RAMS for carpenters and joiners

Joiners use some of the most dangerous hand-held tools on site and produce wood dust that can cause asthma and cancer. A good RAMS covers the tools, the dust and the lifting as well as the access.

Carpenter or joiner preset: 11 hazards with controls, 8 steps of work, PPE and plant, ready to edit and download as a PDF.

Make RAMS for carpenters and joiners

Hazards and controls

These are the hazards the carpenter or joiner preset starts with. Residual risk is after the controls, on a 5 × 5 likelihood and severity scale.

Cuts, entanglement and flying particles from tools

Hand and power tools · Who: Operatives, others nearby · Residual risk: Medium

Tools suitable for the task, maintained, with guards fitted
Only trained and competent people use powered tools
Blades and discs changed with the tool unplugged or battery removed
Eye protection worn when cutting, drilling or grinding

Electric shock from tools and leads

Hand and power tools · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

110 V (centre-tapped) or battery tools on site; leads checked before use
Portable equipment inspected and tested at suitable intervals
Leads routed away from water and sharp edges

Breathing in wood dust (asthma, cancer from hardwood dust)

Dust: cutting and sanding timber and board · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Saws and sanders with extraction to an M-class vacuum
FFP3 mask worn for dusty tasks; cutting done outside or in a ventilated area
Dust cleaned by vacuum, not sweeping

Back and muscle injuries from lifting and carrying

Manual handling · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Loads assessed before lifting; mechanical aids (trolleys, sack trucks, hoists) used where possible
Heavy or awkward loads lifted by two people
Loads broken down into smaller units; materials delivered close to where they are needed
Operatives shown good lifting technique

Falls from ladders or stepladders

Work at height: ladders and stepladders · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Ladders used only for short-duration (up to 30 minutes in one position), light work where a tower or podium is not reasonably practicable
Professional ladders to BS EN 131, checked before use (stiles, feet, rungs, locking bars) and taken out of use if damaged
Ladder set at 1 in 4, on firm level ground, tied or footed; extends 1 m above the landing point
Three points of contact kept; no overreaching, belt buckle stays inside the stiles
No work from the top three rungs of a ladder or the top two treads of a stepladder

Tools or materials falling from height

Work at height: ladders and stepladders · Who: Operatives, client, public · Residual risk: Low

Area below kept clear or coned off
Tools carried in a belt or pouch, not in the hands while climbing
Nothing left on top of stepladders

Hearing damage from noisy tools

Noise and hand-arm vibration · Who: Operatives, others nearby · Residual risk: Medium

Quieter tools and methods chosen
Hearing protection worn where noise is above 85 dB(A) or people must shout to be heard 2 m away
Others kept away from noisy work

Hand-arm vibration (HAVS, white finger)

Noise and hand-arm vibration · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Low-vibration tools chosen and maintained
Trigger time limited using the tool's vibration level and the HSE exposure points system
Tasks rotated; breaks taken; hands kept warm
Symptoms reported; health surveillance where exposure is regular

Disturbing asbestos in buildings built before 2000 (lung disease)

Asbestos · Who: Operatives, client, occupants · Residual risk: Medium

Client asked for the asbestos register or survey before work; a refurbishment survey where work is intrusive
Operatives have asbestos awareness training
If suspected asbestos is found: stop work, keep people out of the area, tell the client and do not restart until it has been tested
Licensed work only by a licensed contractor

Injury to the client, children, pets or the public

Working in occupied homes and premises · Who: Client, occupants, public · Residual risk: Low

Work area agreed with the client and closed off with barriers or doors
Tools, materials and chemicals never left unattended in reach of children
Access routes and fire escape routes kept clear
Occupants told about noisy, dusty or disruptive work in advance
Services only isolated after warning the occupants

Slips, trips and falls on the same level

Slips, trips and housekeeping · Who: Operatives, client, public · Residual risk: Low

Work area kept tidy as work goes on; waste cleared at least daily
Leads and hoses routed away from walkways or covered
Good lighting on access routes; spills cleaned at once
Floor protection taped down at the edges

Sequence of work

Arrive, sign in and agree the work area with the client or site manager
Set up a cutting area outside or in a ventilated room with extraction
Lay floor protection
Check walls and floors for hidden services before fixing
Remove existing joinery where needed; denail and bag waste
Cut and fit new timber, doors, frames, stairs or kitchens
Sand and finish with dust extraction
Clear waste, vacuum the area and hand over to the client

PPE

Safety boots, Eye protection, Hearing protection, FFP3 dust mask (face-fit tested), Knee pads.

Plant and equipment

Mitre saw and track saw with M-class extraction
110 V or battery drills and impact drivers
Cable and pipe detector
Stepladders (BS EN 131) or podium
Trestles and saw horses

Every job is different: delete what does not apply, add site-specific hazards and name the people responsible before you issue the RAMS.

Questions

Is wood dust a COSHH issue?

Yes. Hardwood and softwood dust have workplace exposure limits. Use extraction on saws and sanders and suitable masks where dust remains.

Do I need RAMS for a small domestic job?

You must always assess the risks. A written RAMS is needed if you employ five or more people, and most contractors and many clients ask for one anyway.

Other trades: Roofers · Plumbers and heating engineers · Painters and decorators · Plasterers and dryliners · Groundworkers and landscapers · all trades

Checked against hse.gov.uk on 31 October 2026.