SafetyPaperwork
Bricklaying · United Kingdom

Method statement for brick cleaning

By Safety PaperworkBuilt from HSE guidance and CDM 2015 · How we write and check theseUpdated

You must assess the risks of brick cleaning and record the significant findings if you employ 5 or more people. On CDM sites the principal contractor will ask for RAMS before you start.

RAMS cover the hazards, who could be harmed and how, the controls and the safe sequence of work, and the crew is briefed and signs. The main hazards are public entering the work area, hazardous chemicals, eye injuries and high pressure water jetting.

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RAMS example: brick cleaning

This is a complete RAMS for brick cleaning, with 5 job steps. Open it in the builder to add your site, crew and signatures, change anything, and download a PDF. Or download the free Word template below and fill it in by hand.

Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS)
Brick cleaning and acid washing · Bricklaying · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Read the safety data sheet and set up an eyewash
  • Hazardous chemicals
Workers, OccupantsMedium (9)
  • Choose the least harmful product that does the job, for example water-based instead of solvent-based. Reduce / substitute
  • Use chemicals in well-ventilated areas, or use fans and extraction in closed rooms. Control (engineering)
  • Do a COSHH assessment and read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before use. Control (procedures)
  • Keep chemicals in labelled containers. Never decant into drink bottles. Control (procedures)
  • Store chemicals away from heat, food and drink, and keep products that react with each other apart. Control (procedures)
  • Have eye wash and a spill kit nearby, and wash hands before eating. Control (procedures)
  • Wear chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses or goggles as listed on the SDS. PPE
  • Use a respirator with the right cartridge if the SDS calls for one. PPE
Medium (6)
2Protect windows, plants and drains
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • Public entering the work area
Workers, Occupants, Public, ChildrenHigh (12)
  • Hazardous chemicals: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Fence off the site with secure temporary fencing and lock the gates when you leave. Isolate
  • Give pedestrians a safe, marked path around the work, with ramps for prams and wheelchairs. Isolate
  • Use hoarding, covered walkways or catch fans where work is above public areas. Control (engineering)
  • Put signs at each entry: site name, contact number and "No unauthorised entry". Control (procedures)
  • Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower plant, remove ladders and lock tools away. Control (procedures)
  • Use a spotter when moving plant or materials across public paths. Control (procedures)
Medium (6)
3Always add acid to water, never water to acid
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • Eye injuries
Workers, Occupants, People nearbyMedium (9)
  • Hazardous chemicals: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Use tool guards and screens to stop flying particles. Control (engineering)
  • Use dust extraction and water to keep dust out of the air. Control (engineering)
  • Keep others out of the area when cutting, grinding or chipping. Control (procedures)
  • Keep an eye wash station or eye wash bottles on site. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses at all times, goggles for dust and chemicals, and a face shield for grinding. PPE
Medium (6)
4Apply and wash off from the bottom up
  • High pressure water jetting
  • Slips and trips
Workers, People nearby, Visitors, PublicMedium (8)
  • Set an exclusion zone around the jetting area. Isolate
  • Use a dead man's trigger that stops the jet when released, and check hoses and fittings before use. Control (engineering)
  • Only trained operators use high pressure jetting gear. Control (procedures)
  • Never point the lance at anyone or put a hand in front of it. Control (procedures)
  • Treat any jetting injury as serious and go to hospital, even if it looks small. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a face shield, waterproof clothing, gloves, hearing protection and safety boots. PPE
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Eliminate
  • Run leads and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Control (engineering)
  • Fill or cover holes, and lay boards or mats on muddy access paths. Control (engineering)
  • Clean up offcuts, packaging and spills as you go, not at the end of the day. Control (procedures)
  • Keep work areas, stairs and access paths well lit. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety boots with good grip, laced up. PPE
Low (4)
5Neutralise and dispose of runoff, then clean up
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, VisitorsMedium (8)
  • Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Eliminate
  • Put skips and waste chutes close to the work. Control (engineering)
  • Clean as you go, and do a full clean up at the end of each day. Control (procedures)
  • Keep exits, stairs and walkways clear at all times. Control (procedures)
  • Stack materials neatly on level ground, away from edges. Control (procedures)
  • Use a registered waste carrier and keep waste transfer notes for at least 2 years. Keep hazardous waste such as asbestos separate, with consignment notes (special waste in Scotland). Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves when handling waste. PPE
Low (4)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Read the safety data sheet and set up an eyewash
  2. Protect windows, plants and drains
  3. Always add acid to water, never water to acid
  4. Apply and wash off from the bottom up
  5. Neutralise and dispose of runoff, then clean up

PPE

Safety gogglesFace shieldChemical-resistant glovesCoverallsSafety bootsHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)Hi-vis vestSafety glassesRigger glovesEar defenders

Plant and equipment

Pressure washer (jet wash)Knapsack sprayer: City and Guilds PA1 and PA6 (or Lantra equivalent) for pesticidesMobile access tower: PASMA certificate

Emergency

Call 999. Add the nearest A&E, the assembly point and the first aider for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this RAMS.

Free RAMS template for brick cleaning

Word (.docx) and PDF, A4 landscape, no email needed. Fill in your site details, then print or send it.

Word template (.docx)PDF template

Make yours in 2 minutes

Same document, filled in for your job. Answer a few yes or no questions, the crew signs on the phone, and you send the PDF.

Start this RAMS

Pre-start checklist for brick cleaning

Tick these off before work starts. They come from the hazards, permits and equipment in this job.

The safe sequence of work

  1. Read the safety data sheet and set up an eyewash
  2. Protect windows, plants and drains
  3. Always add acid to water, never water to acid
  4. Apply and wash off from the bottom up
  5. Neutralise and dispose of runoff, then clean up

Hazards to watch on brick cleaning

The hazards most specific to this job, and the step where each one comes up.

Step 4High pressure water jettingHigh pressure water cuts through skin and injects water and dirt into the body, or the hose whips.
Step 3Eye injuriesFlying chips, dust, chemicals or sparks get into the eye and cause damage or blindness.
Step 1, 2, 3Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.
Step 4Slips and tripsWorkers slip on wet or muddy ground or trip on leads, offcuts and uneven ground, causing sprains, broken bones or head injuries.
Step 2Public entering the work areaMembers of the public, including children, walk into the site and are hit by plant or falling objects, or fall into holes.
Step 5Poor housekeeping and wasteRubbish, offcuts and materials left lying around cause trips, cuts and fires, and block exits.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on brick cleaning: High before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible and major injury becomes unlikely and lost time injury).

What changes on your site

This example covers the job itself. Your site may add more. Add controls for any of these that apply (the builder asks you these as yes or no questions):

  • Will anyone work at height, anywhere a fall could hurt them?
  • Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
  • Will anyone work on a roof?
  • Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?

Licences and legal requirements in United Kingdom

Equipment on this job that needs a licence, ticket or training:

  • Knapsack sprayer: City and Guilds PA1 and PA6 (or Lantra equivalent) for pesticides
  • Mobile access tower: PASMA certificate

Employers must assess the risks of their work and record the significant findings (required where you employ 5 or more people). On CDM projects, contractors give their RAMS to the principal contractor before starting, and brief the workers on it.

Rules that apply: COSHH Regulations 2002; CDM Regulations 2015.

Why RAMS get rejected

Principal contractors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

  • The method statement is only a list of headings that repeats the risk table and never says how the work is done.
  • The method sequence does not match the risk assessment, for example the method strips the roof before the scaffold is handed over.
  • Residual risk is still High after controls with no extra measures or explanation.
  • It reads as copied: another firm, another address, or wording that does not fit UK sites. HSE warns that copying an example and adding your name does not satisfy the law.
  • Work on an older building with no reference to an asbestos survey.
  • Plant and access equipment listed with no inspection, thorough examination or competence evidence.
  • No briefing record, no revision history, or no named supervisor.

Questions

Do I need RAMS for brick cleaning?

You must assess the risks of brick cleaning and record the significant findings if you employ 5 or more people. On CDM sites the principal contractor will ask for RAMS before you start.

Who signs the RAMS?

The person who wrote it and the person who approved it sign and date it. Every worker signs the briefing register after it is explained to them, and the principal contractor reviews and accepts it before you start.

How long do I keep it?

Keep this RAMS, every revision and the signed briefing register with the site file for the length of the job, and keep a copy in your records afterwards.

What PPE is needed for brick cleaning?

Usually Safety goggles, Face shield, Chemical-resistant gloves, Coveralls, Safety boots, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Hi-vis vest, Safety glasses, Rigger gloves, Ear defenders. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More bricklaying RAMS

RAMSBrickwork10 stepsRAMSBlockwork6 stepsRAMSRepointing4 stepsRAMSGarden Wall Construction5 stepsRAMSCrack Stitching5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

ScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves public entering the work areaRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves public entering the work areaDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves hazardous chemicals

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkSlips, Trips and FallsToolbox talkCOSHH and Hazardous Substances

Blank RAMS template: free RAMS templates. Also for other countries: Australia (SWMS) · United States (JHA) · Canada (FLHA)

Sources