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Solar · United Kingdom

Method statement for solar panel installation

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

You must assess the risks of solar panel 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 a roof edge, silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, disturbing asbestos and falling through a fragile roof or skylight.

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RAMS example: solar panel installation

This is a complete RAMS for solar panel installation, 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)
Solar panel installation on a pitched roof · Solar · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Check the roof for asbestos, brittle tiles and power lines
  • Disturbing asbestos
  • Falling through a fragile roof or skylight
  • Contact with overhead power lines
Workers, Occupants, Public, People below, Plant operatorsVery 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
  • 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)
  • 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)
Medium (5)
2Set up edge protection or harness anchors and a secured ladder
  • Falling from a roof edge
  • Falling from a ladder
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)
  • 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
  • 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
Medium (8)
3Lift panels with a hoist, not up a ladder
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Falling tools and materials
  • Strong wind and storms
Workers, Public, People belowHigh (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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
Medium (8)
4Fit rails and brackets, cutting tiles with dust control
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Angle grinder injuries
  • Injury from power tools
Workers, People nearbyVery high (20)
  • Order materials cut to size, or use low-dust methods such as score and snap or a block splitter. Reduce / substitute
  • Cut outdoors or in a separate area, with other people well away and upwind. Isolate
  • Use water on the blade or on-tool dust extraction connected to an H-class vacuum. Control (engineering)
  • Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Control (procedures)
  • Do a COSHH assessment and keep exposure below the workplace exposure limit (0.1 mg/m3 respirable crystalline silica, 8 hours). Control (procedures)
  • Workers regularly exposed to silica dust get health surveillance (COSHH reg 11, HSE G404). Control (procedures)
  • Wear a fit-tested FFP3 mask. PPE
  • Use a guarded saw or a different tool where you can. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep the guard on and use the side handle. Never remove the guard. Control (engineering)
  • Use the right disc for the job, rated for the grinder's speed. Check it for cracks first. Control (procedures)
  • Only trained people change discs, with the grinder unplugged or the battery out. Control (procedures)
  • Keep both hands on the grinder and let the disc stop before putting it down. Control (procedures)
  • Keep all guards fitted and working. Never tie back or remove a guard. Control (engineering)
  • Clamp or secure the work piece. Do not hold it by hand. Control (engineering)
  • Only trained, competent people use power tools, following the maker's instructions. Control (procedures)
  • Check tools before use. Unplug or remove the battery before changing blades or bits. Control (procedures)
  • No loose clothing, jewellery or long hair near spinning parts. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
5Mount panels, remembering they make power in daylight
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Isolate the power before any work. Do not work live. Eliminate
  • Lock out and tag the isolation point with your own personal lock and danger tag. Isolate
  • Prove dead at the point of work with an approved voltage indicator (GS38), and prove the tester before and after. Control (engineering)
  • Only competent, qualified electricians do electrical work, following a safe isolation procedure. Control (procedures)
  • Check for back feeds from solar, batteries and generators that can keep a circuit live after the main switch is off. Control (procedures)
  • If live work cannot be avoided, use a permit, a safety observer and insulated tools. Control (procedures)
  • Wear insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing and a face shield when testing or working near live parts. PPE
  • Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 3 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (6)
6Run DC cabling and test, then clean up the roof
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Heat stress
  • Sun exposure (UV)
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, Occupants, VisitorsVery high (15)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 5 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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 the roof for asbestos, brittle tiles and power lines
  2. Set up edge protection or harness anchors and a secured ladder
  3. Lift panels with a hoist, not up a ladder
  4. Fit rails and brackets, cutting tiles with dust control
  5. Mount panels, remembering they make power in daylight
  6. Run DC cabling and test, then clean up the roof

PPE

Safety bootsFull body harness and lanyardCut-resistant glovesSafety glassesSun protection (sunscreen and neck cover)Safety helmetHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)CoverallsRigger glovesEar defendersFace shieldInsulated electrical glovesArc-rated clothing and face shield

Plant and equipment

Tube and fitting or system scaffold: CISRS scaffolder card to erect, alter or dismantleExtension ladderGoods hoistPower drillAngle grinder (disc cutter)Electrical test equipment (multifunction tester)

Permits and plans

Roof access permitWork at height permitPermit 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 solar panel 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 solar panel installation

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 roof for asbestos, brittle tiles and power lines
  2. Set up edge protection or harness anchors and a secured ladder
  3. Lift panels with a hoist, not up a ladder
  4. Fit rails and brackets, cutting tiles with dust control
  5. Mount panels, remembering they make power in daylight
  6. Run DC cabling and test, then clean up the roof

Hazards to watch on solar panel installation

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

Step 1Falling 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 4Angle grinder injuriesThe disc shatters, binds or kicks back, causing deep cuts to legs and hands or eye injuries.
Step 6Sun exposure (UV)Long hours in the sun cause sunburn, eye damage and skin cancer.
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 3Strong wind and stormsWind blows sheets, panels and people off roofs and scaffolds, and storms and lightning make work at height and lifting unsafe.
Step 2Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on solar panel 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?
  • 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?

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: Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012; Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 9 (fragile surfaces); HSE GS6 Avoiding danger from overhead power lines; Work at Height Regulations 2005; Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 10 (falling objects); COSHH Regulations 2002; Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER); Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.

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 solar panel installation?

You must assess the risks of solar panel 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 solar panel installation?

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

More solar RAMS

RAMSCommercial Solar Installation6 stepsRAMSSolar Inverter Installation5 stepsRAMSBattery Storage Installation5 stepsRAMSSolar Panel Cleaning6 stepsRAMSSolar Panel Removal and Reinstall5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

RoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves disturbing asbestosDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves disturbing asbestosElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves disturbing asbestosScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves contact with overhead power linesBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkSilica Dust

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

Sources