SiteSorted
Painting · United Kingdom

Method statement for internal painting and decorating

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

You must assess the risks of internal painting and decorating 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 lead paint dust and fumes, falling from a ladder, flammable liquids and gases and working in an occupied home or building.

Make this RAMS nowWord templatePDF

RAMS example: internal painting and decorating

This is a complete RAMS for internal painting and decorating, 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)
Interior painting · Painting · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Agree work areas with occupants and protect floors and furniture
  • 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)
2Test old paint for lead before sanding
  • Lead paint dust and fumes
Workers, Residents, ChildrenHigh (12)
  • 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
Low (4)
3Fill and sand walls with a dust mask and vacuum sander
  • General dust
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
Workers, OccupantsMedium (9)
  • 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
  • Use tools that cut the effort: powered screwdrivers, long-handled tools and extension poles for overhead work. Reduce / substitute
  • Set work up at waist height on benches or trestles where you can. Control (engineering)
  • Use light tools with good grips, and keep blades and bits sharp. Control (engineering)
  • Rotate tasks and take short breaks every hour on repetitive work. Control (procedures)
  • Warm up before heavy physical work and report aches and pains early. Control (procedures)
  • Wear knee pads for kneeling work and gloves for grip. PPE
Medium (6)
4Paint from a platform ladder, not chairs or tins
  • Falling from a ladder
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
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
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures: see step 3 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
5Keep windows open and lids on tins
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • Flammable liquids and gases
Workers, Occupants, PublicHigh (10)
  • 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
  • Use non-flammable or water-based products where you can. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep ignition sources away: no smoking, no hot work and no running engines near flammables. Isolate
  • Store fuels and solvents in approved, closed containers in a ventilated area away from the work. Control (engineering)
  • Refuel equipment outdoors with the engine off and cool. Control (procedures)
  • Keep only what you need for the day on site. Control (procedures)
  • Store gas cylinders upright, secured and outdoors. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a suitable fire extinguisher where flammables are used or stored. Control (procedures)
  • Wear chemical gloves and safety glasses when pouring or mixing. PPE
Medium (6)
6Clean brushes away from drains and clear drop sheets
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
  • Slips and trips
Workers, Visitors, PublicMedium (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
  • Slips and trips: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Low (4)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Agree work areas with occupants and protect floors and furniture
  2. Test old paint for lead before sanding
  3. Fill and sand walls with a dust mask and vacuum sander
  4. Paint from a platform ladder, not chairs or tins
  5. Keep windows open and lids on tins
  6. Clean brushes away from drains and clear drop sheets

PPE

Safety bootsSafety glassesFFP3 dust maskChemical-resistant glovesHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)CoverallsRigger glovesKnee padsSafety helmetSafety goggles

Plant and equipment

Podium stepStepladderPower sanderHand 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 internal painting and decorating

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 internal painting and decorating

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Agree work areas with occupants and protect floors and furniture
  2. Test old paint for lead before sanding
  3. Fill and sand walls with a dust mask and vacuum sander
  4. Paint from a platform ladder, not chairs or tins
  5. Keep windows open and lids on tins
  6. Clean brushes away from drains and clear drop sheets

Hazards to watch on internal painting and decorating

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

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 5Flammable liquids and gasesPetrol, solvents, thinners and LPG catch fire or explode when vapour reaches a spark, flame or hot surface.
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 3General dustDust from plasterboard, filler, cement and clean up irritates eyes and lungs and makes it hard to see.
Step 3, 4Repetitive work and awkward posturesDoing the same movement for hours, kneeling or working overhead causes long-term damage to joints, muscles and tendons.
Step 5Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on internal painting and decorating: High before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible and major injury 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 internal painting and decorating?

You must assess the risks of internal painting and decorating 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 internal painting and decorating?

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

More painting RAMS

RAMSExternal Painting6 stepsRAMSLead Paint Removal10 stepsRAMSAirless Spraying6 stepsRAMSRoof Coating6 stepsRAMSJet Washing6 stepsRAMSResin Floor Coating5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionSoft StripAlso involves lead paint dust and fumesElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves working in an occupied home or buildingBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves general dustScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling from a ladder

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkLead Paint SafetyToolbox talkWorking in Cold Weather

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

Sources