When this template fits
For contractors working on or near fragile roofs — asbestos cement sheet, fibre cement, old skylights and corroded metal decking — typically on industrial, agricultural and warehouse buildings. Falling through a fragile roof kills more workers in the UK each year than falls from the edge, so principal contractors scrutinise this RAMS hard. It is written for teams who have assumed every roof is fragile until proven otherwise.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 9 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 10-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Work on or near fragile roof surfaces and rooflights.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-work planning: Obtain and review all relevant information including structural survey reports, asbestos register, services drawings, and weather forecast. Confirm a competent person has assessed the roof structure's load-bearing capacity and identified all fragile areas and rooflights.
- 2Prepare and brief all workers: Conduct a site-specific induction and toolbox talk covering fragile roof locations, exclusion zones, permit-to-work requirements, emergency procedures, and PPE requirements. Issue the signed method statement and risk assessment.
- 3Establish exclusion zones and access controls: Secure all roof access points against unauthorised entry. Erect physical barriers and signage at ground level beneath the work area. Set up exclusion zones around all fragile roof areas and rooflights.
- 4Erect collective fall protection: Install edge protection at all open roof edges before any worker steps onto the roof. Lay crawl boards or roof ladders across fragile surfaces and rooflights. Install nets or covers over rooflights that cannot be approached otherwise.
- 5Inspect the roof surface and access route: Before beginning the primary task, a competent person must walk the designated safe route (using crawl boards) and confirm conditions are safe. Check for wet, icy or algae-covered surfaces and deteriorated structural members. Do not proceed in adverse weather.
- 6Connect fall arrest equipment: Each worker must connect their full-body harness to a certified and inspected anchor point before approaching any fragile area or roof edge not fully protected by collective measures. Check all connections before proceeding.
- 7Carry out the roof task: Work systematically within the designated safe zones, using crawl boards to cross fragile surfaces. Use tool lanyards. Do not overload any section of the roof. Minimise the number of workers on the roof simultaneously in accordance with structural limits.
- 8Handle and remove materials safely: Lift materials to and from the roof by mechanical means where possible. For manual handling, follow the risk assessment. Lower removed rooflights or roof sheets to ground level via hoist or controlled lowering — do not throw materials from height.
- 9Make fragile areas safe and restore: Permanently cover, replace or make safe all rooflights and fragile roof areas before vacating the roof. Ensure no areas are left exposed or unprotected that could create a risk to any subsequent roof user.
- 10Clear up and close out: Remove all tools, materials and debris from the roof. Dismantle collective protection in a safe sequence. Reinstate all access controls. Sign off the permit-to-work. Brief the dutyholder or site manager on the completed condition of the roof.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Fall through fragile rooflight or roof surface
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Redesign work scope to eliminate the need for personnel to access the fragile roof area; use remote inspection methods (e.g. drone, CCTV) where feasible.
- › Install crawl boards, roof ladders, or proprietary platforms spanning across fragile areas to distribute loads safely. Erect rigid covers or grilles over rooflights. Deploy netting or soft-landing systems beneath fragile areas where access is unavoidable.
- › Clearly identify and mark rooflights and fragile zones with physical barriers, warning signs and barrier tape. Maintain a site-specific fragile roof plan.
- › Where collective protection cannot eliminate the risk of a fall through a fragile surface, workers must wear a full-body harness attached to a suitable anchor point rated for arrest forces.
Fall from roof edge or open side
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Erect scaffold handrails, proprietary edge protection systems or parapet guardrails at all open roof edges before workers access the roof. The system must meet required height and strength criteria.
- › Where permanent edge protection cannot be immediately installed, establish a minimum exclusion zone set back from the roof edge and enforce a permit-to-approach system.
- › Where edge protection is impractical, workers must use a full-body harness with a short lanyard attached to a certified anchor to limit fall distance to zero or near zero.
Unauthorised or inadvertent access to fragile roof
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Secure all roof access points (hatches, ladders, stairwells) against unauthorised entry using locks, barriers or dedicated gatekeeping. Use a permit-to-work system for all roof access.
- › Cordon off ground-level and internal areas directly below the fragile roof to protect third parties from falling materials or debris. Use hoarding, barrier tape and signage.
- › Brief all workers and relevant third parties at induction and via toolbox talks about fragile roof locations, exclusion zones, and the permit-to-work system.
Structural failure of supporting roof structure
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Commission a competent structural engineer or experienced roofing contractor to assess the condition and load-bearing capacity of the roof structure before any worker accesses it.
- › Where structural deficiencies are identified, install temporary props, acrow supports or spreader boards to safely distribute loads before work proceeds.
- › Control the number of workers and weight of materials on the roof at any one time in accordance with the structural survey findings.
Slips on wet, mossy or sloping roof surface
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Prohibit roof work during high winds, heavy rain, ice or frost. Define trigger conditions in the method statement and check weather forecasts before each work period.
- › Provide and use roof ladders or crawl boards to distribute weight and provide secure footing on pitched, fragile or slippery roof surfaces.
- › All workers on the roof must wear footwear with slip-resistant soles appropriate for the roof surface type (e.g. rubber-soled boots).
Falling objects striking persons below
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Erect physical barriers (scaffold fans, hoarding, debris netting) and restrict access beneath roof work areas. Use signage and banksmen where public areas are adjacent.
- › Attach all hand tools and equipment to workers or anchor points with appropriate lanyards to prevent tools being dropped from height.
- › All persons working at ground level or in areas adjacent to or beneath the roof work area must wear a safety helmet.
Asbestos-containing materials in roof components
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Confirm with the dutyholder that a valid asbestos survey (management or refurbishment/demolition survey as appropriate) has been completed and reviewed. Do not commence work if asbestos is suspected but not surveyed.
- › Where asbestos-containing materials will be disturbed, engage the appropriate contractor (licensed for high-risk ACMs; trained non-licensed for lower-risk materials) to manage removal safely.
- › Mark identified asbestos-containing roof components clearly and prohibit disturbance by non-asbestos-trained personnel.
Manual handling of roof sheets and rooflights
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Use a crane, hoist, or materials lift to raise heavy or bulky roof sheets and rooflights to roof level rather than manual carrying.
- › Conduct a manual handling risk assessment for all roof materials. Use two-person or team lifts for items that cannot be mechanically lifted. Provide manual handling training.
- › Use carrying frames, suction pads or panel carriers to improve grip and reduce strain when positioning roof sheets or rooflights.
Overhead or embedded electrical services
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Obtain services drawings, use a cable/service detector, and arrange isolation and lock-off of relevant electrical circuits with the dutyholder or DNO before work commences.
- › Identify the location of overhead power lines and establish exclusion zones (goal-post barriers, bunting) to maintain safe distances. Contact the DNO for advice on proximity working.
- › Provide insulated hand tools and ensure workers are briefed on the location of any live services that cannot be isolated.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
- ✓ Disposable RPE (FFP3)
- ✓ Disposable coveralls (Type 5)
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
Competence
- ✓ Site induction completed; CSCS or equivalent where the site requires it
Schemes (CSCS, PASMA, IPAF…) evidence competence; they are not statutory requirements in themselves.
Plant & equipment
- › Staging boards / crawling boards spanning the purlins
- › Fall-arrest safety netting and rigging
- › Load-bearing rooflight covers / proprietary rooflight guards
- › MEWP for access from below where practicable
- › Fragile-roof warning signage for the building perimeter
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ That the RAMS assumes the roof is fragile until proven non-fragile by survey or ACR(M)001 evidence
- ✓ That rooflights are covered/guarded as a named hazard, not folded into 'falls from height'
- ✓ That access-from-below (MEWP/scaffold) is considered before any plan to walk the roof
- ✓ The document is site-specific — real address, access arrangements and dates, not a generic template
- ✓ Hazards match the actual task and the controls are specific (not “take care” and “use PPE”)
- ✓ Named supervisor and competent person, with operative sign-off space
- ✓ Emergency and rescue arrangements that work for this site
The report builder runs these as pre-submission checks before you download — or run an existing document through the free RAMS pre-submission checker.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a roof is fragile?
Assume it is fragile until you have evidence otherwise. Asbestos cement and fibre-cement sheets, corroded metal decking, glass and plastic rooflights, and old liner panels are all commonly fragile, and age, corrosion and the fixings all reduce strength. A sheet can only be relied on to bear a person's weight if it passes the ACR(M)001 non-fragility test and remains in good condition. HSG33 is clear that more people are killed falling through fragile roofs than from any other roof-work cause, so the default is caution.
Can I just wear a harness instead of putting boards and nets out?
A harness alone is the weakest control and should not be the primary measure on a fragile roof. The hierarchy is to avoid going on the roof, then to provide a load-bearing platform — staging or crawling boards spanning the purlins — and safety netting to catch a fall, with personal fall arrest only as a back-up where a suitable anchor exists. A harness does nothing to stop you punching through a sheet in the first place, and a fall onto a short lanyard can still be fatal. Reviewers expect to see collective measures first; the RamsDocs builder orders the controls that way.
What regulations apply to fragile roof / rooflights?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 3, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment are the main ones, alongside Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a RAMS need to be site-specific?
Yes — this is the most common reason documents get sent back. Principal contractors reject generic copy-paste RAMS. Your document should name the site, access arrangements, dates, supervisor and any site-specific hazards. The RamsDocs builder fills these in for you and flags what's missing before you download.
Is this template free?
Yes — everything on RamsDocs is free during early access, including building a site-specific version of this RAMS and downloading the PDF. No card required.