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General building · United Kingdom

Method statement for general maintenance

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

You must assess the risks of general maintenance 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 disturbing asbestos, electric shock from live wiring, lead paint dust and fumes and falling from a ladder.

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RAMS example: general maintenance

This is a complete RAMS for general maintenance, with 6 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)
Minor maintenance and repairs · General building · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Talk to the occupants and set up a tidy work area
  • Working in an occupied home or building
  • Slips and trips
Residents, Children, Staff, Workers, Visitors, PublicMedium (9)
  • 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)
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Eliminate
  • Run leads and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Control (engineering)
  • Fill or cover holes, and lay boards or mats on muddy access paths. Control (engineering)
  • Clean up offcuts, packaging and spills as you go, not at the end of the day. Control (procedures)
  • Keep work areas, stairs and access paths well lit. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety boots with good grip, laced up. PPE
Low (4)
2Check for asbestos and lead paint before drilling or cutting older buildings
  • Disturbing asbestos
  • Lead paint dust and fumes
Workers, Occupants, Public, Residents, ChildrenVery 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
  • Test old paint for lead before you sand, scrape, cut or heat it. Eliminate
  • Use wet scraping, chemical strippers or shrouded tools with extraction instead of dry sanding. Never burn off lead paint with an open flame. Reduce / substitute
  • Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting and keep residents, children and pets out. Isolate
  • Clean up with an H-class vacuum and wet wipes. Never dry sweep. Control (engineering)
  • Wash hands and face before eating, drinking or smoking. Change out of dusty clothes before going home. Control (procedures)
  • Wear an FFP3 mask, disposable coveralls and gloves. PPE
Medium (5)
3Isolate any services you will work near
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Gas and fuel lines
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)
  • 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
  • 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)
  • 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
Medium (5)
4Use the right ladder and keep three points of contact
  • Falling from a ladder
WorkersHigh (12)
  • Use a podium step, mobile tower or MEWP for longer jobs instead of a straight ladder. Reduce / substitute
  • Use EN 131 professional ladders in good condition. Remove any damaged ladder from site. Control (engineering)
  • Set extension ladders at a 4 to 1 angle on firm, level ground, tied or footed, and reaching 1 metre above the landing. Control (engineering)
  • Use ladders only for short, light work (about 30 minutes in one spot). Do not carry heavy or awkward loads up a ladder. Control (procedures)
  • Keep three points of contact and your belt buckle between the stiles. Do not overreach. Control (procedures)
  • Do not work off the top three rungs of a leaning ladder. On a stepladder, do not stand on the top two steps (top three on swing-back or double-sided steps) unless there is a suitable handhold. Control (procedures)
  • Check the ladder before each use: feet, rungs, stiles and locks. Control (procedures)
  • Wear non-slip safety boots with clean soles. PPE
Medium (8)
5Do the repair with guards and PPE on tools
  • Injury from power tools
  • Saw cuts and kickback
  • General dust
Workers, People nearby, OccupantsHigh (12)
  • Keep all guards fitted and working. Never tie back or remove a guard. Control (engineering)
  • Clamp or secure the work piece. Do not hold it by hand. Control (engineering)
  • Only trained, competent people use power tools, following the maker's instructions. Control (procedures)
  • Check tools before use. Unplug or remove the battery before changing blades or bits. Control (procedures)
  • No loose clothing, jewellery or long hair near spinning parts. 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)
  • 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)
Medium (8)
6Tell someone where you are if working alone, then clean up
  • Working alone
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, VisitorsMedium (8)
  • Do not do high risk work alone: work at height, confined spaces, live electrical or trenches. Eliminate
  • Set a check-in system: call or text at set times, and someone follows up if there is no reply. Control (procedures)
  • Tell someone where you are working and when you expect to finish. Control (procedures)
  • Carry a charged phone. Use a personal alarm or GPS device where there is no signal. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a first aid kit on hand and know the site address for emergency services. 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)
  • Wear gloves when handling waste. PPE
Low (4)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Talk to the occupants and set up a tidy work area
  2. Check for asbestos and lead paint before drilling or cutting older buildings
  3. Isolate any services you will work near
  4. Use the right ladder and keep three points of contact
  5. Do the repair with guards and PPE on tools
  6. Tell someone where you are if working alone, then clean up

PPE

Safety bootsSafety glassesRigger glovesFFP3 dust maskHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)CoverallsSafety helmetEar defenders

Plant and equipment

Hand toolsPower drillStepladderCircular saw

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 general maintenance

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 general maintenance

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Talk to the occupants and set up a tidy work area
  2. Check for asbestos and lead paint before drilling or cutting older buildings
  3. Isolate any services you will work near
  4. Use the right ladder and keep three points of contact
  5. Do the repair with guards and PPE on tools
  6. Tell someone where you are if working alone, then clean up

Hazards to watch on general maintenance

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

Step 6Working aloneA worker on their own is hurt or falls ill and nobody knows to help them.
Step 2Lead paint dust and fumesLead paint was common before the 1970s and was used in some buildings until 1992. Sanding, scraping or heating it releases dust or fumes that poison workers and families, especially children.
Step 3Gas and fuel linesDamaging or opening a gas or fuel line causes a leak, fire or explosion.
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.
Step 2Disturbing asbestosBuildings built before 2000 may contain asbestos. Drilling, cutting or breaking it releases fibres that cause cancer years later.
Step 5Saw cuts and kickbackCircular saws, drop saws and table saws cut fingers and hands or throw material back at the user.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on general maintenance: Very high before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible 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 work on a roof?
  • Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?
  • Will you use a MEWP (scissor lift or cherry picker)?

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 general maintenance?

You must assess the risks of general maintenance 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 general maintenance?

Usually Safety boots, Safety glasses, Rigger gloves, FFP3 dust mask, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Coveralls, Safety helmet, Ear defenders. 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 stepsRAMSGarden Annexe Construction5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionSoft StripAlso involves disturbing asbestosElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves working in an occupied home or buildingBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves general dustRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves disturbing asbestosScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling from a ladder

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power Tools

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

Sources