RAMS for plumbers and heating engineers

Plumbing jobs mix hot work, chemicals and work in people's homes. Your RAMS should show how you control soldering, isolate water and heating, protect the occupants and avoid disturbing asbestos.

Plumber or heating engineer preset: 13 hazards with controls, 9 steps of work, PPE and plant, ready to edit and download as a PDF.

Make RAMS for plumbers and heating engineers

Hazards and controls

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

Fire caused by flames, heat or sparks

Hot work: soldering, brazing, torch-on and cutting · Who: Operatives, client, building · Residual risk: Medium

Hot work permit issued where required by the client or principal contractor
Combustibles removed or protected; heat mat used behind joints
Suitable fire extinguisher at the point of work
Area checked for at least 60 minutes after hot work ends; no hot work at the end of the day

Burns and fumes

Hot work: soldering, brazing, torch-on and cutting · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Gloves and eye protection worn; good ventilation
Gas bottles stored upright, outside, away from drains and heat; valves closed after use; flashback arrestors fitted

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

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

Striking hidden cables, pipes or gas mains when drilling, cutting or digging

Hidden and buried services · Who: Operatives, client · Residual risk: Medium

Service drawings and client information checked before work
Walls and floors scanned with a cable and pipe detector; buried services traced with a CAT and Genny
Hand-dug trial holes before machine digging near services
Water and gas located and the stopcock or ECV position confirmed before starting

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

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

Lead poisoning from dust, fumes or contact

Lead: old pipework, flashings and paint · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Low

Old paint tested before sanding; no dry sanding or burning of lead paint
Gloves worn handling lead; hands and face washed before eating, drinking or smoking
No eating or drinking in the work area

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, access and water or heating shut-down times with the client
Check the asbestos information for the area (boxing, pipe lagging, old flues)
Lay floor protection and dust sheets
Isolate and drain down the water or heating system; confirm isolation before cutting into pipework
Remove old pipework and fittings; bag waste
Install new pipework, fittings and appliances; use a hot work permit and heat mat for soldering
Fill, vent and pressure test; check all joints for leaks
Commission the system and show the client how it works
Clear waste, clean the work area and leave documents with the client

PPE

Safety boots, Eye protection, Gloves, Knee pads.

Plant and equipment

Blowtorch, heat mat and fire extinguisher
Pipe cutters, press tool and benders
Pressure test kit
Battery drill with dust extraction
Stepladders (BS EN 131)

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

Questions

Does gas work need separate paperwork?

Gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer and follows its own standards. Use the RAMS for the overall job and add your gas procedures and certificates.

Should the RAMS mention asbestos?

Yes. Older boilers, flues, pipe lagging and textured ceilings can contain asbestos. Check the survey before you start and stop work if you find something suspect.

Other trades: Roofers · Painters and decorators · Carpenters and joiners · Plasterers and dryliners · Groundworkers and landscapers · all trades

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