SafetyPaperwork
Carpentry · United Kingdom

Method statement for decking installation

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

You must assess the risks of decking installation 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 falling from height, hitting underground services, falling through a floor opening or void and lifting and carrying heavy loads.

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RAMS example: decking installation

This is a complete RAMS for decking installation, with 6 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)
Build a deck · Carpentry · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Locate underground services before digging footings
  • Hitting underground services
Workers, PublicVery high (15)
  • Keep machine buckets well clear of marked services and use a spotter. Isolate
  • Do a CAT and Genny scan before digging and mark services on the ground. Control (engineering)
  • Hand dig trial holes to find services before machine digging (safe digging practice). Control (engineering)
  • Get utility plans before digging and check them against what you see on site. Control (procedures)
  • Keep plans or locate tickets on site and check them again if the work area grows. Control (procedures)
  • If you hit a service, stop, get everyone clear, and call the owner and emergency services. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety boots, gloves and hi-vis when digging. PPE
Medium (5)
2Dig and pour footings, guarding open holes
  • Falling through a floor opening or void
  • Wet concrete and cement burns
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
Workers, VisitorsVery high (15)
  • Cover every hole and penetration with a fixed, secured cover marked "HOLE" or "DANGER". Isolate
  • Put guardrails with toe boards around stairwells, lift shafts, voids and open edges. Isolate
  • Install stairs early and fit temporary handrails as soon as they go in. Control (engineering)
  • Never remove a cover or guardrail without approval. Put it back straight away. Control (procedures)
  • Inspect covers and barriers daily and after other trades have been through. Control (procedures)
  • Use long-handled tools and pumps to cut down contact. Control (engineering)
  • Wash concrete off skin straight away with clean water. Control (procedures)
  • Have clean water and eye wash where concrete or mortar is mixed and used. Control (procedures)
  • Do a COSHH assessment for cement, lime and mortar, and check hands regularly for early signs of dermatitis. Control (procedures)
  • Wear waterproof gloves, long sleeves and waterproof boots with trousers worn over the top. PPE
  • Wear safety glasses or goggles to stop splashes. PPE
  • Plan to avoid carrying: have materials delivered, and old items picked up, as close as possible to where they are used. Eliminate
  • Use lighter or smaller loads: order smaller bags and shorter lengths, and drain or break down old items before moving them. Reduce / substitute
  • Use trolleys, pallet jacks, hoists, vacuum lifters or plant instead of carrying by hand. Control (engineering)
  • Use a two-person lift for anything heavy, long or awkward. Plan the route first and clear it. Control (procedures)
  • Keep the load close, back straight and no twisting. Turn with your feet. Control (procedures)
Medium (6)
3Cut treated timber with dust control and wash hands before eating
  • Saw cuts and kickback
  • Wood and MDF dust
  • Hazardous chemicals
Workers, People nearby, OccupantsHigh (12)
  • Keep blade guards fitted and working, and use the riving knife on table saws. Control (engineering)
  • Use push sticks and clamps, and support long pieces so they do not pinch the blade. Control (engineering)
  • Use a sharp, undamaged blade made for the material. Control (procedures)
  • Stand to one side of the blade line, out of the kickback path. Control (procedures)
  • Let the blade stop fully before reaching in or putting the saw down. Control (procedures)
  • Buy pre-cut or pre-finished timber where you can. Reduce / substitute
  • Cut outdoors or in a well-ventilated area away from others. Isolate
  • Use saws and sanders with dust extraction connected to an M-class (or better) vacuum. Control (engineering)
  • Clean up with a vacuum, not a broom or compressed air. Control (procedures)
  • Do a COSHH assessment for hardwood and MDF dust. Control (procedures)
  • Wear an FFP3 dust mask for cutting and sanding. PPE
  • 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)
Medium (8)
4Build bearers and joists, using edge protection if the deck is high
  • Falling from height
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Structural collapse during alterations
Workers, People below, OccupantsVery high (20)
  • Do the work from the ground where you can, for example pre-assemble on the ground or use extension poles. Eliminate
  • Install guardrails or edge protection on all open edges before work starts. Isolate
  • Use a scaffold, mobile tower or MEWP instead of working off a ladder. Control (engineering)
  • Where edge protection is not practical, use a fall restraint or fall arrest system on a rated anchor point. Control (engineering)
  • Have a rescue plan so a worker hanging in a harness can be brought down within minutes. Control (procedures)
  • Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 2 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Get an engineer to check before removing any wall, beam, post or bracing that may be load-bearing. Eliminate
  • Keep everyone clear of the area under and next to the work. Isolate
  • Install temporary props, needles or shoring as designed before removing any support. Control (engineering)
  • Follow the engineer's sequence. Do not change it without approval. Control (procedures)
  • Check props daily. Do not remove them until the permanent support is in and approved. Control (procedures)
Medium (6)
5Lay and fix decking boards
  • Injury from power tools
  • Nail gun injuries
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
  • Sun exposure (UV)
Workers, People nearbyHigh (12)
  • Keep all guards fitted and working. Never tie back or remove a guard. Control (engineering)
  • Clamp or secure the work piece. Do not hold it by hand. Control (engineering)
  • Only trained, competent people use power tools, following the maker's instructions. Control (procedures)
  • Check tools before use. Unplug or remove the battery before changing blades or bits. Control (procedures)
  • Use a nail gun with a sequential (single shot) trigger, not a contact or bump trigger. Reduce / substitute
  • Disconnect the air or battery before clearing jams, adjusting or moving between work areas. Control (engineering)
  • Keep your free hand at least 30 cm from the nailing point. Control (procedures)
  • Never point the gun at anyone or carry it with your finger on the trigger. Control (procedures)
  • Use tools that cut the effort: powered screwdrivers, long-handled tools and extension poles for overhead work. Reduce / substitute
  • Set work up at waist height on benches or trestles where you can. Control (engineering)
  • Use light tools with good grips, and keep blades and bits sharp. Control (engineering)
  • Rotate tasks and take short breaks every hour on repetitive work. Control (procedures)
  • Plan outdoor work for early morning or late afternoon when UV is lower. Eliminate
  • Put shade covers over fixed work areas. Control (engineering)
  • Check the UV index each day. Use sun protection when it is 3 or higher. Control (procedures)
  • Check your skin regularly and see a doctor about any new or changing spots. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
6Fit balustrade before anyone uses the deck, then clean up
  • Falling from height
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, People below, VisitorsVery high (20)
  • Wear a full body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard, clipped on at all times when using fall arrest. PPE
  • Falling from height: see step 4 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • 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
Medium (5)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Locate underground services before digging footings
  2. Dig and pour footings, guarding open holes
  3. Cut treated timber with dust control and wash hands before eating
  4. Build bearers and joists, using edge protection if the deck is high
  5. Lay and fix decking boards
  6. Fit balustrade before anyone uses the deck, then clean up

PPE

Safety bootsSafety glassesEar defendersRigger glovesFFP3 dust maskSun protection (sunscreen and neck cover)Chemical-resistant glovesSafety gogglesKnee padsHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)Coveralls

Plant and equipment

Circular sawMitre sawPower drillNail gunHand tools

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 decking installation

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 decking installation

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Locate underground services before digging footings
  2. Dig and pour footings, guarding open holes
  3. Cut treated timber with dust control and wash hands before eating
  4. Build bearers and joists, using edge protection if the deck is high
  5. Lay and fix decking boards
  6. Fit balustrade before anyone uses the deck, then clean up

Hazards to watch on decking installation

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

Step 3Wood and MDF dustSawing and sanding timber, MDF and treated wood makes fine dust that causes asthma, skin problems and some cancers.
Step 5Nail gun injuriesA nail gun fires by accident, or a nail goes through the timber or ricochets and hits the user or someone nearby.
Step 5Sun exposure (UV)Long hours in the sun cause sunburn, eye damage and skin cancer.
Step 2Wet concrete and cement burnsWet concrete, mortar and cement burn skin and eyes. Burns can be deep and are often not felt until later.
Step 4Structural collapse during alterationsRemoving a wall, beam, post or bracing makes part of the building fall on workers.
Step 1Hitting underground servicesDigging, drilling or driving pegs hits a buried power cable, gas pipe or water main, causing electrocution, explosion or flooding.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on decking installation: Very high before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and fatal becomes unlikely and major 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?

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 decking installation?

You must assess the risks of decking installation 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 decking installation?

Usually Safety boots, Safety glasses, Ear defenders, Rigger gloves, FFP3 dust mask, Sun protection (sunscreen and neck cover), Chemical-resistant gloves, Safety goggles, Knee pads, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Coveralls. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More carpentry RAMS

RAMSTimber Frame Erection6 stepsRAMSRoof Truss Installation6 stepsRAMSInternal Door Hanging5 stepsRAMSKitchen Installation6 stepsRAMSSkirting and Trim Installation5 stepsRAMSStaircase Installation5 stepsRAMSWood Flooring Installation6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

BricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from heightRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves structural collapse during alterationsElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves injury from power toolsDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves hazardous chemicalsScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling from height

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkUnderground Services and CAT and Genny

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

Sources