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General building · United Kingdom

RAMS for kitchen refit

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

You must assess the risks of kitchen refit 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 silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, disturbing asbestos, electric shock from live wiring and lifting and carrying heavy loads.

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RAMS example: kitchen refit

This is a complete RAMS for kitchen refit, 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)
Kitchen renovation · General building · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Check for asbestos and isolate power, gas and water
  • Disturbing asbestos
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Gas and fuel lines
Workers, Occupants, PublicVery high (15)
  • Before work on any building built before 2000, check the refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey for the work area (HSE HSG264). If there is none, presume asbestos is present or have it sampled before you start. Eliminate
  • Seal off the work area and keep everyone else out. Isolate
  • If asbestos must be disturbed, keep it wet, use hand tools not power tools, and clean up with an H-class vacuum. Control (engineering)
  • Most asbestos insulation, coatings and insulating board need a licensed contractor. Notifiable non-licensed work is notified to HSE before it starts. Other work needs trained workers and controls. Control (procedures)
  • Stop work straight away if you find suspect asbestos. Do not touch it and tell your supervisor. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a fit-tested FFP3 mask (or better) and disposable type 5 coveralls. PPE
  • 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)
Medium (5)
2Remove old cabinets and appliances with two people
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Cuts from sharp edges
WorkersHigh (12)
  • Plan to avoid carrying: have materials delivered, and old items picked up, as close as possible to where they are used. Eliminate
  • Use lighter or smaller loads: order smaller bags and shorter lengths, and drain or break down old items before moving them. Reduce / substitute
  • Use trolleys, pallet jacks, hoists, vacuum lifters or plant instead of carrying by hand. Control (engineering)
  • Use a two-person lift for anything heavy, long or awkward. Plan the route first and clear it. Control (procedures)
  • Keep the load close, back straight and no twisting. Turn with your feet. Control (procedures)
  • Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE
  • Deburr or cover sharp edges, and fit edge protectors on exposed sheet metal. Control (engineering)
  • Use knives with retractable or self-retracting blades. Control (engineering)
  • Cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear. Control (procedures)
  • Put used blades in a blade bin or sharps container. Control (procedures)
  • Use two people to handle large sheets of metal or glass. Control (procedures)
  • Wear cut-resistant gloves and long sleeves. PPE
Medium (6)
3Patch walls and run new services
  • General dust
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • 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
  • If live work cannot be avoided, use a permit, a safety observer and insulated tools. Control (procedures)
  • Wear insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing and a face shield when testing or working near live parts. PPE
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
4Install cabinets and benchtops, wet cutting stone
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Saw cuts and kickback
Workers, People nearbyVery high (20)
  • Order materials cut to size, or use low-dust methods such as score and snap or a block splitter. Reduce / substitute
  • Cut outdoors or in a separate area, with other people well away and upwind. Isolate
  • Use water on the blade or on-tool dust extraction connected to an H-class vacuum. Control (engineering)
  • Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Control (procedures)
  • Do a COSHH assessment and keep exposure below the workplace exposure limit (0.1 mg/m3 respirable crystalline silica, 8 hours). Control (procedures)
  • Workers regularly exposed to silica dust get health surveillance (COSHH reg 11, HSE G404). Control (procedures)
  • Wear a fit-tested FFP3 mask. PPE
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 2 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Keep blade guards fitted and working, and use the riving knife on table saws. Control (engineering)
  • Use push sticks and clamps, and support long pieces so they do not pinch the blade. Control (engineering)
  • Use a sharp, undamaged blade made for the material. Control (procedures)
  • Stand to one side of the blade line, out of the kickback path. Control (procedures)
  • Let the blade stop fully before reaching in or putting the saw down. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
5Fit off, test gas and power, and clean up
  • Gas and fuel lines
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, Occupants, Public, VisitorsVery high (15)
  • Know where the shut-off valve is and what to do if a leak happens. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses and gloves, and keep a fire extinguisher close by. PPE
  • Gas and fuel lines: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • 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)
Medium (5)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Check for asbestos and isolate power, gas and water
  2. Remove old cabinets and appliances with two people
  3. Patch walls and run new services
  4. Install cabinets and benchtops, wet cutting stone
  5. Fit off, test gas and power, and clean up

PPE

Safety bootsSafety glassesFFP3 dust maskEar defendersRigger glovesHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)CoverallsCut-resistant gloves

Plant and equipment

Power drillCircular sawSDS drillH-class dust extractorHand tools

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 kitchen refit

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 kitchen refit

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Check for asbestos and isolate power, gas and water
  2. Remove old cabinets and appliances with two people
  3. Patch walls and run new services
  4. Install cabinets and benchtops, wet cutting stone
  5. Fit off, test gas and power, and clean up

Hazards to watch on kitchen refit

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

Step 1, 5Gas and fuel linesDamaging or opening a gas or fuel line causes a leak, fire or explosion.
Step 1Disturbing asbestosBuildings built before 2000 may contain asbestos. Drilling, cutting or breaking it releases fibres that cause cancer years later.
Step 4Saw cuts and kickbackCircular saws, drop saws and table saws cut fingers and hands or throw material back at the user.
Step 3General dustDust from plasterboard, filler, cement and clean up irritates eyes and lungs and makes it hard to see.
Step 2Cuts from sharp edgesSheet metal, glass, blades, cable tray and offcuts cut hands and arms.
Step 4Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tilesCutting, grinding or drilling concrete, brick, stone, tiles or fibre cement makes fine silica dust that causes silicosis and lung cancer.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on kitchen refit: 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?

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 kitchen refit?

You must assess the risks of kitchen refit 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 kitchen refit?

Usually Safety boots, Safety glasses, FFP3 dust mask, Ear defenders, Rigger gloves, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Coveralls, Cut-resistant 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 stepsRAMSNew Build House6 stepsRAMSShed Construction5 stepsRAMSGarden Annexe Construction5 stepsRAMSGeneral Maintenance6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionSoft StripAlso involves disturbing asbestosElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves disturbing asbestosBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves general dustRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves disturbing asbestos

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkSilica DustToolbox talkAsbestos AwarenessToolbox talkCrane and Lifting Safety

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

Sources