Roofing risk assessment and RAMS template

• Eaves scaffold or edge protection on every edge people can reach: main guard-rail at least 950mm high, no unprotected gap over 470mm.
• Edge protection chosen for the roof pitch, so it can stop a person sliding down the slope.
• For limited work on part of a large flat roof, a continuous physical barrier at least 2 metres from the edge and any fragile area.

BeforeHigh 20AfterMedium 5

• Roof treated as fragile until a competent person confirms it is not; fragile areas marked on the survey and the drawing.
• Work from below or from a MEWP basket where possible; otherwise staging with guard-rails to spread the load.
• Rooflights covered or barriered; safety nets below or harnesses where staging does not cover all the work.
• Nobody walks the purlin line or the sheet laps.

BeforeHigh 20AfterMedium 5

• Strip only the area that can be re-covered or protected the same day.
• Openings covered with fixed, marked covers or guarded; netting or boarding below where roofers work between trusses.
• Battens walked only where the rafter centres and batten size meet HSG33, and only under supervision.

BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5

• Roof ladders or crawling boards that span at least three rafters, anchored over the ridge, not on the ridge tiles.
• No walking on the laid covering; roof ladder moved as the work moves.
• Roof checked for frost, moss and wet before anyone goes on it.

BeforeHigh 16AfterMedium 8

• Access by scaffold stair or ladder tower where the job allows.
• Access ladders tied at both stiles, at the 1 in 4 angle, extending at least 1 metre above the landing.
• Hands free when climbing; tools and materials go up by hoist or bag.

BeforeMedium 12AfterLow 4

• Nothing thrown or tipped from the roof: waste goes down an enclosed chute into a covered skip, or in bags or skips lowered by hoist.
• Toe boards and brick guards where slates or tiles are stacked above toe board height.
• Exclusion zone below the work, with a covered walkway or closed footpath where the public pass.

BeforeHigh 16AfterLow 4

• Hoist or crane used for heavy and long items, with a LOLER thorough examination in date and no lifting over the public.
• Materials loaded straight from the lorry to the roof where possible, to the loading the scaffold design allows.
• Stacks spread over the rafters or purlins, secured against wind, and never on fragile areas.

BeforeMedium 12AfterMedium 8

• Torch-free products specified wherever the survey shows a fire risk, following NFRC Safe2Torch.
• Hot work permit for each area, with combustibles in and below the deck checked and removed first.
• Extinguisher at the work face and a fire watch after the torch goes out, for the period the permit sets.

BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5

• Cylinders upright and secured, with hoses, regulators and connections checked and leak tested before use, never with a flame.
• Spare cylinders stored in a ventilated, secure area away from the work and from combustibles.
• Gas turned off at the cylinder whenever the torch or boiler is left.

BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5

• Boiler on a firm, level, non-combustible base, in a spill tray on the roof, and never inside a building.
• Boiler run only by a trained operative, never left unattended with the gas on, and barriered from the public.
• Work upwind of the boiler; gloves, eye protection and covered skin; burns first aid briefed.

BeforeMedium 12AfterLow 4

• Lead risk assessed before work, with hot work on lead kept to a minimum and lead dust and fume controlled.
• No eating, drinking or smoking in the work area; hands and face washed before breaks.
• Medical surveillance by an appointed doctor where exposure is significant.

BeforeMedium 9AfterLow 3

• Asbestos survey checked before work; no work that disturbs suspect material until it is confirmed.
• Asbestos cement sheets removed intact by hand where possible, under the asbestos risk assessment.
• Asbestos awareness training for the whole team; licensed contractor for insulation board or sprayed coatings.

BeforeHigh 15AfterMedium 5

• Forecast checked each morning, with wind measured at the roof by anemometer before sheeting or membrane work.
• Work stopped when the weather puts people at risk; nothing laid on wet or icy roofs that need a dry surface.
• Loose sheets, offcuts and fixings secured at the end of each day.

BeforeMedium 12AfterMedium 8

• Long and heavy sheets and composite panels lifted by crane or hoist, never by hand.
• Materials spread along the roof by hoist in small loads; two-person lifts for awkward items.
• Rolls and bundles kept to weights the team can handle on a slope.

BeforeMedium 12AfterMedium 6

• Tiles and slates cut by hand cutter or slate cropper where possible, which makes far less dust than a disc cutter.
• Where a powered saw is needed, water suppression or on-tool extraction, with cutting done away from others.
• FFP3 RPE, face-fit tested, worn on top of the dust controls, not in place of them.

BeforeHigh 16AfterMedium 8

• Lines identified at the survey and the network operator contacted to divert or switch off where the work comes close.
• No metal ladders or long sheets handled within reach of a live line; non-conductive ladders where needed.

BeforeMedium 10AfterMedium 5

• Written rescue plan before work starts, with equipment on site and the team shown how to use it.
• Nobody works alone on the roof; rescue starts at once, without waiting for the emergency services.

BeforeMedium 10AfterMedium 5