When this template fits
Wall and floor tilers fixing ceramic, porcelain and natural-stone tiles should give the principal contractor this tiling risk assessment before they begin. The trade's signature risks — silica from wet-cutting porcelain, dermatitis from adhesives and grout, and handling heavy large-format tiles — are not addressed by a generic finishing RAMS. It is written for the tiler cutting and fixing and the operative mixing adhesive and serving large boards.
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
Cut and fix wall and floor tiles.
Sequence of works
- 1Before starting work, carry out a site-specific risk assessment and COSHH assessment; review SDS for all adhesives, grouts and primers; brief all operatives on hazards and controls.
- 2Prepare the work area: clear the floor of trip hazards, ensure adequate lighting and ventilation, set up the tile cutting station away from other trades with a minimum 2 m exclusion zone and appropriate signage.
- 3Deliver tiles and materials to the work area using mechanical handling aids (sack trolley, pallet truck) to minimise manual handling; stack tiles securely on flat surfaces no higher than 1 m.
- 4Set up the wet tile saw or angle grinder with correct guards, LEV or water suppression; connect power tools via 110 V CTE supply or 30 mA RCD; inspect all tools and leads before use.
- 5Mix adhesive and prepare the substrate surface following manufacturer instructions; wear chemical-resistant gloves, safety glasses and FFP3 RPE during mixing of powder products.
- 6Fix tiles to wall or floor using appropriate notched trowel technique; wear knee pads for floor tiling; ensure freshly tiled areas are immediately barriered off and signed to prevent access.
- 7Carry out all tile cutting with wet saw or LEV-fitted grinder; wear FFP3 respirator, safety glasses, cut-resistant gloves and hearing protection during cutting operations.
- 8Apply grout to joints once adhesive has fully cured; wear chemical-resistant gloves and eye protection; ensure adequate ventilation and remove excess grout promptly.
- 9Clean tools and work area progressively throughout the day; dispose of tile waste, adhesive containers and contaminated materials in accordance with site waste management plan.
- 10At completion, inspect finished tiled areas, remove barriers only once tiles are fully cured, ensure the area is clean and dry, and complete any operatives' health surveillance records if required.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Silica dust inhalation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use wet-cutting tile saws with integral water suppression to reduce dust at source during all cutting operations.
- › Where wet cutting is not practicable, use angle grinders or grinders fitted with H-class vacuum LEV attachment to capture dust at point of generation.
- › Wear a close-fitting FFP3 disposable or half-face respirator during all tile cutting, grinding and drilling where dust cannot be fully suppressed.
- › Complete a written COSHH assessment identifying RCS exposure, duration and frequency before work begins; review if task changes.
Cement and adhesive skin/eye contact
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where feasible use pre-mixed, low-chromate adhesives and grouts to reduce sensitisation risk.
- › Obtain and review Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all adhesives, grouts and primers; complete COSHH assessment before use.
- › Wear nitrile or neoprene gloves rated for alkaline substances and safety glasses/goggles when mixing or applying cement-based products.
Tile cutting laceration
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Prefer a static wet tile saw with a correctly fitted blade guard rather than handheld angle grinders wherever cutting geometry permits.
- › Inspect cutting equipment, disc condition and guards before each use; replace damaged or worn discs immediately.
- › Wear EN 388 cut-resistant gloves (minimum Level C) when handling cut tiles and operating cutting tools.
Manual handling musculoskeletal injury
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use sack trolleys, pallet trucks or materials hoists to move bulk tile deliveries to the work area rather than manual carrying.
- › Specify smaller pack sizes (≤20 kg per box) at procurement stage to reduce single-lift weight.
- › Carry out a manual handling assessment; use two-person lifts for loads exceeding 20 kg or where posture is compromised.
- › Wear knee pads conforming to EN 14404 when fixing floor tiles to reduce sustained pressure on knee joints.
Slip on wet or loose tiles
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Erect barriers and 'Wet tiles — do not walk' signage to prevent access to newly laid tiles until adhesive and grout have fully cured.
- › Remove adhesive and water spillages from walkways promptly; use dust sheets to protect adjacent floor areas during work.
- › Wear safety footwear with anti-slip soles (SRC rated) when working in areas where tiling is in progress.
Noise from cutting and grinding
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Select electric wet tile saws over dry angle grinders wherever possible, as wet saws produce lower noise levels.
- › Rotate operatives on cutting duties to limit daily noise dose; schedule noisy cutting away from other workers where possible.
- › Wear hearing protection with adequate SNR rating (minimum SNR 25 dB) during all cutting and grinding operations.
Hand-arm vibration (HAV)
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Select tools with declared vibration emission values and prefer wet tile saws (static) over handheld grinders to minimise HAV exposure.
- › Calculate and record daily vibration exposure (EAV 2.5 m/s² A(8); ELV 5 m/s²); rotate operatives to keep exposure below action value.
- › Provide anti-vibration gloves (EN ISO 10819) as a supplementary measure where exposure cannot be reduced sufficiently by other means.
Eye injury from tile fragments
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Ensure all cutting equipment has manufacturer-fitted blade guards and debris deflectors correctly positioned before use.
- › Establish a minimum 2 m exclusion zone around tile cutting areas; display signage to prevent bystander exposure.
- › All operatives and anyone within the vicinity of cutting operations must wear close-fitting safety glasses or goggles rated to EN 166.
Electrical contact from power tools
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use 110 V CTE power tools via a site transformer rather than 230 V mains supply wherever practicable.
- › Where 230 V supply is unavoidable, use a 30 mA residual current device (RCD) at the supply point for all power tools.
- › Inspect leads, plugs and casings before each use; ensure all power tools are within current PAT test date.
- › Position electrical equipment away from wet cutting water sources; use water-containment trays on wet tile saws.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
- ✓ RPE per the COSHH assessment
- ✓ Chemical-resistant gloves
- ✓ Hearing protection (to the assessed SNR)
- ✓ 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
- › Water-fed wet tile saw
- › Manual score-and-snap cutter and tile nippers
- › Forced-action adhesive mixer and notched trowels
- › Vacuum/suction tile lifters and transport frame
- › Grout floats, sponges and buckets
- › Knee pads and HEPA vacuum
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ That porcelain/ceramic cutting is wet-cut or score-and-snap with FFP3, and dry-cutting porcelain with a grinder is prohibited
- ✓ That large-format tiles are handled two-person or with suction lifters, with a manual-handling assessment
- ✓ That dermatitis controls (gloves throughout, washing) and knee protection for floor work are explicit
- ✓ 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 tilers really need face-fit tested masks?
If there is any chance of dry-cutting or dust escaping during cutting, yes — cutting porcelain and ceramic releases respirable crystalline silica, which causes silicosis, and FFP3 respiratory protection must be face-fit tested to the individual to give the rated protection. The first control is to wet-cut so dust is suppressed at source, with score-and-snap for straight cuts, which greatly reduces the airborne dust. Where dry cutting is unavoidable, on-tool extraction plus a face-fit tested FFP3 is required. A loose, unfitted mask offers little real protection.
How should we handle large-format porcelain tiles safely?
Large-format porcelain slabs are heavy and awkward and crack easily, so they should be moved with vacuum/suction lifters and a transport frame rather than carried flat by hand, and positioned by two people keeping the load close and avoiding twisting. A manual-handling assessment should set out the loads, the route and resting points, and gloves protect fingers when bedding the tile. The tiling RAMS should name suction lifters and two-person handling specifically rather than rely on a generic 'lift correctly' line.
What regulations apply to wall & floor tiling?
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are the main ones, alongside Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, 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.