SiteSorted
Plumbing · United Kingdom

Method statement for backflow prevention testing

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

You must assess the risks of backflow prevention testing 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 road traffic, falling through a floor opening or void, public entering the work area and bites and stings.

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RAMS example: backflow prevention testing

This is a complete RAMS for backflow prevention testing, with 5 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)
Backflow prevention device testing · Plumbing · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Find the device and set up cones if it is near a driveway or road
  • Road traffic
  • Public entering the work area
Workers, Road users, Public, ChildrenVery high (15)
  • Do the work at low-traffic times, or close the road or lane with approval. Eliminate
  • Put solid barriers between the work and traffic where speeds are high, not just cones. Isolate
  • Use a truck-mounted attenuator or buffer vehicle on high speed roads. Control (engineering)
  • Set up signs and cones to Chapter 8 (Traffic Signs Manual) by trained operatives. Control (procedures)
  • Get a street works permit or licence from the highway authority before you start. Control (procedures)
  • Park work vehicles to shield the work zone, with beacons on. Control (procedures)
  • Wear Class 2 or 3 hi-vis clothing (EN ISO 20471). PPE
  • 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)
Medium (5)
2Open the pit or cage, checking for spiders, snakes and sharp edges
  • Bites and stings
  • Cuts from sharp edges
  • Falling through a floor opening or void
Workers, VisitorsVery high (15)
  • Check work areas before starting, and get pest control to remove nests. Eliminate
  • Look before you reach into dark spaces. Control (procedures)
  • Ask owners to keep pets away from the work area. Control (procedures)
  • Know who has allergies and keep their medication, such as an adrenaline auto-injector, close by. Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves, long sleeves and boots. Use insect repellent outdoors. 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)
  • 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)
Medium (6)
3Tell the site the water will be off, then isolate the device
  • Working in an occupied home or building
  • Stored energy
Residents, Children, Staff, WorkersMedium (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)
  • Release or block all stored energy before work: release the pressure in pipes, tanks and hoses, bleed hydraulics, release springs, lower loads. Eliminate
  • Lock out and tag all energy sources with personal locks. Isolate
  • Put mechanical blocks or props under raised parts like buckets, tipper bodies and doors. Control (engineering)
  • Test that the system is dead and nothing can move before you start. Control (procedures)
  • Follow the maker's procedure, for example for garage door and roller door springs. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses and gloves. PPE
Low (4)
4Connect the test kit and run the test
  • Pressure testing
  • High pressure water jetting
Workers, Occupants, People nearbyMedium (8)
  • Test with water instead of air or gas where the system allows it. Never put water in refrigerant pipework, which is tested with dry nitrogen. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep people out of the test area with signs and barriers. Isolate
  • Use a calibrated gauge and a relief valve set to protect the system. Control (engineering)
  • Test to the pressure the system calls for and hold it for the set time. Never go over. Control (procedures)
  • Release the pressure fully before tightening anything or fixing leaks. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses or a face shield. PPE
  • 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)
  • Wear a face shield, waterproof clothing, gloves, hearing protection and safety boots. PPE
Low (4)
5Restore supply, tag the device and lodge the report
  • Slips and trips
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, Visitors, PublicMedium (8)
  • 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
  • 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. Find the device and set up cones if it is near a driveway or road
  2. Open the pit or cage, checking for spiders, snakes and sharp edges
  3. Tell the site the water will be off, then isolate the device
  4. Connect the test kit and run the test
  5. Restore supply, tag the device and lodge the report

PPE

Safety bootsRigger glovesSafety glassesHi-vis vestCoverallsCut-resistant glovesFFP3 dust maskFace shieldEar defenders

Plant and equipment

Electrical test equipment (multifunction tester)Hand tools

Permits and plans

Permit to work (electrical isolation)

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 backflow prevention testing

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 backflow prevention testing

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Find the device and set up cones if it is near a driveway or road
  2. Open the pit or cage, checking for spiders, snakes and sharp edges
  3. Tell the site the water will be off, then isolate the device
  4. Connect the test kit and run the test
  5. Restore supply, tag the device and lodge the report

Hazards to watch on backflow prevention testing

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

Step 2Bites and stingsSpiders, wasps, bees, ticks and dogs bite or sting workers in roof spaces, under floors and in gardens.
Step 4High pressure water jettingHigh pressure water cuts through skin and injects water and dirt into the body, or the hose whips.
Step 4Pressure testingA pipe, fitting or cap fails under test pressure and blows apart, hitting people nearby.
Step 1Road trafficPassing cars and trucks hit workers or plant working on or next to a road.
Step 3Stored energyEnergy left in springs, hydraulics, compressed gas, raised loads or capacitors releases suddenly and crushes or injures workers.
Step 3Working 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.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on backflow prevention testing: 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 lost time 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 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 scaffold or mobile tower?

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 backflow prevention testing?

You must assess the risks of backflow prevention testing 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 backflow prevention testing?

Usually Safety boots, Rigger gloves, Safety glasses, Hi-vis vest, Coveralls, Cut-resistant gloves, FFP3 dust mask, Face shield, Ear defenders. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More plumbing RAMS

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Related jobs in other trades

ElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves working in an occupied home or buildingScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves public entering the work areaRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves public entering the work areaDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves working in an occupied home or building

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkWorking in Cold WeatherToolbox talkSlips, Trips and FallsToolbox talkWorking Near Traffic

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

Sources