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Welding and fabrication · United Kingdom

Method statement for steel handrail installation

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

You must assess the risks of steel handrail 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 height, silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, welding and cutting fumes and falling through a floor opening or void.

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RAMS example: steel handrail installation

This is a complete RAMS for steel handrail installation, 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)
Steel handrail and balustrade installation · Welding and fabrication · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Install temporary edge protection on open edges
  • Falling from height
  • Falling through a floor opening or void
Workers, People below, VisitorsVery 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
  • 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)
  • Keep lighting good enough to see openings, especially on lower floors and in the evening. Control (procedures)
  • Use a harness clipped to a rated anchor when working right next to an open void. PPE
Medium (5)
2Drill anchors with dust extraction
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Loud noise
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 quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep noisy plant away from work areas, and use screens or distance between the noise and people. Isolate
  • Keep tools maintained and use mufflers on compressors and generators. Control (engineering)
  • Limit time on noisy tools and rotate workers. Control (procedures)
  • If you have to shout to be heard by someone 2 metres away, the noise is probably 85 dB(A) or more: wear hearing protection. Control (procedures)
  • Assess noise. At 85 dB(A) or more, hearing protection is required and the zone must be marked. Control (procedures)
  • Wear earplugs or earmuffs rated for the noise. PPE
Medium (6)
3Weld on site under a hot work permit
  • Fire from hot works
  • Welding and cutting fumes
  • Eye injuries
Workers, Occupants, Public, People nearbyVery high (16)
  • 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)
  • 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
  • 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
Medium (8)
4Grind welds smooth with guards on
  • Angle grinder injuries
  • Eye injuries
Workers, People nearbyHigh (12)
  • 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)
  • Clamp the work and keep people out of the spark path. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a face shield over safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves and long sleeves. PPE
  • Eye injuries: see step 3 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
5Fire watch and clean up
  • Fire and emergencies
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, Occupants, VisitorsHigh (10)
  • 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)
  • 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. Install temporary edge protection on open edges
  2. Drill anchors with dust extraction
  3. Weld on site under a hot work permit
  4. Grind welds smooth with guards on
  5. Fire watch and clean up

PPE

Safety bootsWelding helmetWelding gauntletsSafety glassesEar defendersFull body harness and lanyardHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)Face shieldCoverallsSafety gogglesCut-resistant glovesRigger gloves

Plant and equipment

Welding setAngle grinder (disc cutter)SDS drillHand 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 steel handrail 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 steel handrail installation

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Install temporary edge protection on open edges
  2. Drill anchors with dust extraction
  3. Weld on site under a hot work permit
  4. Grind welds smooth with guards on
  5. Fire watch and clean up

Hazards to watch on steel handrail installation

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

Step 3Welding and cutting fumesWelding, cutting and brazing give off metal fumes and gases that damage the lungs and can cause cancer.
Step 4Angle grinder injuriesThe disc shatters, binds or kicks back, causing deep cuts to legs and hands or eye injuries.
Step 5Fire and emergenciesA fire, injury or other emergency happens and workers cannot get out, raise the alarm or get first aid in time.
Step 3Fire from hot worksSparks and heat from welding, grinding or flame torches set fire to timber, insulation, rubbish or fuel nearby.
Step 1Falling through a floor opening or voidA worker steps into an open hole, stairwell, lift shaft or penetration and falls to the level below.
Step 3, 4Eye injuriesFlying chips, dust, chemicals or sparks get into the eye and cause damage or blindness.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on steel handrail 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 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 steel handrail installation?

You must assess the risks of steel handrail 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 steel handrail installation?

Usually Safety boots, Welding helmet, Welding gauntlets, Safety glasses, Ear defenders, Full body harness and lanyard, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Face shield, Coveralls, Safety goggles, Cut-resistant gloves, Rigger gloves. 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 stepsRAMSGas Cutting5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionSoft StripAlso involves fire and emergenciesBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from heightRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves falling from heightScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling from height

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkSilica DustToolbox talkHearing Protection and NoiseToolbox talkHot Works Safety

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

Sources