RAMS for window and door fitters

Window fitting combines heavy glass, work at height and cutting out old frames. The RAMS shows how each opening is removed and replaced safely, and how the home stays secure.

Window and door fitter preset: 11 hazards with controls, 8 steps of work, PPE and plant, ready to edit and download as a PDF.

Make RAMS for window and door fitters

Hazards and controls

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

Cuts and crush injuries handling glazing

Handling glass and heavy window units · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Cut-resistant gloves and sleeves worn
Suction lifters used; units carried by two people; units stored upright on A-frames
Removed glass placed straight into a skip or bag

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

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

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

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

Sequence of work

Agree the order of openings, access and security with the client
Protect floors and furniture inside and set up a cordon outside
Check for asbestos in old panels or soffits before removal
Remove the old frame and glass; put glass straight into the skip
Fix the new frame, packed and plumb; glaze using suction lifters and two-person lifts
Seal inside and out; fit trims
Check operation of all openers and locks; hand over keys to the client
Clear waste and clean the area

PPE

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

Plant and equipment

Glass suction lifters and A-frames
Multi-tool and reciprocating saw
SDS drill with extraction
Stepladders, podium or tower
Skip for waste glass

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

Questions

How heavy are glazed units?

A large double or triple glazed unit can weigh well over what one person should lift. Plan two-person lifts or lifting aids and say so in the RAMS.

Can old window boards contain asbestos?

Yes, especially in buildings built before 2000. Check the survey before cutting out old frames and boards.

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

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