When this template fits
This soft strip method statement is for demolition and strip-out contractors taking a building down to its frame before structural works begin. If your principal contractor or client has asked for a RAMS covering the hand removal of fixtures, fittings, finishes and services, this is the document they expect to see. It is written for the operatives actually pulling out kitchens, partitions, ceilings and cabling, and for the supervisor who has to demonstrate the work is planned and controlled.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 8 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 9-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 out non-structural elements ahead of refurbishment or demolition.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-start: Obtain and review the R&D asbestos survey report and building services drawings. Confirm all ACMs have been removed or made safe by a licensed contractor, and that all electrical, gas, and water services have been isolated, locked off, and proven dead by a competent person.
- 2Site set-up: Establish a defined site compound, waste skip location, and pedestrian routes. Erect hoarding or barrier tape to exclude unauthorised persons from the strip-out zone. Place appropriate signage (PPE mandatory, asbestos cleared, services isolated).
- 3Hazard walk-through: The supervisor conducts a pre-start inspection of the work area to identify floor voids, unprotected edges, fragile surfaces, and any suspect materials not covered by the survey. Toolbox talk delivered to all operatives covering key hazards, emergency procedures, and stop-work criteria.
- 4Overhead and high-level strip-out: Using inspected podium steps or low-level access towers (never unsupported ladders for sustained overhead work), remove ceiling tiles, suspended grid, light fittings (confirmed dead), and high-level finishes. Use on-tool dust extraction or wet suppression throughout.
- 5Wall and partition strip-out: Use a cable and pipe avoidance tool (CAT scan) to verify no live services before cutting or breaking any wall or partition. Remove linings, studwork, skirting, architraves, and internal doors progressively. Stack stripped materials clear of walkways.
- 6Floor finish removal: Lift carpets, vinyl, timber boards, or other floor finishes. Be aware that adhesives and tiles from pre-1980s floors may contain asbestos — stop work and contact the supervisor immediately if suspect material is uncovered. Wet scrape adhesive residues and use vacuum extraction.
- 7Fixtures and fittings removal: Remove kitchen units, sanitary ware, radiators, and built-in joinery. Confirm water services are drained before disconnecting pipework. Segregate materials for reuse, recycling, or disposal as applicable. Handle heavy items using mechanical aids or team lifts.
- 8Progressive clean and waste removal: Continuously bag and remove debris to the skip or waste compound. Do not allow material to accumulate more than one working area ahead. Segregate hazardous waste (lead paint waste, ACM waste) from general skip.
- 9End-of-day and completion checks: Supervisor inspects the stripped area for any remaining hazards including exposed services, structural damage, or unidentified materials. Complete daily inspection record. Secure site against unauthorised entry.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Asbestos exposure
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Commission a Refurbishment and Demolition (R&D) asbestos survey by a UKAS-accredited surveyor before any strip-out work begins. Review the asbestos register and management plan.
- › Ensure all identified ACMs are removed or made safe by a licensed (where required) asbestos contractor before general soft strip begins. Licensed removal required for high-risk ACMs (e.g. sprayed coatings, lagging, AIB).
- › All operatives must hold current asbestos awareness training (Category A as a minimum) so they can recognise suspect materials and stop work immediately if ACMs are encountered unexpectedly.
- › Where any residual risk of asbestos fibre release exists, provide and use suitable RPE (minimum FFP3 disposable or half-mask with P3 filter) as determined by the asbestos risk assessment.
Inhalation of hazardous dust
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Dampen down materials with water mist before and during breaking out to suppress airborne dust at source.
- › Use tools fitted with H-class vacuum dust extraction at the point of dust generation to capture dust before it becomes airborne.
- › Complete a written COSHH assessment for dust-generating activities, identifying material types, exposure limits (e.g. RCS WEL 0.1 mg/m³ 8h TWA) and required controls.
- › Provide FFP3 disposable masks or half-mask with P3 filters as a last line of defence where dust cannot be fully controlled at source. Ensure face-fit testing is current.
Manual handling injury
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use trolleys, sack trucks, pallet trucks, or mini-telehandlers to move heavy items where layout permits, avoiding manual lifting.
- › Plan strip-out sequence to minimise carry distances and drops. Use team lifts (two or more persons) for large or heavy items. Break down materials into manageable loads before bagging.
- › Ensure all operatives have received manual handling training covering safe lifting technique, load assessment, and recognition of when mechanical aids must be used.
Contact with live services
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Identify, isolate, and prove dead all electrical, gas, and water services serving the strip-out area before work begins. Obtain written confirmation from a competent person or utility provider. Lock-off and tag isolated supplies.
- › Use a calibrated cable/pipe avoidance tool (CAT and Genny) to locate concealed electrical cables and metallic services before breaking out walls, floors, or ceilings.
- › Implement a permit-to-work system for any work near services that cannot be fully isolated, with a competent person reviewing controls.
Fall from height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use a lightweight podium step or low-level access tower instead of a stepladder for overhead strip-out tasks, providing a stable working platform with guardrails where practicable.
- › Identify and protect any floor voids, openings, or unprotected edges within the strip-out zone before work starts. Install temporary barriers or covers rated for imposed loads.
- › Inspect all access equipment (steps, hop-ups, podiums) before each use. Remove defective equipment from service. Ladders only used where a work platform is not reasonably practicable.
Slips and trips on debris
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Implement a 'strip and clear' approach — remove and bag or skip debris progressively as work advances rather than allowing it to accumulate. Designate a clear waste route.
- › Mark and maintain clear pedestrian walkways through the strip-out area. Conduct regular housekeeping checks and end-of-shift clear-up.
- › All operatives to wear safety boots with steel toecap, penetration-resistant midsole, and slip-resistant sole rated to EN ISO 20345.
Noise and vibration exposure
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where possible, select battery-powered or lower-vibration tools over pneumatic equivalents. Review manufacturers' vibration and noise declarations when specifying equipment.
- › Calculate daily noise and HAV exposure (using HSE ready reckoner or equivalent). Rotate operatives to limit individual exposure below EAV (80 dB(A) noise; 2.5 m/s² HAV) where feasible.
- › Provide and enforce use of hearing protection (minimum SNR rated to attenuate exposure below 80 dB(A) at the ear) where noise cannot be controlled below the EAV by other means.
Lead paint exposure
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Sample suspect painted surfaces for lead content before stripping. Complete a COSHH assessment defining control measures based on the concentration found and the stripping method to be used.
- › Where lead paint is confirmed, use enclosure or localised containment sheeting, HEPA-filtered vacuum extraction on tools, and wet stripping methods to minimise airborne lead.
- › Use minimum FFP3 RPE; provide decontamination facilities (hand wash, face wash). Prohibit eating, drinking, and smoking in contaminated areas. Dispose of waste as hazardous.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ Disposable RPE (FFP3)
- ✓ Disposable coveralls (Type 5)
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
- ✓ Hearing protection (to the assessed SNR)
- ✓ RPE per the COSHH assessment
- ✓ Chemical-resistant gloves
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
- › Hand tools — wrecking bars, claw hammers, bolt croppers
- › Cordless reciprocating saws and small power tools
- › CAT and genny cable / service detector
- › Protected waste chute or material hoist
- › Wheelbarrows and sack trucks
- › Segregated waste skips with transfer documentation
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ The discovery procedure is named — reviewers will not accept a RAMS that has operatives carrying on if asbestos is suspected.
- ✓ Service isolation is stated as written and proved-dead before strip, not 'services believed isolated'.
- ✓ The strip sequence protects identified retained structure and keeps the work clear of any structural demolition scope.
- ✓ 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 an asbestos survey before soft strip-out?
Yes. Before any strip-out or demolition you need a refurbishment and demolition (R&D) survey carried out to HSG264, not just a management survey. A management survey is only for normal occupation and does not look behind finishes or into the fabric you are about to disturb. The R&D survey is intrusive and is designed to find ACMs in exactly the places soft strip exposes. Without it your RAMS cannot reasonably control the asbestos risk and a principal contractor will reject it.
Can we use a machine for soft strip to speed it up?
No — soft strip by definition is the hand removal of non-structural fixtures, finishes and services before any machine demolition. Bringing an excavator or breaker into the strip phase changes the risk profile completely and is covered by a separate structural demolition RAMS. Machine work also makes it far harder to spot and stop on a suspected asbestos discovery. Keep the soft strip to hand tools and small power tools, and only move to mechanical demolition once the building is stripped and the structural method statement is in place.
What regulations apply to soft strip?
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are the main ones, alongside Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Work at Height Regulations 2005, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, COSHH 2002, reg 7 — prevention or control of exposure. 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.