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Scaffolding · United Kingdom

RAMS for scaffold erection

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

You must assess the risks of scaffold erection 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, scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold, road traffic and public entering the work area.

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RAMS example: scaffold erection

This is a complete RAMS for scaffold erection, 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)
Scaffold erection · Scaffolding · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Check the design, ground conditions and power lines before unloading
  • Contact with overhead power lines
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold
Workers, Plant operators, Public, People belowVery high (15)
  • Ask the distribution network operator (DNO) to turn off, move or insulate the lines before work starts. Eliminate
  • Use non-conductive (fibreglass) ladders near any power lines. Reduce / substitute
  • Mark the safe distance with flags, tape or goal posts and keep all plant and people outside it. Isolate
  • Follow HSE GS6: barriers, goal posts under the lines and a permit for work near them. Control (procedures)
  • Use a dedicated spotter whenever plant moves or raises anything near lines. Control (procedures)
  • Treat all lines as live. If plant touches a line, stay in the cab and keep everyone well away. 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)
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold: see step 9 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
2Set up an exclusion zone or hoarding and control traffic and the public. If the scaffold or hoarding is on the pavement or road, get a licence from the highway authority first (Highways Act 1980 s169 and s172) and light it at night
  • Public entering the work area
  • Road traffic
  • Falling tools and materials
Public, Children, Workers, Road users, People belowVery high (15)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Falling tools and materials: see step 6 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
3Unload and stack gear close to the work, lifting with a partner
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Road traffic
Workers, Road users, PublicVery high (15)
  • 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
  • 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
  • Road traffic: see step 2 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (6)
4Set base plates and sole boards on firm, level ground
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold
Workers, Public, People belowVery high (15)
  • 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)
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold: see step 9 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
5Erect lift by lift to NASC SG4: fit advance guardrails before stepping onto each new lift, and clip a harness to a suitable anchor wherever collective protection is not yet in place
  • Falling from height
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold
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)
  • Wear a full body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard, clipped on at all times when using fall arrest. PPE
  • 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)
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold: see step 9 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
6Pass components up by hand or with a rated gin wheel fixed to the maker's instructions, never throw them
  • Falling tools and materials
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
Workers, Public, People belowHigh (12)
  • 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)
  • Lower materials with a hoist, chute or rope. Never throw or drop anything down. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a hard hat anywhere objects could fall. PPE
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 3 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
7Tie in to the building at the TG20 or design spacing as each lift goes up, and have anchor ties pull tested (NASC TG4)
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold
  • Strong wind and storms
Workers, Public, People belowVery high (15)
  • Never remove ties, braces, guardrails or boards. Only the scaffolder alters the scaffold. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a hard hat and safety boots on and around the scaffold. PPE
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold: see step 9 for the full controls 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)
  • Do not carry large sheets on roofs in wind. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a hard hat with a chin strap at height in windy conditions. PPE
Medium (5)
8Fit decks, guardrails, toe boards and ladder access
  • Falling from height
  • Falling tools and materials
  • Falling from a ladder
Workers, People below, PublicVery high (20)
  • Falling from height: see step 5 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Falling tools and materials: see step 6 for the full controls 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)
Medium (8)
9Inspect, tag and hand over the scaffold with a written handover certificate stating its load class and permitted use. Record the inspection, and re-inspect at least every 7 days and after alteration or bad weather (Work at Height Regulations 2005 reg 12 and Schedule 7)
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold
Workers, Public, People belowVery high (15)
  • 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)
  • Never remove ties, braces, guardrails or boards. Only the scaffolder alters the scaffold. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a hard hat and safety boots on and around the scaffold. PPE
Medium (5)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Check the design, ground conditions and power lines before unloading
  2. Set up an exclusion zone or hoarding and control traffic and the public. If the scaffold or hoarding is on the pavement or road, get a licence from the highway authority first (Highways Act 1980 s169 and s172) and light it at night
  3. Unload and stack gear close to the work, lifting with a partner
  4. Set base plates and sole boards on firm, level ground
  5. Erect lift by lift to NASC SG4: fit advance guardrails before stepping onto each new lift, and clip a harness to a suitable anchor wherever collective protection is not yet in place
  6. Pass components up by hand or with a rated gin wheel fixed to the maker's instructions, never throw them
  7. Tie in to the building at the TG20 or design spacing as each lift goes up, and have anchor ties pull tested (NASC TG4)
  8. Fit decks, guardrails, toe boards and ladder access
  9. Inspect, tag and hand over the scaffold with a written handover certificate stating its load class and permitted use. Record the inspection, and re-inspect at least every 7 days and after alteration or bad weather (Work at Height Regulations 2005 reg 12 and Schedule 7)

PPE

Safety bootsSafety helmetFull body harness and lanyardRigger glovesHi-vis vestSafety glasses

Plant and equipment

Tube and fitting or system scaffold: CISRS scaffolder card to erect, alter or dismantleTrailerHand tools

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.

Page 1 of the free scaffold erection RAMS template: business details, job steps with hazards, risk ratings and controls

Free RAMS template for scaffold erection

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 scaffold erection

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Check the design, ground conditions and power lines before unloading
  2. Set up an exclusion zone or hoarding and control traffic and the public. If the scaffold or hoarding is on the pavement or road, get a licence from the highway authority first (Highways Act 1980 s169 and s172) and light it at night
  3. Unload and stack gear close to the work, lifting with a partner
  4. Set base plates and sole boards on firm, level ground
  5. Erect lift by lift to NASC SG4: fit advance guardrails before stepping onto each new lift, and clip a harness to a suitable anchor wherever collective protection is not yet in place
  6. Pass components up by hand or with a rated gin wheel fixed to the maker's instructions, never throw them
  7. Tie in to the building at the TG20 or design spacing as each lift goes up, and have anchor ties pull tested (NASC TG4)
  8. Fit decks, guardrails, toe boards and ladder access
  9. Inspect, tag and hand over the scaffold with a written handover certificate stating its load class and permitted use. Record the inspection, and re-inspect at least every 7 days and after alteration or bad weather (Work at Height Regulations 2005 reg 12 and Schedule 7)

Hazards to watch on scaffold erection

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

Step 2, 3Road trafficPassing cars and trucks hit workers or plant working on or next to a road.
Step 1, 4, 5, 7, 9Scaffold 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 1Contact with overhead power linesA ladder, MEWP, crane, tipper or long length of material touches or gets close to an overhead line and electrocutes people.
Step 7Strong wind and stormsWind blows sheets, panels and people off roofs and scaffolds, and storms and lightning make work at height and lifting unsafe.
Step 8Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Step 5, 8Falling from heightA worker falls from any height where a fall could cause injury, such as an edge, platform or opening.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on scaffold erection: 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 on a roof?
  • Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
  • Will you use a MEWP (scissor lift or cherry picker)?
  • Was the building built before 2000?
  • Will you sand, scrape, burn off or cut old paint in a building from before 1992?

Licences and legal requirements in United Kingdom

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

  • Tube and fitting or system scaffold: CISRS scaffolder card to erect, alter or dismantle

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: HSE GS6 Avoiding danger from overhead power lines; Work at Height Regulations 2005; CDM Regulations 2015; Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice (Red Book); Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 10 (falling objects); Manual Handling Operations Regulations 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 scaffold erection?

You must assess the risks of scaffold erection 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 scaffold erection?

Usually Safety boots, Safety helmet, Full body harness and lanyard, Rigger gloves, Hi-vis vest, Safety glasses. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More scaffolding RAMS

RAMSScaffold Dismantling5 stepsRAMSMobile Tower Scaffold5 stepsRAMSScaffold Inspection4 stepsRAMSEdge Protection5 stepsRAMSScaffold Adaptation5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

RoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves contact with overhead power linesBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves scaffold collapse or fall from scaffoldDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves falling tools and materialsElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves falling from a ladder

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkScaffold SafetyToolbox talkOverhead Power Lines

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

Sources