SafetyPaperwork
Painting · United Kingdom

Method statement for roof coating

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

You must assess the risks of roof coating 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 a roof edge, disturbing asbestos, falling through a fragile roof or skylight and falling from a ladder.

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RAMS example: roof coating

This is a complete RAMS for roof coating, 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)
Roof painting and restoration · Painting · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Check for asbestos roofing; asbestos roofs must not be pressure cleaned
  • Disturbing asbestos
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
Medium (5)
2Set up edge protection or harness anchors and a secured ladder
  • Falling from a roof edge
  • Falling from a ladder
  • Falling through a fragile roof or skylight
Workers, People belowVery high (20)
  • 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 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)
  • Work from underneath or from a MEWP so nobody stands on the fragile roof. Eliminate
  • Cover or guard every skylight and fragile sheet with a fixed, marked cover or mesh before work starts. Isolate
  • Use safety nets or a boarded platform under the work, and staging or crawl boards to spread the load on fragile surfaces. Control (engineering)
  • Use fall arrest on rated anchors when working near fragile areas. Control (engineering)
  • Treat all roof sheets as fragile until a competent person confirms they are not. Old fibre cement and plastic sheets are fragile. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
3Pressure clean, aware that wet roofs are very slippery
  • High pressure water jetting
  • Slips and trips
  • Falling from a roof edge
Workers, People nearby, Visitors, Public, People belowVery high (20)
  • Set an exclusion zone around the jetting area. Isolate
  • Use a dead man's trigger that stops the jet when released, and check hoses and fittings before use. Control (engineering)
  • Only trained operators use high pressure jetting gear. Control (procedures)
  • Never point the lance at anyone or put a hand in front of it. Control (procedures)
  • Treat any jetting injury as serious and go to hospital, even if it looks small. 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)
  • Stop roof work in strong wind or rain, and when the roof is wet, icy or covered in dust or frost. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a harness clipped to a rated anchor when using restraint or fall arrest, and soft-soled non-slip boots. PPE
  • Falling from a roof edge: see step 2 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
4Repair and re-point ridges
  • 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)
5Spray coatings in calm weather, protecting cars and neighbours
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • Strong wind and storms
  • Public entering the work area
Workers, Occupants, Public, ChildrenHigh (12)
  • 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)
  • Check the forecast each morning and plan work at height and lifting around the weather. Eliminate
  • Tie down or weigh down loose sheets, panels, boards and rubbish at the end of each shift. Control (engineering)
  • Set wind limits for roof work, platforms and cranes, using the manufacturer's limits, and stop when they are reached. Control (procedures)
  • Stop work and get down in lightning. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back up. Control (procedures)
  • Check scaffold, fencing and edge protection after strong wind before anyone uses them. 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)
Medium (6)
6Clean up and remove access
  • Heat stress
  • Sun exposure (UV)
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, VisitorsHigh (12)
  • Schedule heavy work for the cooler part of the day. Eliminate
  • Provide shade over work and rest areas, and fans or cooling in roof spaces. Control (engineering)
  • Supply cool drinking water close by and drink a cup every 15 to 20 minutes. Control (procedures)
  • Take regular rest breaks in the shade, more often as it gets hotter. Control (procedures)
  • Let new and returning workers build up to full work in the heat over about a week. Control (procedures)
  • Plan outdoor work for early morning or late afternoon when UV is lower. Eliminate
  • Put shade covers over fixed work areas. Control (engineering)
  • Check the UV index each day. Use sun protection when it is 3 or higher. Control (procedures)
  • Check your skin regularly and see a doctor about any new or changing spots. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a broad-brim hat or hard hat brim, long sleeves, sunglasses and SPF 30 or higher sunscreen, reapplied every 2 hours. 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)
Medium (8)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Check for asbestos roofing; asbestos roofs must not be pressure cleaned
  2. Set up edge protection or harness anchors and a secured ladder
  3. Pressure clean, aware that wet roofs are very slippery
  4. Repair and re-point ridges
  5. Spray coatings in calm weather, protecting cars and neighbours
  6. Clean up and remove access

PPE

Safety bootsFull body harness and lanyardHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)Safety gogglesSun protection (sunscreen and neck cover)Chemical-resistant glovesCoverallsRigger glovesSafety helmetFace shieldEar defendersCut-resistant glovesSafety glassesHi-vis vest

Plant and equipment

Pressure washer (jet wash)Airless paint sprayerExtension ladderHand tools

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 roof coating

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 roof coating

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 roofing; asbestos roofs must not be pressure cleaned
  2. Set up edge protection or harness anchors and a secured ladder
  3. Pressure clean, aware that wet roofs are very slippery
  4. Repair and re-point ridges
  5. Spray coatings in calm weather, protecting cars and neighbours
  6. Clean up and remove access

Hazards to watch on roof coating

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

Step 3High pressure water jettingHigh pressure water cuts through skin and injects water and dirt into the body, or the hose whips.
Step 2Falling through a fragile roof or skylightA worker steps on a skylight, clear sheet or old fibre cement roof and falls through to the floor below.
Step 6Sun exposure (UV)Long hours in the sun cause sunburn, eye damage and skin cancer.
Step 5Strong wind and stormsWind blows sheets, panels and people off roofs and scaffolds, and storms and lightning make work at height and lifting unsafe.
Step 2, 3Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Step 6Heat stressHard work in hot weather or hot roof spaces causes heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can kill.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on roof coating: 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 work on a roof?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?
  • Will you use a MEWP (scissor lift or cherry picker)?
  • Will you sand, scrape, burn off or cut old paint in a building from before 1992?

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 roof coating?

You must assess the risks of roof coating 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 roof coating?

Usually Safety boots, Full body harness and lanyard, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Safety goggles, Sun protection (sunscreen and neck cover), Chemical-resistant gloves, Coveralls, Rigger gloves, Safety helmet, Face shield, Ear defenders, Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses, Hi-vis vest. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More painting RAMS

RAMSInternal Painting and Decorating6 stepsRAMSExternal Painting6 stepsRAMSLead Paint Removal10 stepsRAMSAirless Spraying6 stepsRAMSJet Washing6 stepsRAMSResin Floor Coating5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

RoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves disturbing asbestosDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves disturbing asbestosElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves disturbing asbestosScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves public entering the work areaBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from a ladder

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkAsbestos AwarenessToolbox talkHeat StressToolbox talkSlips, Trips and Falls

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

Sources