SiteSorted
Plastering and dry lining · United Kingdom

Method statement for coving installation

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

You must assess the risks of coving installation 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, falling from a ladder, saw cuts and kickback and lifting and carrying heavy loads.

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RAMS example: coving installation

This is a complete RAMS for coving installation, with 4 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)
Fit coving · Plastering and dry lining · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Set up a platform ladder or trestles
  • Falling from a ladder
  • Falling from height
Workers, People belowVery high (20)
  • 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
  • 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)
  • Wear a full body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard, clipped on at all times when using fall arrest. PPE
Medium (8)
2Cut mitres with a saw on a stand
  • Saw cuts and kickback
  • General dust
Workers, OccupantsHigh (12)
  • 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)
  • Wear safety glasses, hearing protection and close-fitting clothes. PPE
  • 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
Medium (8)
3Apply adhesive and fix lengths, two people for long pieces
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Hazardous chemicals
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
  • 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)
4Fill and clean up
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
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
Low (4)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Set up a platform ladder or trestles
  2. Cut mitres with a saw on a stand
  3. Apply adhesive and fix lengths, two people for long pieces
  4. Fill and clean up

PPE

Safety glassesFFP3 dust maskSafety bootsSafety helmetEar defendersRigger glovesChemical-resistant glovesSafety gogglesHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)Coveralls

Plant and equipment

Mitre sawPodium stepNail gunHand 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 coving installation

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 coving installation

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Set up a platform ladder or trestles
  2. Cut mitres with a saw on a stand
  3. Apply adhesive and fix lengths, two people for long pieces
  4. Fill and clean up

Hazards to watch on coving installation

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

Step 2Saw cuts and kickbackCircular saws, drop saws and table saws cut fingers and hands or throw material back at the user.
Step 2General dustDust from plasterboard, filler, cement and clean up irritates eyes and lungs and makes it hard to see.
Step 3Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.
Step 1Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Step 1Falling from heightA worker falls from any height where a fall could cause injury, such as an edge, platform or opening.
Step 3Lifting and carrying heavy loadsLifting, carrying, pushing or twisting with heavy or awkward loads strains the back, shoulders or knees.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on coving installation: 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?
  • 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 coving installation?

You must assess the risks of coving installation 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 coving installation?

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

More plastering and dry lining RAMS

RAMSDry Lining9 stepsRAMSTaping and Jointing5 stepsRAMSCeiling Boarding5 stepsRAMSPlasterboard Repair5 stepsRAMSExternal Rendering5 stepsRAMSSuspended Ceiling Installation4 steps

Related jobs in other trades

BricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from heightDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves hazardous chemicalsElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves general dustScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling from heightRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves falling from height

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkCOSHH and Hazardous SubstancesToolbox talkCrane and Lifting Safety

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

Sources