When this template fits
Written for roofing contractors, slaters, tilers and solar installers working on sloping roofs. When the principal contractor or homeowner's surveyor asks for a roof work method statement before the job starts, this document covers edge protection, roof ladders and the controls that keep operatives and materials off the people below. It assumes a sound, non-fragile pitched roof; fragile sheeting is covered by a separate RAMS.
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
Strip and re-cover pitched roofs.
Sequence of works
- 1SITE SET-UP: Carry out a pre-start survey to identify overhead lines, asbestos risk and structural condition. Obtain scaffold and highway licences where required. Notify neighbours. Establish and sign exclusion zone around building perimeter.
- 2SCAFFOLD ERECTION: Erect a competent-person-designed scaffold with full guardrails, mid-rails and toe-boards at eaves level, plus scaffold fans/debris netting, before any operative accesses the roof. Inspect scaffold before first use and record in the register.
- 3ASBESTOS CHECK: Confirm receipt of asbestos R&D survey results. If ACMs are present, ensure licensed removal is complete and a clearance certificate issued before any stripping commences. If survey is outstanding, do not start stripping.
- 4ROOF ACCESS AND BOARDING: Access roof via scaffold staircase or secured ladder. Position and anchor roof ladders/crawling boards across rafters. Conduct daily pre-task briefing covering hazards, weather conditions and emergency arrangements.
- 5STRIP EXISTING COVERING: Remove tiles/slates systematically from ridge to eaves. Break out ridge mortar using appropriate dust-control methods. Use controlled lowering via hoist or chute — do not throw materials. Place stripped materials into skips or stacked bays on the scaffold platform, clearing as work progresses.
- 6STRUCTURAL INSPECTION: Once stripped, a competent person inspects all rafters, wall plates and battens for rot or damage. Repair or replace defective timbers before re-covering. Do not walk on bare sarking felt between rafters.
- 7FIX NEW SARKING FELT AND BATTENS: Lay breathable membrane or traditional sarking felt from eaves upward with correct laps. Fix new treated battens at spacings specified for the tile/slate type. Check batten gauge against manufacturer's instructions.
- 8RE-COVER ROOF: Lay new tiles or slates from eaves to ridge in accordance with manufacturer's fixing specifications and BS 5534. Mechanically fix tiles where required by specification. Maintain use of roof ladders/boards throughout — do not stand directly on newly laid tiles.
- 9RIDGE, VERGE AND FLASHINGS: Bed or mechanically fix ridge tiles. Form or replace lead/GRP flashings to abutments. Apply mortar only in sufficient quantities for immediate use to control weight on the pitch.
- 10COMPLETION AND CLEAR DOWN: Remove all debris from roof, scaffold and surroundings. Inspect completed roof from ground and scaffold. Strike scaffold only after client/principal contractor sign-off. Dispose of all waste materials legally, including any separately bagged asbestos waste with appropriate documentation.
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
- › Erect scaffold with guardrails, toe-boards and brick guards at eaves level before any operative accesses the roof. Scaffold must meet the requirements of a competent scaffolder and be inspected before use and after adverse weather.
- › Provide a scaffold staircase or secured ladder access to the scaffold platform. Ladders must extend at least 1 m above the landing point and be secured at the top.
- › Conduct a pre-task toolbox talk covering edge protection, no-go zones and emergency rescue arrangements before work begins each day.
- › Where collective protection cannot be maintained during specific operations (e.g. ridge work), operatives must use a correctly fitted and inspected fall-arrest harness attached to a suitable structural anchor. Last resort only.
Fall through fragile or weakened roof surface
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › A competent person must inspect roof structure condition before stripping commences. Identify and mark areas of rot, insect damage or structural weakness.
- › Use purpose-made roof ladders or crawling boards that bridge across rafters to distribute operative weight. Boards must be anchored securely at the ridge.
- › Brief all operatives not to step between rafters or onto exposed sarking felt alone. Enforce a strict two-rafter spanning rule when using boards.
Falling materials or objects striking persons below
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Establish and maintain a clearly signed exclusion zone around the building perimeter extending at least 2 m beyond the eaves. Erect hoarding or barriers where pedestrian routes adjoin the site.
- › Fit scaffold fans (or a full debris net system) at eaves level to catch falling materials and protect persons below.
- › Use a rubbish chute or hoist to lower stripped tiles/slates in manageable quantities rather than throwing or dropping them. Never throw materials off the roof.
- › All persons within or entering the exclusion zone must wear a safety helmet conforming to EN 397.
Manual handling — heavy or bulky items
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Use a scaffold-mounted materials hoist, tile elevator or gin wheel to raise roofing materials to working level, eliminating manual carrying up ladders.
- › Split packs of tiles or slates to keep individual carried loads within recommended limits. Avoid carrying more than 25 kg per person without mechanical assistance.
- › Brief operatives on safe lifting techniques, team-lift requirements and when to stop and seek assistance. Rotate heavy tasks to limit cumulative exposure.
Asbestos disturbance or contact
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Ensure removal of confirmed ACMs is carried out only by appropriately licensed or trained operatives in accordance with the survey findings and applicable control limits.
- › Commission a UKAS-accredited analyst to carry out an R&D (refurbishment and demolition) asbestos survey before any stripping work begins. Do not disturb any materials until survey results are received.
- › If suspected ACMs are discovered during stripping (e.g. grey cement slates, debris with fibrous texture), stop work immediately, segregate the area and contact a competent asbestos consultant before resuming.
Slips, trips and falls at same level
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Wear footwear with slip-resistant soles rated for wet surfaces.
- › Keep scaffold platforms clear of debris, off-cuts and stacked materials. Remove stripped tiles from the platform promptly and ensure boards are fully lapped with no trip edges.
- › Monitor forecasts daily. Cease roof work during rain, ice, snow or winds above Beaufort force 5 (approximately 29–38 km/h). Inspect scaffold and roof boards after adverse weather before resuming.
Silica and construction dust inhalation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Use wet-cutting disc saws or on-tool water suppression when cutting tiles to suppress silica dust at source. Prefer hand-scoring and breaking over power cutting where practicable.
- › Where wet methods are impractical, use angle grinders fitted with H-class on-tool dust extraction to capture dust at the point of generation.
- › Provide and enforce use of a correctly face-fit tested FFP3 disposable mask or reusable half-mask with P3 filter when dust suppression cannot fully control exposure.
Contact with overhead electric lines or cables
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Before scaffold is erected, survey the site for overhead lines. Contact the DNO (Distribution Network Operator) to confirm voltage, route and safe working distances. Agree exclusion distances and flag lines with marker balls or bunting.
- › Where scaffold or roof works cannot maintain safe clearance distances, request the DNO to temporarily disconnect or insulate the line before works begin. Do not assume lines are safe to touch.
- › Erect goal-post barriers at the minimum safe approach distance to prevent scaffold tubes, roof ladders or materials from being carried into the hazard zone.
Public interface — occupied premises and occupant disruption
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Obtain the necessary highway licence before erecting scaffold over or adjacent to a public footpath. Agree with the local authority whether a temporary footpath closure or protected pedestrian walkway is required.
- › Fit anti-climb boards to the lowest lift of scaffold at the end of each working day. Secure ladders by removing or locking them to prevent unauthorised access. Erect suitable signage warning of overhead works.
- › Notify adjacent occupiers in writing before works commence, advising of likely duration, site boundaries, noise and dust. Provide a site contact number for concerns.
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)
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
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
- › Independent access scaffold with eaves-level working platform
- › Roof ladder with ridge hook (and crawling boards as required)
- › Debris chute or hoist with receiving skip
- › Scaffold netting and toe boards / brick guards
- › Tile / slate hoisting equipment
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ That the roof is confirmed non-fragile, with fragile elements (rooflights) referred to the fragile-roof RAMS
- ✓ That a materials route (chute/hoist) is specified so debris does not travel via the edge by hand
- ✓ That edge protection covers verges and valleys, not just the eaves
- ✓ 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
Do I need a full scaffold to re-roof a house, or will a roof ladder do?
A roof ladder gives you footing on the slope but it does nothing to stop a fall from the eaves, so it is not edge protection. HSG33 expects collective protection at the perimeter — typically an independent scaffold with the platform at eaves level and guardrails — for anything beyond very short-duration repairs. The roof ladder works alongside the scaffold, not instead of it. A RAMS proposing only a roof ladder for a re-roof will be rejected.
How do I deal with the rooflights in an otherwise sound pitched roof?
Rooflights are fragile even when the surrounding roof is sound, and people fall through them every year, so they cannot be ignored. You should treat each rooflight as a fragile element — cover it with a load-bearing cover or stage board, or fit guard rails around it — and reference the fragile-roof controls for that part of the work. If much of the roof is fragile sheeting, use the dedicated fragile-roof RAMS instead. Identify the rooflight positions on your survey before access.
What regulations apply to pitched roof work?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 3, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are the main ones, alongside Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a method statement 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.