SiteSorted
Glazing · United Kingdom

Method statement for window replacement

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

You must assess the risks of window replacement 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, disturbing asbestos, scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold and falling through a floor opening or void.

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RAMS example: window replacement

This is a complete RAMS for window replacement, with 9 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)
Window installation · Glazing · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Check frames and paint for lead and asbestos
  • Lead paint dust and fumes
  • Disturbing asbestos
Workers, Residents, Children, Occupants, PublicVery high (15)
  • 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
  • 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
Medium (5)
2Protect occupants and furnishings and set exclusion areas inside and out
  • Working in an occupied home or building
  • Public entering the work area
Residents, Children, Staff, Workers, PublicHigh (12)
  • 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)
  • 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)
Low (4)
3Set up access for upper floor windows and barricade below
  • Falling from height
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold
  • Falling tools and materials
Workers, People below, PublicVery 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)
  • Scaffold is built, altered and taken down only by CISRS-carded scaffolders, to TG20 or a specific design. Control (engineering)
  • Fit guardrails, mid rails and toe boards on every working platform. Control (engineering)
  • Use mobile scaffolds only on firm, level ground with castors locked and outriggers fitted. Never move one with anyone on it. Control (engineering)
  • Mobile towers are built by PASMA-trained workers. Control (procedures)
  • Inspect the scaffold before first use, after any change or bad weather, and at least every 7 days. Record it on the tag and register. Control (procedures)
  • Do not overload platforms. Know the duty rating and keep material stacks over the standards. Control (procedures)
  • Barricade and sign the drop zone under overhead work so nobody walks beneath. Isolate
  • Fit toe boards, kick plates and mesh screens on scaffolds and edges. Control (engineering)
  • Use catch fans, debris netting or covered walkways where people pass below. Control (engineering)
  • Tether hand tools when working at height. Control (engineering)
  • Keep platforms tidy. Do not stack materials near edges or above toe board height. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
4Remove beads and old glass first, wearing cut gloves
  • Glass handling and breakage
  • Cuts from sharp edges
Workers, OccupantsHigh (12)
  • Use suction lifters, glass trolleys or a glazing robot for large panes. Control (engineering)
  • Store glass upright on racks and secure it. Never lay it flat or lean it loosely. Control (engineering)
  • Glass handling and breakage: see step 7 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • 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 (8)
5Remove the old frame, guarding the open hole
  • Falling through a floor opening or void
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
Workers, VisitorsVery high (15)
  • Cover every hole and penetration with a fixed, secured cover marked "HOLE" or "DANGER". Isolate
  • Put guardrails with toe boards around stairwells, lift shafts, voids and open edges. Isolate
  • Install stairs early and fit temporary handrails as soon as they go in. Control (engineering)
  • Never remove a cover or guardrail without approval. Put it back straight away. Control (procedures)
  • Inspect covers and barriers daily and after other trades have been through. Control (procedures)
  • Keep lighting good enough to see openings, especially on lower floors and in the evening. Control (procedures)
  • Use a harness clipped to a rated anchor when working right next to an open void. PPE
  • 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
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 7 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (6)
6Check the opening and lintel, and prop it if it is not sound
  • Structural collapse during alterations
Workers, OccupantsHigh (10)
  • Get an engineer to check before removing any wall, beam, post or bracing that may be load-bearing. Eliminate
  • Keep everyone clear of the area under and next to the work. Isolate
  • Install temporary props, needles or shoring as designed before removing any support. Control (engineering)
  • Follow the engineer's sequence. Do not change it without approval. Control (procedures)
  • Check props daily. Do not remove them until the permanent support is in and approved. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a hard hat and safety boots. PPE
Medium (5)
7Lift new windows with two people or suction lifters
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Glass handling and breakage
Workers, OccupantsHigh (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
  • Use suction lifters, glass trolleys or a glazing robot for large panes. Control (engineering)
  • Store glass upright on racks and secure it. Never lay it flat or lean it loosely. Control (engineering)
  • Use two or more people for large panes, and clear the carry route first. Control (procedures)
  • Mark new glass with tape or stickers so nobody walks into it. Control (procedures)
  • Clean up broken glass straight away into a marked container. Control (procedures)
  • Wear cut-resistant gloves, arm guards, safety glasses and safety boots. PPE
Medium (8)
8Fix, pack, seal and flash the window
  • Injury from power tools
  • Hazardous chemicals
Workers, People nearby, OccupantsMedium (9)
  • 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)
  • Wear safety glasses and hearing protection. Do not wear loose gloves on drills or other rotating tools. PPE
  • Choose the least harmful product that does the job, for example water-based instead of solvent-based. Reduce / substitute
  • Use chemicals in well-ventilated areas, or use fans and extraction in closed rooms. Control (engineering)
  • Do a COSHH assessment and read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before use. Control (procedures)
  • Keep chemicals in labelled containers. Never decant into drink bottles. Control (procedures)
  • Store chemicals away from heat, food and drink, and keep products that react with each other apart. Control (procedures)
  • Have eye wash and a spill kit nearby, and wash hands before eating. Control (procedures)
  • Wear chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses or goggles as listed on the SDS. PPE
  • Use a respirator with the right cartridge if the SDS calls for one. PPE
Medium (6)
9Make good, then clean up broken glass and waste
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
  • Cuts from sharp edges
Workers, VisitorsMedium (8)
  • 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
  • Cuts from sharp edges: see step 4 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Low (4)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Check frames and paint for lead and asbestos
  2. Protect occupants and furnishings and set exclusion areas inside and out
  3. Set up access for upper floor windows and barricade below
  4. Remove beads and old glass first, wearing cut gloves
  5. Remove the old frame, guarding the open hole
  6. Check the opening and lintel, and prop it if it is not sound
  7. Lift new windows with two people or suction lifters
  8. Fix, pack, seal and flash the window
  9. Make good, then clean up broken glass and waste

PPE

Safety bootsCut-resistant glovesSafety glassesSafety helmetHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)CoverallsRigger glovesFFP3 dust maskHi-vis vestEar defendersChemical-resistant glovesSafety goggles

Plant and equipment

Power drillMobile access tower: PASMA certificateHand toolsPodium step

Permits and plans

Work 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 window replacement

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 window replacement

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Check frames and paint for lead and asbestos
  2. Protect occupants and furnishings and set exclusion areas inside and out
  3. Set up access for upper floor windows and barricade below
  4. Remove beads and old glass first, wearing cut gloves
  5. Remove the old frame, guarding the open hole
  6. Check the opening and lintel, and prop it if it is not sound
  7. Lift new windows with two people or suction lifters
  8. Fix, pack, seal and flash the window
  9. Make good, then clean up broken glass and waste

Hazards to watch on window replacement

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

Step 1Lead 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 4, 7Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.
Step 3Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffoldA scaffold that is badly built, overloaded or altered collapses or tips, or a worker falls from an unguarded platform.
Step 2Working 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 6Structural collapse during alterationsRemoving a wall, beam, post or bracing makes part of the building fall on workers.
Step 5Falling through a floor opening or voidA worker steps into an open hole, stairwell, lift shaft or penetration and falls to the level below.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on window replacement: 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 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 MEWP (scissor lift or cherry picker)?
  • Will you cut, grind or drill concrete, brick, stone, tiles or fibre cement?

Licences and legal requirements in United Kingdom

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

  • Mobile access tower: PASMA certificate

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: Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002; Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012; CDM Regulations 2015; Work at Height Regulations 2005; Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 10 (falling objects); Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; CDM Regulations 2015, regulation 19 (stability of structures); Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER); COSHH Regulations 2002.

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 window replacement?

You must assess the risks of window replacement 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 window replacement?

Usually Safety boots, Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses, Safety helmet, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Coveralls, Rigger gloves, FFP3 dust mask, Hi-vis vest, Ear defenders, Chemical-resistant gloves, Safety goggles. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

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Toolbox talks for this job

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

Sources