When this template fits
Steel fixers and groundworks gangs tying reinforcement for foundations, slabs, columns and retaining walls are the audience for this steel fixing method statement. The trade's defining risks — exposed rebar ends, working over mats of bars, and crane-delivered bundles — are not covered by a generic groundworks RAMS, which is why the principal contractor asks for a fixing-specific document. It is written for the fixer on the mat and the slinger taking deliveries.
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 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
Cut, bend and fix reinforcement steel.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-task briefing and site induction: review the RAMS with all operatives; confirm competence for steel fixing, manual handling and any work at height; check PPE is available and fit for purpose.
- 2Inspect the work area: ensure formwork or ground conditions are stable; install edge protection (guardrails and toeboards) to all open edges before any steel-fixing activity begins at height.
- 3Receive and offload rebar bundles: use crane, telehandler or forklift with a certified slinger/signaller; enforce exclusion zone beneath the lift; position bundles as close to point of use as practicable to minimise manual handling distances.
- 4Cut and bend reinforcement to schedule: use mechanical bar croppers and benders in preference to angle grinders; where disc cutting is required wear FFP3 RPE, safety spectacles, hearing protection and enforce a 3 m exclusion zone.
- 5Distribute bars to fixing position: use team lifts or bar-carrying clamps for individual bars; maintain clear designated walkways across any laid rebar mats using boards or proprietary walkway panels.
- 6Fix and tie reinforcement: position bars to the engineer's drawing; use tie gun or hand-tie wire; trim all wire ends flush to prevent snagging; fit proprietary plastic caps or bend over all vertical protruding bar ends immediately.
- 7Carry out a quality and safety check: verify bar positions, cover depths and tie integrity against the approved drawing; re-inspect all rebar caps and edge protection before the pour.
- 8Housekeeping: collect and remove all offcuts, surplus tie wire and waste materials from the work area; stack unused bars safely and segregate for recycling.
- 9End-of-shift review: confirm all protruding bars are capped, access points are secured or signed, and the area is left safe for other trades.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Manual handling — heavy reinforcement bars
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use crane, telehandler or forklift to move bundles of rebar to the point of use rather than manual carrying.
- › Order rebar pre-cut and bent to specification from a fabricator to reduce manual handling and on-site processing.
- › Conduct manual handling risk assessment; use two-person lifts for bars over 25 kg; train operatives in safe manual handling techniques.
- › Wear cut-resistant rigger gloves to protect hands from sharp bar ends and steel-toecap boots to protect feet from dropped bars.
Cuts and punctures from bar ends and tie wire
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Fit proprietary plastic rebar caps or bend over all vertical protruding bar ends to eliminate impalement and cut risks.
- › Stack cut bars neatly and store tie wire securely; trim excess tie wire flush after tying to prevent snagging hazards.
- › Wear EN 388 cut-resistant gloves (minimum Level C) when handling cut bars and tie wire.
Slips, trips and falls on reinforcement mats
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Provide scaffold boards, duck boards or proprietary walkway panels across reinforcement mats to give safe access routes.
- › Keep work areas free from offcuts, waste tie wire and surplus materials; maintain clear access and egress at all times.
- › Wear steel-toecap, ankle-supporting safety boots to reduce injury risk when negotiating uneven rebar surfaces.
Noise from bar cutting and bending equipment
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use electric bar croppers and benders in preference to angle grinders or disc cutters, which generate higher noise levels.
- › Assess daily noise exposure; where 85 dB(A) action value may be exceeded, establish a hearing protection zone and limit exposure duration.
- › Provide and wear suitable hearing protection achieving adequate SNR reduction when working in or near cutting and bending operations.
Hand-arm vibration from power tools
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use mechanical or hydraulic bar croppers which produce significantly lower vibration magnitudes than angle grinders.
- › Calculate daily vibration exposure (A(8)); rotate operatives to keep exposure below the 2.5 m/s² EAV; keep records of tool use time.
- › Provide anti-vibration gloves where residual vibration risk remains after engineering and administrative controls.
Dust and fume inhalation from cutting
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use mechanical bar croppers or shears instead of angle grinders or disc cutters to eliminate dust and fume generation at source.
- › Where disc cutting is unavoidable, use on-tool local exhaust ventilation (LEV) or water suppression to control dust at source.
- › Carry out a COSHH assessment to identify substances generated during cutting and grinding operations and determine adequate controls.
- › Wear FFP3 filtering face piece respirator when dust or fume cannot be adequately controlled by engineering means; ensure face-fit tested.
Contact with plant — crane and lifting operations
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Establish and enforce a physical exclusion zone beneath and around crane lifts of rebar bundles; use barriers and banksman.
- › Prepare a written lift plan; ensure all slinging is carried out by a certified slinger/signaller; use appropriate slings rated for the load.
- › All operatives in the vicinity of overhead lifts must wear a safety helmet to protect against falling objects.
Working at height on formwork or elevated slabs
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Install double guardrails (top rail at 950–1150 mm, mid-rail and toeboard) to all open edges of formwork decks and slab edges before steel-fixing work commences.
- › A competent person must assess all work at height activities, confirm collective protection is adequate and identify any residual fall risk requiring further control.
- › Where guardrails cannot be installed, use a full-body harness with energy-absorbing lanyard attached to a suitable anchor point; restrict free-fall distance.
Eye injury from sparks, wire fragments and swarf
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Ensure all disc cutters and grinders are fitted with manufacturer-specified guards and deflectors correctly positioned before use.
- › Demarcate cutting areas and exclude non-essential personnel from within 3 m of disc-cutting or grinding operations.
- › Wear impact-rated safety spectacles (EN 166) or full-face shield during all cutting and grinding operations.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ Hearing protection (to the assessed SNR)
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
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
- › Powered rebar tying tool and pliers/nips
- › Bar-bending and cutting equipment
- › Proprietary rebar caps and fall-protection troughs
- › Crawl boards and boarded walkways
- › Certified chains/strops for offloading
- › Bar spacers and chairs
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ That every projecting and starter bar is capped, with fall-rated protection specified where a person could fall onto bars — plain mushroom caps alone are rejected
- ✓ That offloading references an appointed-person lift plan and a trained slinger, not just 'crane offload'
- ✓ That walkways/crawl boards are provided so operatives are not walking directly on tied mats
- ✓ 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
Are plastic mushroom caps enough to protect projecting rebar?
Only for protection against scratches and minor cuts. Where a person could fall onto vertical bars — for example over an excavation or off a working platform — thin mushroom caps will not prevent impalement and are not acceptable as fall protection. HSE guidance is to use impact-resistant troughs or caps designed and tested to absorb a fall, or to remove the fall risk entirely with edge protection. Your RAMS must distinguish between the two situations.
Who is responsible for offloading the rebar delivery safely?
The lift is a lifting operation under LOLER, so it must be planned by a competent appointed person and controlled on site by a trained slinger/signaller using certified, in-date lifting accessories. The steel-fixing RAMS should reference that lift plan rather than treat offloading as an afterthought. Bundles are heavy, can swing and can shed bars, so an exclusion zone under the load and a designated, level landing area are essential.
What regulations apply to steel fixing?
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 are the main ones, alongside Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), LOLER 1998 — Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, Work at Height Regulations 2005, PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. 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.