RAMS for roofers

Falls from height are the biggest cause of deaths in construction, and roof work is where many of them happen. A roofer's RAMS has to show how edges, fragile surfaces and the area below are controlled before anyone goes up.

Roofer preset: 14 hazards with controls, 9 steps of work, PPE and plant, ready to edit and download as a PDF.

Make RAMS for roofers

Hazards and controls

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

Falls from roof edges

Roof work: edges and fragile surfaces · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Scaffold edge protection with guardrails, toe boards and brick guards in place before roof work starts
Access by a properly secured ladder or scaffold stair tower
Scaffold inspected by a competent person every 7 days and after bad weather; handover certificate kept

Falls through fragile surfaces (rooflights, cement sheets, old slates)

Roof work: edges and fragile surfaces · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Fragile surfaces identified before work and marked; no one walks on them
Covers, staging or safety nets used where work is near fragile surfaces
Crawling boards or roof ladders used on pitched roofs

Materials falling onto people below

Roof work: edges and fragile surfaces · Who: Client, public, other trades · Residual risk: Low

Exclusion zone below the work area; signs and barriers
Debris lowered in a chute or skip; nothing thrown from the roof
Loose materials secured against wind

Weather: wind, rain, ice and heat

Roof work: edges and fragile surfaces · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Forecast checked daily; roof work stops in high winds, ice or heavy rain
Sun cream, water and shade in hot weather

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

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

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

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

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

Sequence of work

Check the weather forecast; do not start in high winds, ice or heavy rain
Confirm the scaffold has been inspected and handed over, with edge protection in place
Set up an exclusion zone at ground level with barriers and signs
Get roof materials up by hoist or in small loads, never by carrying heavy loads up a ladder
Strip the existing covering; lower waste in a chute or bags to the skip
Check the deck and timbers; repair as needed
Lay the new covering and flashings to the manufacturer's instructions (hot work permit for torch-on)
Check for fire for at least 60 minutes after any hot work
Clear the roof, gutters and ground area; inspect the finished work with the client

PPE

Safety boots, Hi-vis vest, Hard hat, Gloves, Eye protection, Knee pads.

Plant and equipment

Scaffold with edge protection (erected by a scaffolding contractor)
Access ladder, tied
Materials hoist or gin wheel
Rubbish chute and skip
Gas torch, bottles and fire extinguisher (torch-on only)
Battery cutting tools

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

Questions

Do I need a hot work permit for torch-on roofing?

Most main contractors and insurers require one. The permit records the fire precautions and the fire watch after the torch is switched off; the preset includes a 60-minute check.

Who checks the scaffold?

A competent person inspects it before first use, every 7 days and after anything that could affect it, such as high winds. Keep the handover certificate and inspection record.

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

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