SiteSorted
Welding and fabrication · United Kingdom

Method statement for gas cutting

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

You must assess the risks of gas cutting 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 welding and cutting fumes, fire from hot works, flammable liquids and gases and fire and emergencies.

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RAMS example: gas cutting

This is a complete RAMS for gas cutting, 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)
Hot cutting with oxy-acetylene · Welding and fabrication · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Get a hot work permit and clear combustibles
  • Fire from hot works
  • Flammable liquids and gases
Workers, Occupants, PublicVery high (15)
  • Use cold work methods where you can, such as bolting, press fittings or cutting with a saw instead of a torch. Eliminate
  • Move anything that can burn at least 10 metres away, or cover it with fire blankets. Isolate
  • Fire from hot works: see step 5 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Use non-flammable or water-based products where you can. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep ignition sources away: no smoking, no hot work and no running engines near flammables. Isolate
  • Store fuels and solvents in approved, closed containers in a ventilated area away from the work. Control (engineering)
  • Refuel equipment outdoors with the engine off and cool. Control (procedures)
  • Keep only what you need for the day on site. Control (procedures)
  • Store gas cylinders upright, secured and outdoors. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a suitable fire extinguisher where flammables are used or stored. Control (procedures)
  • Wear chemical gloves and safety glasses when pouring or mixing. PPE
Medium (5)
2Check hoses, regulators and flashback arrestors
  • Flammable liquids and gases
  • Compressed air
Workers, Occupants, Public, People nearbyHigh (10)
  • Flammable liquids and gases: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Fit whip checks (safety cables) on hose joints and check hoses before use. Control (engineering)
  • Fit a pressure regulator and keep pressure to the tool's rating. Control (engineering)
  • Turn off and bleed the line before disconnecting. Control (procedures)
  • Never use compressed air to clean clothes or skin, or point it at anyone. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses and hearing protection. PPE
Medium (5)
3Cut with goggles, keeping sparks away from others
  • Burns from hot surfaces
  • Eye injuries
  • Welding and cutting fumes
Workers, People nearbyVery high (16)
  • Isolate heating systems and let parts cool before you touch them. Eliminate
  • Fit guards or insulation on hot pipes and equipment. Control (engineering)
  • Mark hot items with chalk or a "HOT" sign so others know. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a first aid kit and cool running water nearby for burns. Control (procedures)
  • Wear heat-resistant gloves and long sleeves. PPE
  • Use tool guards and screens to stop flying particles. Control (engineering)
  • Use dust extraction and water to keep dust out of the air. Control (engineering)
  • Keep others out of the area when cutting, grinding or chipping. Control (procedures)
  • Keep an eye wash station or eye wash bottles on site. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses at all times, goggles for dust and chemicals, and a face shield for grinding. PPE
  • Remove paint, galvanising and coatings from the weld area first, or use a process that makes less fume. Reduce / substitute
  • Use fume extraction (local exhaust ventilation) close to the weld. Control (engineering)
  • Weld outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, and keep your head out of the fume plume. Control (engineering)
  • Do a COSHH assessment. HSE expects fume extraction for all indoor welding, including mild steel. Control (procedures)
  • Never weld or cut in a confined space without testing the air and using forced ventilation. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a powered air respirator or fitted respirator when extraction is not enough. PPE
Medium (8)
4Never cut drums or tanks that held fuel
  • Flammable liquids and gases
  • Fire and emergencies
Workers, Occupants, Public, VisitorsHigh (10)
  • Flammable liquids and gases: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Provide fire extinguishers suited to the site, checked and easy to reach. Control (engineering)
  • Keep exits and escape routes clear and signed. Control (engineering)
  • Have a site emergency plan: alarm, exits, assembly point and emergency contacts. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a stocked first aid kit and at least one trained first aider on site. Control (procedures)
  • Know the site address and how emergency services get in. Call 999. Control (procedures)
  • Go through the emergency plan with every worker and visitor at induction. Control (procedures)
  • Keep flammable materials and rubbish away from exits and escape routes. Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
5Shut down bottles and fire watch after
  • Fire from hot works
Workers, Occupants, PublicVery high (15)
  • Use cold work methods where you can, such as bolting, press fittings or cutting with a saw instead of a torch. Eliminate
  • Move anything that can burn at least 10 metres away, or cover it with fire blankets. Isolate
  • Use fire-resistant screens to stop sparks reaching people or gaps in walls and floors. Control (engineering)
  • Get a hot work permit before starting. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a charged fire extinguisher and fire blanket at the work spot. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a fire watch during the work and for at least 60 minutes after you finish. Control (procedures)
  • Check for smouldering behind walls, in ceilings and under floors before you leave. Control (procedures)
  • Wear flame-resistant clothing, welding gloves and eye or face protection. PPE
Medium (5)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Get a hot work permit and clear combustibles
  2. Check hoses, regulators and flashback arrestors
  3. Cut with goggles, keeping sparks away from others
  4. Never cut drums or tanks that held fuel
  5. Shut down bottles and fire watch after

PPE

Welding gauntletsSafety gogglesSafety bootsCoverallsHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)Face shieldSafety glassesEar defendersWelding helmet

Plant and equipment

Oxy-acetylene cutting setHand tools

Permits and plans

Hot works permit (fire watch at least 60 minutes after)

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 gas cutting

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 gas cutting

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Get a hot work permit and clear combustibles
  2. Check hoses, regulators and flashback arrestors
  3. Cut with goggles, keeping sparks away from others
  4. Never cut drums or tanks that held fuel
  5. Shut down bottles and fire watch after

Hazards to watch on gas cutting

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

Step 2Compressed airAn air hose whips when a fitting fails, or air blown at skin or eyes drives dirt in and causes injury.
Step 3Welding and cutting fumesWelding, cutting and brazing give off metal fumes and gases that damage the lungs and can cause cancer.
Step 3Burns from hot surfacesTouching hot pipes, tools, bitumen, solder or freshly welded metal burns the skin.
Step 1, 2, 4Flammable liquids and gasesPetrol, solvents, thinners and LPG catch fire or explode when vapour reaches a spark, flame or hot surface.
Step 4Fire and emergenciesA fire, injury or other emergency happens and workers cannot get out, raise the alarm or get first aid in time.
Step 1, 5Fire from hot worksSparks and heat from welding, grinding or flame torches set fire to timber, insulation, rubbish or fuel nearby.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on gas cutting: Very high before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and major injury 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 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 gas cutting?

You must assess the risks of gas cutting 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 gas cutting?

Usually Welding gauntlets, Safety goggles, Safety boots, Coveralls, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Face shield, Safety glasses, Ear defenders, Welding helmet. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More welding and fabrication RAMS

RAMSStructural Steel Erection9 stepsRAMSHot Works Welding6 stepsRAMSSteel Fabrication6 stepsRAMSRSJ Installation5 stepsRAMSSteel Handrail Installation5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionSoft StripAlso involves fire and emergenciesBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves eye injuries

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkHot Works Safety

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

Sources