SiteSorted
Solar · United Kingdom

Method statement for solar panel removal and reinstall

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

You must assess the risks of solar panel removal and reinstall 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, electric shock from live wiring, falling from a ladder and lifting and carrying heavy loads.

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RAMS example: solar panel removal and reinstall

This is a complete RAMS for solar panel removal and reinstall, 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)
Solar panel removal and reinstall · Solar · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Shut down the system and isolate AC and DC
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Stored energy
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
  • 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
Medium (5)
2Set up edge protection and roof access
  • 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)
3Disconnect panels, covering connectors
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
4Lower panels by hoist and store them flat
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Falling tools and materials
  • Glass handling and breakage
Workers, Public, People below, 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)
  • 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)
  • Use suction lifters, glass trolleys or a glazing robot for large panes. Control (engineering)
  • Store glass upright on racks and secure it. Never lay it flat or lean it loosely. Control (engineering)
  • Use two or more people for large panes, and clear the carry route first. Control (procedures)
  • Mark new glass with tape or stickers so nobody walks into it. Control (procedures)
  • Clean up broken glass straight away into a marked container. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
5Reinstall, test and recommission
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, Occupants, VisitorsVery high (15)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 1 for the full controls 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)
  • 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
Medium (5)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Shut down the system and isolate AC and DC
  2. Set up edge protection and roof access
  3. Disconnect panels, covering connectors
  4. Lower panels by hoist and store them flat
  5. Reinstall, test and recommission

PPE

Safety bootsFull body harness and lanyardInsulated electrical glovesSafety glassesArc-rated clothing and face shieldRigger glovesSun protection (sunscreen and neck cover)Safety helmetCut-resistant gloves

Plant and equipment

Extension ladderTube and fitting or system scaffold: CISRS scaffolder card to erect, alter or dismantleElectrical test equipment (multifunction tester)Hand tools

Permits and plans

Permit to work (electrical isolation)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 solar panel removal and reinstall

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 removal and reinstall

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Shut down the system and isolate AC and DC
  2. Set up edge protection and roof access
  3. Disconnect panels, covering connectors
  4. Lower panels by hoist and store them flat
  5. Reinstall, test and recommission

Hazards to watch on solar panel removal and reinstall

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

Step 4Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.
Step 1Stored energyEnergy left in springs, hydraulics, compressed gas, raised loads or capacitors releases suddenly and crushes or injures workers.
Step 2Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Step 2Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Step 4Falling tools and materialsTools, materials or debris fall from above and hit someone working or walking below.
Step 1, 3, 5Electric shock from live wiringContact with live wires, distribution boards or equipment gives an electric shock or arc flash burn that can kill.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on solar panel removal and reinstall: 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)?

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: Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; Work at Height Regulations 2005; Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 10 (falling objects).

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 removal and reinstall?

You must assess the risks of solar panel removal and reinstall 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 removal and reinstall?

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

More solar RAMS

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Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionSoft StripAlso involves electric shock from live wiringElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves electric shock from live wiringScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling tools and materialsRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves falling from a roof edgeBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from a ladder

Toolbox talks for this job

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

Sources