When this template fits
Roofing contractors applying torch-on felt and bitumen membranes with an LPG gas torch need this RAMS, and the principal contractor or building owner will expect to see it before granting a hot works permit. Torch-on roofing combines an open flame, LPG cylinders and work at height directly over an often combustible deck, which is why a torch on roofing method statement is one of the most closely scrutinised hot works documents. This document sets out the Safe2Torch controls, cylinder management and the extended fire watch so the competent person can confirm torch-free zones are designed in where they are needed.
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
Torch-on felt flat roofing with naked flame at height.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-work planning: Confirm hot-works permit is issued and signed. Brief all operatives and the fire watcher on the task, hazards and emergency procedures. Confirm first-aid provision and fire extinguishers are in place on the roof.
- 2Roof access and edge protection: Erect and inspect collective edge protection (guardrails with mid-rail and toe boards) around all open roof edges and install covers over any fragile roof lights before any operative accesses the roof.
- 3Establish ground-level exclusion zone: Set up physical barriers and signage around the building perimeter below the working area to prevent persons entering the drop zone during operations.
- 4Materials delivery to roof: Raise felt rolls, gas cylinders and tools to roof level using a mechanical hoist or crane. Position materials using trolleys or two-person handling. Secure the single working cylinder upright on the roof; return all spares to ground storage.
- 5Prepare the roof surface: Clean and dry the substrate. Identify and mark any areas of concern. Remove all loose combustible debris from the working area. Inspect gas hose, regulator and torch connections with leak-detection fluid before lighting.
- 6Torch-on application: Light torch following manufacturer's procedure. Keep torch moving at all times. Roll out and bond felt working upwind of fume plume. Fire watcher to monitor continuously for smouldering. Close cylinder valve whenever torch is not in active use.
- 7Overlaps and detailing: Apply torch-on felt to all upstands, abutments and outlets, ensuring full bond. Maintain consistent flame distance to avoid charring substrate. Cut felt with sharp tools; do not use torch to cut.
- 8Post-work inspection and monitoring: On completion, extinguish torch, close cylinder valve fully, and disconnect hose. Fire watcher remains on the roof for a minimum of 60 minutes checking for smouldering, with extinguisher to hand.
- 9Clear-up and secure roof: Remove all felt offcuts, gas hoses and tools from the roof surface. Lower materials to ground using hoist. Remove cylinder to ground-level secure storage. Final check that roof is clear and edge protection is intact.
- 10Hot-works permit sign-off: Responsible person signs off the hot-works permit confirming post-work monitoring is complete, no signs of fire found, and site is left in a safe condition. Record kept on file.
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.
- › Where permanent edge protection cannot be installed, establish clearly marked exclusion zones set back at least 2 m from the edge, enforced by physical barriers or highly visible bunting.
- › Where collective protection is not reasonably practicable, operatives must wear a full-body harness connected to a suitable anchor point with appropriate energy-absorbing lanyard. Rescue plan must be in place.
Fall through fragile or weakened roof surface
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Competent person must carry out a survey to identify all fragile elements before work commences. Results communicated to all operatives via toolbox talk.
- › Install load-bearing covers over roof lights and fragile areas, secured in place. Mark with 'FRAGILE' warnings. Do not remove until work in the area is complete.
- › Use roof boards or temporary working platforms to spread operative load across the roof deck where substrate integrity is uncertain.
Ignition of combustible materials from hot works
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Issue a site-specific hot-works permit before every operation. Permit must confirm clearance of combustibles, availability of fire extinguisher, and post-work fire watch period of at least 60 minutes.
- › Clear a minimum 500 mm zone around the torch work area of all combustible debris, felt offcuts, polystyrene packaging and insulation off-cuts before lighting torch.
- › Assign a dedicated fire watcher who does not carry out torch work. Watcher monitors for smouldering and remains on the roof for at least 60 minutes post-completion, with a charged fire extinguisher.
- › Minimum two suitable fire extinguishers (appropriate class for burning felt/insulation) positioned within 10 m of the hot-works area and checked serviceable before work starts.
Burns from soldering, naked flame and hot works
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Only operatives who have received recognised torch-on roofing training (e.g. NFRC/CITB) may operate the torch. Evidence of competency to be available on site.
- › Torch kept moving at all times; never allowed to dwell on one spot. Torch turned off and valve closed when not in active use. Gas hoses inspected for damage before each use.
- › Operatives to wear flame-resistant gloves (EN 407), flame-resistant overalls, and safety footwear with heat-resistant soles when using torch.
LPG and propane cylinder fire and explosion
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Cylinders stored and used upright, chained or secured in a purpose-made trolley, away from heat sources, roof edges and combustible materials. Stored in a ventilated, locked cage off the roof when not in use.
- › Gas hoses, regulators and torch connections inspected for wear, cracking and leaks before each shift using leak-detection fluid. Faulty equipment taken out of service immediately.
- › Only the cylinder currently in use to be on the roof at any one time. Spare cylinders kept at ground level in an appropriate storage area.
Inhalation of bitumen fumes
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Carry out a COSHH assessment before work, referencing the product safety data sheets. Assess inhalation exposure against WEL (bitumen fume WEL: 1 mg/m³ 8-hr TWA).
- › Operatives to work upwind of torch operations wherever possible. Work sequencing planned to minimise time spent in fume plume.
- › Where fume exposure cannot be adequately controlled by positioning and work practice, operatives to wear a P3-rated half-face respirator or FFP3 disposable mask suitable for organic vapours and particulates.
Manual handling — heavy or bulky items
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Use a materials hoist, crane or forklift to raise felt rolls and cylinders to roof level. Manual carrying up ladders of loads over 10 kg is not permitted.
- › Two-person lifts required for felt rolls. Use roll-handling trolleys or shoulder carriers on the roof where practicable to minimise manual carrying distance.
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.
- › Establish and maintain clear access routes across the roof. Regularly remove offcuts, debris and coiled hoses. Brief all operatives on routes at start of shift.
Falling materials or objects striking persons below
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Fit toe boards (minimum 150 mm) to all edge protection systems. Install debris netting beneath working areas where persons below cannot be excluded.
- › Establish a clearly signed and physically barriered exclusion zone at ground level extending beyond the working area. Zone to be maintained throughout the works and controlled by a site banksman where public access is adjacent.
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
- ✓ Eye/face protection
- ✓ Flame-resistant gloves
- ✓ RPE per the COSHH assessment
- ✓ Chemical-resistant gloves
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
- › LPG roofing torch with regulator, hose and hose check valve
- › LPG cylinders with a ventilated, restrained ground-level store and cage
- › Reinforced bitumen membrane rolls and primer
- › Hot-air welder or cold-applied bonding kit for torch-free details
- › Surface thermometer or thermal imaging camera and roof extinguishers
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ Safe2Torch zoning is shown on the drawings — where torch-free details are required near combustible deck edges, eaves and rooflights, the RAMS must show them and name the alternative method
- ✓ The fire watch duration matches the permit/insurer requirement (60 min minimum, often 2 hours) and a deck temperature/thermal check is specified
- ✓ LPG cylinder management is described for both the roof and the ground-level store, including quantities on the roof and restraint
- ✓ 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
What is Safe2Torch and does my method statement have to follow it?
Safe2Torch is NFRC guidance that aims to reduce roof fires caused by torch-on work by identifying details where a naked flame should not be used. It requires you to survey the roof, mark the combustible details — eaves, verges, upstands, rooflights and penetrations — and form those details with hot-air welding or cold-applied methods instead of a torch. While it is guidance rather than a regulation, principal contractors and roofing insurers now expect torch on roofing method statements to follow it, and many will not issue a permit otherwise. Your RAMS should reference Safe2Torch and show the torch-free zones on the drawings.
How many LPG cylinders can I keep on the roof while torching?
Keep the quantity on the roof to the minimum needed for the session — typically the in-use cylinder plus, where unavoidable, one spare, both upright and restrained. The bulk of your supply should stay in a ventilated, secure store at ground level, away from ignition sources and drains, following LPG good practice (CP7 covers LPG in mobile and similar applications). At the end of each session cylinders are turned off at the valve and returned to the ground store rather than left on the roof overnight. State the on-roof quantity and the ground storage arrangement in the RAMS so the reviewer can see the LPG is controlled.
What regulations apply to torch-on roofing?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment are the main ones, alongside Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, 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 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.