live after the main switch is off. Control (procedures)
  • Isolate and purge the line before work, with the owner's approval. Eliminate
  • Lock off and tag the isolation valve. Isolate
  • Check for leaks with a gas detector before and during work, and ventilate the area. Control (engineering)
  • Only Gas Safe registered engineers work on gas fittings. Control (procedures)
  • Remove ignition sources: no smoking, no hot work and no sparking tools near the line. Control (procedures)
  • Use methods that keep people out of the trench, such as directional boring or working from the surface. Eliminate
  • Barricade or cover the excavation so people and plant cannot fall in. Isolate
  • Support or batter back the sides of any excavation where collapse could happen. Use trench boxes or sheet piling for deeper trenches. Control (engineering)
  • Keep spoil, materials and plant at least 1 metre back from the edge. Control (engineering)
  • Provide a safe way in and out, such as a ladder near where people work. Control (engineering)
  • Inspect the excavation at the start of each shift and after rain or anything that could weaken it. Record it. Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
5Fit out and clean up
  • General dust
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, Occupants, VisitorsMedium (8)
  • Use low-dust products, such as dust-reduced or pre-mixed compounds. Reduce / substitute
  • Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting in occupied buildings. Isolate
  • Use tools with dust extraction and a vacuum for clean up. Control (engineering)
  • Lightly mist the area with water to keep dust down, away from anything electrical. Control (engineering)
  • Never dry sweep or blow dust off with compressed air. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a dust mask and safety glasses. PPE
  • Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Eliminate
  • Put skips and waste chutes close to the work. Control (engineering)
  • Clean as you go, and do a full clean up at the end of each day. Control (procedures)
  • Keep exits, stairs and walkways clear at all times. Control (procedures)
  • Stack materials neatly on level ground, away from edges. Control (procedures)
  • Use a registered waste carrier and keep waste transfer notes for at least 2 years. Keep hazardous waste such as asbestos separate, with consignment notes (special waste in Scotland). Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves when handling waste. PPE
Low (4)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Set up fencing and keep the main house occupants away from the work
  2. Excavate and pour the slab
  3. Frame and roof with edge protection
  4. Connect services by competent trades: a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas and a qualified electrician for electrics
  5. Fit out and clean up

PPE

Safety bootsHi-vis vestSafety helmetSafety glassesEar defendersFull body harness and lanyardFFP3 dust maskChemical-resistant glovesSafety gogglesKnee padsSun protection (sunscreen and neck cover)Rigger gloves

Plant and equipment

Excavator (360): CPCS or NPORS excavator cardConcrete pumpTube and fitting or system scaffold: CISRS scaffolder card to erect, alter or dismantleNail gunCircular saw

Permits and plans

Roof access permitWork at height permit

Emergency

Call 999. Add the nearest A&E, the assembly point and the first aider for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this RAMS.

Free RAMS template for garden annexe construction

Word (.docx) and PDF, A4 landscape, no email needed. Fill in your site details, then print or send it.

Word template (.docx)PDF template

Make yours in 2 minutes

Same document, filled in for your job. Answer a few yes or no questions, the crew signs on the phone, and you send the PDF.

Start this RAMS

Pre-start checklist for garden annexe construction

Tick these off before work starts. They come from the hazards, permits and equipment in this job.

The safe sequence of work

  1. Set up fencing and keep the main house occupants away from the work
  2. Excavate and pour the slab
  3. Frame and roof with edge protection
  4. Connect services by competent trades: a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas and a qualified electrician for electrics
  5. Fit out and clean up

Hazards to watch on garden annexe construction

The hazards most specific to this job, and the step where each one comes up.

Step 3Nail gun injuriesA nail gun fires by accident, or a nail goes through the timber or ricochets and hits the user or someone nearby.
Step 4Trench or excavation collapseThe trench walls cave in and bury or crush a worker. Any excavation can collapse, however shallow. Sides must be supported or battered back wherever a collapse could hurt someone.
Step 2Wet concrete and cement burnsWet concrete, mortar and cement burn skin and eyes. Burns can be deep and are often not felt until later.
Step 4Gas and fuel linesDamaging or opening a gas or fuel line causes a leak, fire or explosion.
Step 3Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Step 1Working in an occupied home or buildingResidents, staff or children wander into the work area and get hurt, or the work blocks exits or cuts off power or water while people are inside.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on garden annexe construction: Very high before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and fatal becomes unlikely and major injury).

What changes on your site

This example covers the job itself. Your site may add more. Add controls for any of these that apply (the builder asks you these as yes or no questions):

  • Will anyone work at height, anywhere a fall could hurt them?
  • Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
  • Will anyone work on a roof?
  • Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?

Licences and legal requirements in United Kingdom

Equipment on this job that needs a licence, ticket or training:

  • Excavator (360): CPCS or NPORS excavator card
  • Tube and fitting or system scaffold: CISRS scaffolder card to erect, alter or dismantle

Employers must assess the risks of their work and record the significant findings (required where you employ 5 or more people). On CDM projects, contractors give their RAMS to the principal contractor before starting, and brief the workers on it.

Rules that apply: CDM Regulations 2015; HSE HSG47 Avoiding danger from underground services; CDM Regulations 2015 and PUWER 1998; Work at Height Regulations 2005; Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998; CDM Regulations 2015, regulation 22 (excavations).

Why RAMS get rejected

Principal contractors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

  • The method statement is only a list of headings that repeats the risk table and never says how the work is done.
  • The method sequence does not match the risk assessment, for example the method strips the roof before the scaffold is handed over.
  • Residual risk is still High after controls with no extra measures or explanation.
  • It reads as copied: another firm, another address, or wording that does not fit UK sites. HSE warns that copying an example and adding your name does not satisfy the law.
  • Work on an older building with no reference to an asbestos survey.
  • Plant and access equipment listed with no inspection, thorough examination or competence evidence.
  • No briefing record, no revision history, or no named supervisor.

Questions

Do I need RAMS for garden annexe construction?

You must assess the risks of garden annexe construction and record the significant findings if you employ 5 or more people. On CDM sites the principal contractor will ask for RAMS before you start.

Who signs the RAMS?

The person who wrote it and the person who approved it sign and date it. Every worker signs the briefing register after it is explained to them, and the principal contractor reviews and accepts it before you start.

How long do I keep it?

Keep this RAMS, every revision and the signed briefing register with the site file for the length of the job, and keep a copy in your records afterwards.

What PPE is needed for garden annexe construction?

Usually Safety boots, Hi-vis vest, Safety helmet, Safety glasses, Ear defenders, Full body harness and lanyard, FFP3 dust mask, Chemical-resistant gloves, Safety goggles, Knee pads, Sun protection (sunscreen and neck cover), Rigger gloves. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More general building RAMS

RAMSSite Set Up6 stepsRAMSA House Extension7 stepsRAMSBathroom Refurbishment10 stepsRAMSKitchen Refit5 stepsRAMSNew Build House6 stepsRAMSShed Construction5 stepsRAMSGeneral Maintenance6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionSoft StripAlso involves electric shock from live wiringBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from heightElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves working in an occupied home or buildingRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves falling from a roof edgeScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves public entering the work area

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkWorking in Cold WeatherToolbox talkExcavation and Trench Safety

Blank RAMS template: free RAMS templates. Also for other countries: Australia (SWMS) · United States (JHA) · Canada (FLHA)

Sources