When this template fits
Designed for facilities, maintenance and cleaning firms carrying out gutter clearance on commercial and domestic buildings. When a managing agent or principal contractor asks for a gutter cleaning risk assessment before the visit, this document covers the access choice — MEWP, tower or, for low work, a secured ladder — and the slip and biological hazards of the task. It is for cleaning and minor clearance, not roof repairs.
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
Install/replace guttering, fascias and soffits at height.
Sequence of works
- 1PLANNING & SURVEY: Visit the property before work starts. Identify the age of the building, check for overhead electric cables near the eaves, inspect ground conditions and identify access routes. Record findings in the risk assessment and RAMS.
- 2ASBESTOS CHECK: For properties built before 2000, treat soffit boards as potentially containing asbestos. Arrange inspection or sampling by a competent person before any removal work. Do not proceed with soffit removal until the material is confirmed safe or managed by a licensed contractor.
- 3SET UP THE WORK AREA: Agree the exclusion zone with the householder. Erect barrier tape or cones around the base of the work area. Move garden furniture and obstacles. Confirm children, pets and other persons are kept away from the zone.
- 4ERECT ACCESS EQUIPMENT: Erect a tower scaffold or other proprietary work platform on firm, level ground with outriggers deployed and guard rails and toe boards fitted. Inspect all equipment before use. If a ladder is necessary, set at the correct angle, secure at the top or have it footed. Conduct a pre-use visual inspection.
- 5REMOVE EXISTING GUTTERING AND FASCIAS: Working from the platform, carefully detach old gutter sections, brackets and fascia boards. Lower removed sections to ground level in a controlled manner using a rope and bucket. Do not drop or throw materials. Immediately move removed items to a designated waste area.
- 6PREPARE AND FIT NEW FASCIA BOARDS: Measure and cut new fascia boards at ground level where possible. Carry cut sections up to the platform one at a time using both hands, maintaining three points of contact on the ladder during access. Fix fascia boards securely using appropriate fixings.
- 7INSTALL SOFFIT BOARDS: Fit soffit boards between the fascia and the wall, ensuring correct ventilation where required. Handle boards carefully to avoid sharp edges. Use two operatives for long boards.
- 8FIT NEW GUTTERING AND ACCESSORIES: Install gutter brackets at the correct fall (typically 1 in 600), then clip gutter sections, angles, stop ends and outlets in sequence. Ensure all joints are properly sealed. Check alignment and flow direction before securing all clips.
- 9CLEAN UP AND FINAL CHECK: Clear all offcuts, packaging and waste from the ground-level work area and the scaffold deck. Dismantle access equipment safely. Remove exclusion zone barriers. Conduct a final visual inspection of installed guttering by running water through the system to confirm correct fall and watertight joints.
- 10RECORD AND HANDOVER: Complete any required inspection records. Advise the householder of any issues observed (e.g., suspected asbestos to be investigated, deteriorated rafter ends) and confirm what work has been completed.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Fall from height during installation or work at height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Design and plan pipework and equipment installations to allow ground-level or pre-fabricated assembly, reducing the need for work at height in the plant room.
- › Erect a proprietary tower scaffold or hop-up platform providing a safe working deck with guard rails and toe boards at eaves level. Use a ladder only where a platform is not reasonably practicable and only for short-duration access.
- › Inspect tower scaffold or ladder before each use. Ensure tower is erected on firm, level ground, outriggers deployed, and ladder secured at the top or footed by a second person.
- › Hard hat to be worn by all operatives and anyone in the drop zone below the work area.
Falling objects from working at height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Cordon off the area below and around the work with barrier tape or similar, preventing unauthorised access directly beneath the work zone. Agree access arrangements with the householder.
- › Attach hand tools to tool lanyards on the operative or platform. Store loose materials and removed sections safely on the platform deck and lower controlled to ground using a rope and bucket or debris chute.
- › Hard hat to be worn by all persons in or near the work area, including those handing materials at ground level.
Manual handling — heavy or bulky items
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Pre-cut fascia boards and gutter runs to manageable lengths at ground level before lifting or carrying. Source lightweight UPVC components where feasible.
- › Use two operatives to carry long fascia boards, ladder sections or scaffold frames. Agree a lift plan and use clear verbal communication.
- › Gloves protect against cuts from sharp fascia edges and UPVC burrs while also improving grip.
Ladder instability or unsafe access equipment
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Use a tower scaffold or proprietary eaves platform wherever practicable; reserve ladders for access only.
- › Set ladder at 75° (1 out for every 4 up), extend at least 1 m above landing point, secure at the top or have a second person foot the ladder. Never overreach — keep belt buckle between the stiles.
- › Check for cracked stiles, broken or missing rungs, damaged feet and defective locking mechanisms. Remove defective equipment from use.
Contact with overhead electric lines or cables
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Survey the elevation to be worked on for the presence of overhead cables. Record findings in the RAMS. If cables are present, request the District Network Operator (DNO) to isolate or provide insulated covers before work commences.
- › Where cables cannot be isolated, maintain a minimum horizontal clearance of 3 m from uninsulated overhead lines. Position tower scaffold and ladder routes to avoid working near or above cables.
- › Conduct a toolbox talk highlighting the position of identified cables and the safe working zone. Ensure no long materials (fascia boards, guttering) are carried horizontally near cables.
Slips, trips and falls at same level
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Remove or secure garden furniture, plant pots and other obstacles from the working zone before setting up. Place a drip sheet or tarpaulin to collect debris and keep the base area tidy throughout.
- › Lower old guttering and fascia sections to ground level and move them immediately to a skip or waste area rather than leaving them around the base of the scaffold or ladder.
- › Wear footwear with slip-resistant soles and steel toe caps to protect against slips on wet surfaces and dropped materials.
Asbestos disturbance or contact
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Before any removal work, establish the age of the property. If pre-2000, presume soffit boards may contain asbestos and arrange for inspection and sampling by a competent person or licensed asbestos surveyor before work proceeds.
- › If during removal work a board appears to be asbestos cement (grey, fibrous, brittle), operatives must stop work immediately, not break the material, and seek advice from a competent asbestos professional before proceeding.
- › Where there is any residual risk of fibre release, wear a minimum FFP3 disposable respirator as a precautionary measure until the material has been confirmed safe.
Public interface — occupied premises and occupant disruption
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Before commencing, brief the householder on the exclusion zone, ask that doors from the house to the work area remain closed, and ensure children and pets are kept inside during work.
- › Use clearly visible barrier tape, cones or temporary fencing to prevent unauthorised entry to the work zone, including paths adjacent to the property that may pass below the working area.
Adverse weather conditions affecting work at height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Check weather forecasts before mobilising. Suspend work at height during high winds (Beaufort Scale 5 and above — noticeable sway on a tower scaffold), heavy rain, ice or snow. Do not work on wet ladder rungs.
- › Clear standing water, mud or frost from scaffold decks before use. Apply anti-slip tape to decking if surfaces become persistently wet.
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
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
- ✓ Disposable RPE (FFP3)
- ✓ Disposable coveralls (Type 5)
Competence
- ✓ Roof-work competence and work-at-height training
- ✓ 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
- › MEWP or mobile tower (or tied ladder for low, short runs)
- › Gutter vacuum or hand scoop and grabbers
- › Debris collection bags / container at the platform
- › Downpipe rods for clearing blockages
- › Sharps/biological waste bags for contaminated debris
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ That the access method is chosen per gutter run by height and duration, not a ladder for everything
- ✓ That the biological (bird droppings / COSHH) hazard is assessed, not just the fall
- ✓ That debris is collected at the platform rather than dropped, with the area below barriered
- ✓ 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
Can I clean gutters from a ladder?
Sometimes, but only for low, short-duration, occasional work where a ladder is justified under the Work at Height Regulations and it can be properly secured. Gutter cleaning tempts people to overreach along the run, which is a leading cause of ladder falls, so for anything more than a quick clear a MEWP or mobile tower is usually the safer and more efficient choice. Your risk assessment should justify the ladder against height, duration and frequency, and require it to be tied. For commercial buildings a powered platform is normally expected.
Why does a gutter cleaning RAMS mention COSHH?
Because gutters collect bird droppings, decaying leaves and standing water, which can carry bacteria and, when dried droppings are disturbed, airborne contaminants. COSHH requires you to assess and control exposure to these substances, typically with gloves, eye protection, RPE for dusty conditions, and good hand hygiene before eating or drinking. The debris should be bagged and disposed of as potentially contaminated waste. A gutter RAMS that only covers the fall and ignores the biological hazard is incomplete.
What regulations apply to gutter cleaning?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 are the main ones, alongside Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 3. 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.