RAMS for plasterers and dryliners

Plastering is work at height for much of the day, heavy boards and bags, and dust from mixing and sanding. The RAMS shows how you control access, lifting and dust in each room.

Plasterer or dryliner preset: 11 hazards with controls, 7 steps of work, PPE and plant, ready to edit and download as a PDF.

Make RAMS for plasterers and dryliners

Hazards and controls

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

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

Falls from the working platform

Work at height: mobile access towers and podiums · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Tower erected, altered and dismantled by a PASMA-trained person following the manufacturer's instructions
Guardrails and toe boards fitted on every working platform
Tower inspected before first use, after alteration and after any event that could affect it; inspection recorded

Tower overturning or collapsing

Work at height: mobile access towers and podiums · Who: Operatives, others nearby · Residual risk: Medium

Castors locked and outriggers or stabilisers fitted; base on firm, level ground
Tower never moved with people or materials on it
Safe working load and height-to-base ratio not exceeded; no ladders or steps used on the platform
Not used in high winds or near overhead power lines

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

Skin, eye or breathing harm from adhesives, sealants, solvents, cement and cleaning products

Hazardous substances (COSHH) · Who: Operatives, client · Residual risk: Medium

Safety data sheets and COSHH assessments available for products used
Less harmful products chosen where possible
Gloves, eye protection and good ventilation as the data sheet says
Wet cement and lime kept off skin; washing facilities used before eating
Products stored in their original containers, lids on, away from children

Breathing in silica dust (lung disease)

Dust: cutting, chasing and drilling masonry and concrete · Who: Operatives, client, others nearby · Residual risk: Medium

Tools with on-tool extraction to an M- or H-class vacuum, or water suppression
FFP3 mask, face-fit tested, worn as well as extraction
Work area closed off and ventilated; others kept away
Dust cleaned with an M-class vacuum, never by dry sweeping or compressed air

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

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

Agree the work area and protect floors, windows and fittings
Check for hidden services before fixing boards or beads
Set up a mixing area with good ventilation; wear a mask when mixing
Remove old plaster where needed with dust control; bag waste
Fix boards and beads; apply plaster from a podium or stepladder
Clean tools and the mixing area; dispose of waste plaster in bags, not drains
Remove protection and hand over

PPE

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

Plant and equipment

Podium steps or stilts (if trained)
Mixing drill and buckets
Board lifter
Battery screwdriver

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

Questions

Are hop-ups safe for plastering?

Yes when they are the right type, in good condition and used on a level floor. Use a podium or tower for longer work at ceiling height.

How do I control dust from mixing?

Mix outside or in a ventilated area, pour bags slowly and wear a suitable mask. Use extraction when sanding joints.

Other trades: Roofers · Plumbers and heating engineers · Painters and decorators · Carpenters and joiners · Groundworkers and landscapers · all trades

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