Building maintenance risk assessment and RAMS template

• Plant stopped, isolated at every energy source and locked off with the engineer's own lock and tag, as HSE guidance on maintenance sets out.
• Stored energy released first: springs, compressed air, hydraulic pressure and parts that could fall supported or blocked.
• Isolation proved by trying to start the plant from its local controls before work begins.

BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5

• Supply isolated at a lockable point, locked off, and proved dead with an approved voltage indicator checked on a known source before and after.
• Precautions kept in place so the equipment cannot be made live again during the work, as EAWR regulation 13 requires.
• Electrical work only by competent electricians; the electrical RAMS covers live work and testing.

BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5

• Section isolated on both sides with valves locked or tagged, then drained down and the pressure released before any joint is broken.
• Hot parts left to cool, with the temperature checked before work.
• Pressure systems worked on only by engineers trained on that plant, to the building's procedures.

BeforeMedium 12AfterLow 4

• Work on gas fittings only by a Gas Safe registered engineer qualified for the appliance type, as HSE guidance sets out for workplaces.
• Gas isolated and the appliance left safe, labelled and reported if it is found unsafe.

BeforeMedium 10AfterMedium 5

• Asbestos register checked for the exact area before work; anything it does not cover is presumed to contain asbestos until sampled.
• Work stops and the area is closed off if suspect material is found or disturbed, and the building contact is told at once.
• Asbestos awareness training for every engineer liable to disturb it.

BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5

• Podium steps or a mobile tower chosen ahead of a ladder, with PASMA training for towers.
• Ladders and stepladders only for short, light, low-risk tasks, checked before use and set on firm, level ground.
• The working at height RAMS used for anything higher or longer.

BeforeMedium 12AfterMedium 8

• Roof access under the building's roof permit or access procedure, by a fixed or secured route.
• Fragile surfaces avoided wherever reasonably practicable, as WAHR regulation 9 requires, with covers or guard-rails where they cannot be.
• Edge protection or a fixed walkway to the plant; work restraint where neither is in place; work stopped in high wind or ice.

BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5

• Fire alarm zones isolated only through the building's fire alarm procedure, with the building contact told and the time logged.
• Fire doors never wedged open; covers on detectors removed when the dusty work stops.
• Every isolated fire system restored and tested before the engineer leaves.

BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5

• Cold methods such as press-fit, compression or mechanical cutting used where they will do the job.
• Hot work permit where the building requires one, with combustibles moved, detectors managed under the permit and an extinguisher at hand.
• Fire watch during and after the work, as the permit sets; the hot works RAMS covers the detail.

BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5

• Work area barriered and signed, with tools, leads and materials kept off walkways and doors not blocked.
• Noisy, dusty and disruptive work timed with the building contact, and service shutdowns agreed in advance.
• Nothing left open, isolated or unguarded when the engineer steps away, even briefly.

BeforeMedium 9AfterLow 3

• Drawings and the building's records checked, and a cable and pipe detector used before drilling.
• Ceiling voids and risers looked into with a torch before hands go in; sharp edges and loose debris noted.

BeforeMedium 12AfterMedium 8

• Work on water systems follows the building's legionella risk assessment and any written control scheme, held by the person in control of the premises.
• Spray and aerosol kept to a minimum when opening, flushing or draining systems, with the area ventilated.
• Dead legs or redundant pipework left by the work reported to the building contact.

BeforeMedium 8AfterLow 4

• Entry avoided where the work can be done from outside.
• Where entry is needed, a confined space entry permit, gas testing, a standby person and a rescue plan, as the confined spaces RAMS sets out.

BeforeMedium 10AfterMedium 5

• Lone working only for tasks assessed as safe for one person; confined space entry and work near exposed live conductors have a second person present, as HSE advises.
• Check-in at agreed times with someone who acts if a call is missed, and phone signal or another means of raising the alarm confirmed.
• Out-of-hours access, alarms and keys agreed with the building before the visit.

BeforeMedium 12AfterMedium 8

• Plant isolated and left to run down before guards or panels are removed; fans can freewheel in a draught.
• Guards and panels refitted before the plant is restarted, and loose clothing kept clear.

BeforeMedium 8AfterLow 4

• Heavy items moved by trolley, lift or lifting aid, with two people for awkward loads.
• Route checked and cleared before the lift, including stairs and doors.
• Spares and tools taken up in loads one person can carry safely.

BeforeMedium 9AfterMedium 6

• COSHH assessment and safety data sheet read for each product before use.
• Gloves and eye protection when decanting or dosing; products never mixed.
• Products stored and carried in labelled containers, and spills cleaned up at once.

BeforeMedium 9AfterLow 3

• Work co-ordinated through the building's permit system or contractor log, as MHSWR regulation 11 requires where employers share a workplace.
• Isolations and permits checked for conflicts before work starts, and each person keeps their own lock on a shared isolation.

BeforeMedium 12AfterLow 4